Average Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers is $37,320 per year. The middle 50% earn between $34,320 and $44,550, with 114,190 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 282 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $29,160
- 25th
- $34,320
- Median
- $37,320
- 75th
- $44,550
- 90th
- $48,150
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This is a lower-wage occupation relative to the US labor market. Pay is below the national median for all workers.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers from 2024 to 2034. Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +8.7%
- 10,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 22,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Rhode Island at $48,050, about 28.8% above the national median. At the metro level, New Haven, CT leads with a median of $57,320.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $48,050 | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $45,480 | 1,470 |
| California | $45,470 | 14,960 |
| Maine | $44,080 | 790 |
| Minnesota | $43,670 | 1,220 |
| Washington | $43,590 | 4,720 |
| District of Columbia | $43,580 | 150 |
| Maryland | $43,520 | 1,690 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $57,320 | 330 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $48,010 | 410 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $47,460 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,040 | 2,410 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46,950 | 550 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $46,920 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,620 | 1,590 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,280 | 320 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers rose from $28,590 to $37,320, a gain of +30.5% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $28,590 would need to be worth $35,080 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $37,320 is $2,240 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +6.4% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 6.4%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +30.5%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- +6.4%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $28,590
- 2020
- $29,930
- 2021
- $29,780
- 2022
- $34,740
- 2023
- $36,440
- 2024
- $37,320
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Medical Transcriptionists
- $37,550
- Pharmacy Aides
- $37,000
- Phlebotomists
- $43,660
- Medical Assistants
- $44,200
- Medical Equipment Preparers
- $46,490
- Dental Assistants
- $47,300
- Massage Therapists
- $57,950
Common salary questions for Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Veterinary Assistants And Laboratory Animal Caretakers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.