Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salary: $37,320 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 114,190 veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers work nationally, and $37,320 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.2% annual growth.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: what the data shows
Common questions about veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers?
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 31-9096.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 114,190 workers.
What does a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Assisting and Caring for Others, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $37,320 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $47,822 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,288 |
| 25th percentile | $39,471 |
| Median (50th) | $46,763 |
| 75th percentile | $49,920 |
| 90th percentile | $60,215 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Writing, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology, Administrative. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 22.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 50.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 114,190.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 114,190 | 16.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 110,280 | 16.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 103,290 | 15.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 103,290 | 15.1% |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 101,930 | 14.9% |
| Veterinary Services | 101,800 | 14.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 131,320 | $45,980 |
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Audiologists | 14,730 | $92,120 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 154,540 | $54,140 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
114,190 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers grew from 29,880 in 2009 to 57,540 in 2025 (92.6%).
Historical employment for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$37,320 Median pay (BLS national)
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn $37,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 14,960 employees, $46,500 avg wage
- TX: 8,040 employees, $33,170 avg wage
- FL: 7,060 employees, $37,460 avg wage
- NY: 5,680 employees, $43,300 avg wage
- NC: 5,190 employees, $37,510 avg wage
- VA: 4,880 employees, $37,410 avg wage
- WA: 4,720 employees, $43,230 avg wage
- PA: 4,390 employees, $38,070 avg wage
- OH: 4,190 employees, $35,850 avg wage
- MI: 4,040 employees, $37,580 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,610 employees, $46,220 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,290 employees, $46,030 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,640 employees, $40,210 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,540 employees, $45,270 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,490 employees, $42,970 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 2,410 employees, $51,710 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,220 employees, $34,780 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,080 employees, $34,160 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,060 employees, $41,400 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,990 employees, $35,710 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 U.S. workforce for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is about 114,190 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn $37,320 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 114,190 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.