Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

31-9096 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine post-operative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists. Excludes "Nonfarm Animal Caretakers" (39-2021).

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National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
79,990	2.7 %	$12.89	$26,810	0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$8.91	$10.18	$12.14	$14.64	$18.18
Annual Wage (2)	$18,540	$21,170	$25,250	$30,460	$37,810

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Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	69,870	10.32	$12.39	$25,770
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	3,640	0.12	$17.85	$37,120
Scientific Research and Development Services	1,880	0.28	$16.46	$34,240
Social Advocacy Organizations	1,400	0.68	$12.77	$26,550
Other Personal Services	610	0.19	$11.96	$24,880

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	69,870	10.32	$12.39	$25,770
Social Advocacy Organizations	1,400	0.68	$12.77	$26,550
Scientific Research and Development Services	1,880	0.28	$16.46	$34,240
Other Personal Services	610	0.19	$11.96	$24,880
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	200	0.13	$17.62	$36,660

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government (OES Designation)	560	0.01	$20.39	$42,400
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	150	0.05	$20.03	$41,660
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	3,640	0.12	$17.85	$37,120
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	200	0.13	$17.62	$36,660
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	570	0.01	$16.53	$34,380

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Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	11,690	0.73	1.29	$14.41	$29,970
Texas	5,140	0.44	0.77	$11.47	$23,860
Florida	4,870	0.59	1.04	$12.15	$25,280
New York	3,690	0.41	0.71	$14.21	$29,550
Virginia	3,040	0.81	1.42	$12.70	$26,420

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Tennessee	3,020	1.04	1.83	$11.51	$23,950
Maine	590	0.99	1.74	$15.84	$32,950
Washington	2,970	0.97	1.70	$14.10	$29,320
Oklahoma	1,530	0.97	1.70	$11.48	$23,870
Oregon	1,510	0.85	1.48	$13.87	$28,850

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut	670	0.40	0.71	$17.42	$36,240
Massachusetts	1,780	0.51	0.90	$16.78	$34,900
Maine	590	0.99	1.74	$15.84	$32,950
New Jersey	1,100	0.28	0.49	$15.26	$31,750
Rhode Island	200	0.41	0.72	$15.13	$31,460

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division	2,710	0.64	1.13	$14.23	$29,590
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	1,460	1.05	1.85	$14.60	$30,370
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division	1,420	0.57	1.00	$13.91	$28,930
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division	1,380	0.87	1.52	$14.95	$31,090
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1,340	0.53	0.92	$11.93	$24,820
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	1,340	0.69	1.21	$12.85	$26,730
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division	1,280	0.19	0.34	$15.34	$31,900
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division	1,190	0.76	1.34	$13.20	$27,460
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	1,160	0.39	0.69	$12.14	$25,240
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	1,120	0.99	1.74	$14.37	$29,890