Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,960 Workforce in 2023
The Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,822 Average Wage
In 2023, Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earned an average of $47,822.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Salary distribution for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Employment Growth Projections
4.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
70,616 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 22.7%
86,663 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 50.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,300 employees, $47,582 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,020 employees, $47,627 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,640 employees, $46,218 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,590 employees, $50,218 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,590 employees, $47,373 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,370 employees, $52,398 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,060 employees, $43,040 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 550 employees, $52,203 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 430 employees, $45,014 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 320 employees, $48,007 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 220 employees, $42,320 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in 2023 was 14,960 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in 2023 were Biology, Chemistry, Health Sciences.
Common majors for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers workers.
Education level distribution for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Skills
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Writing, Monitoring, Service Orientation.
Required skills for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology, Administrative, Medicine and Dentistry.
Knowledge areas required for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Daily Activities
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Assisting and Caring for Others, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.
Most important work activities for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
About
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
The average yearly wage for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers was $47,822 in 2023.
SOC Code
31-9096 - Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers reports an average salary of $47,822.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,960 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.