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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 postoperative 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 "Animal Caretakers" (39-2021).


National estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

National estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
98,810 2.3 % $ 14.89 $ 30,980 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 10.37 $ 12.20 $ 14.39 $ 17.26 $ 19.75
Annual Wage (2) $ 21,570 $ 25,370 $ 29,930 $ 35,900 $ 41,080


Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 88,480 12.18 $ 14.54 $ 30,230
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,270 0.11 $ 19.08 $ 39,690
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,030 0.40 $ 18.51 $ 38,500
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,140 0.52 $ 14.22 $ 29,570
Other Personal Services 700 0.24 $ 15.26 $ 31,740

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 88,480 12.18 $ 14.54 $ 30,230
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,140 0.52 $ 14.22 $ 29,570
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,030 0.40 $ 18.51 $ 38,500
Other Personal Services 700 0.24 $ 15.26 $ 31,740
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,270 0.11 $ 19.08 $ 39,690

Top paying industries for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 40 (7) $ 23.40 $ 48,680
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 630 0.01 $ 19.96 $ 41,520
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,270 0.11 $ 19.08 $ 39,690
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,030 0.40 $ 18.51 $ 38,500
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 110 0.04 $ 18.43 $ 38,340


Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 13,040 0.79 1.12 $ 17.13 $ 35,620
Texas 6,950 0.57 0.81 $ 12.96 $ 26,970
Florida 5,190 0.62 0.87 $ 14.42 $ 29,980
New York 4,810 0.55 0.78 $ 16.40 $ 34,100
Virginia 4,140 1.12 1.57 $ 13.92 $ 28,950




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 800 1.40 1.97 $ 20.81 $ 43,290
Oregon 2,430 1.35 1.89 $ 16.20 $ 33,700
Nevada 1,610 1.29 1.81 $ 13.65 $ 28,400
Washington 3,740 1.17 1.65 $ 16.23 $ 33,750
Virginia 4,140 1.12 1.57 $ 13.92 $ 28,950




Top paying states for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 800 1.40 1.97 $ 20.81 $ 43,290
Massachusetts 1,470 0.44 0.62 $ 19.71 $ 41,000
District of Columbia 70 0.11 0.15 $ 18.70 $ 38,890
Connecticut 1,230 0.80 1.13 $ 17.36 $ 36,100
California 13,040 0.79 1.12 $ 17.13 $ 35,620





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,010 0.86 1.21 $ 16.56 $ 34,430
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,270 0.48 0.68 $ 16.63 $ 34,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,370 0.79 1.11 $ 15.32 $ 31,860
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,130 0.59 0.83 $ 13.27 $ 27,610
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2,090 1.07 1.50 $ 16.32 $ 33,950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,870 0.43 0.60 $ 15.64 $ 32,530
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,820 0.86 1.21 $ 15.84 $ 32,940
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,720 1.51 2.12 $ 16.52 $ 34,360
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,520 0.56 0.80 $ 15.30 $ 31,820
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,510 0.60 0.85 $ 15.14 $ 31,490




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ithaca, NY 150 3.30 4.65 $ 19.60 $ 40,770
Manhattan, KS 120 3.22 4.53 $ 15.41 $ 32,060
Albany, OR 100 2.24 3.15 $ 14.58 $ 30,320
Charlottesville, VA 220 2.06 2.90 $ 16.74 $ 34,830
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 90 2.04 2.88 $ 16.17 $ 33,640
Lexington-Fayette, KY 520 2.02 2.84 $ 13.25 $ 27,570
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 180 1.99 2.80 $ 18.09 $ 37,630
Monroe, LA 130 1.84 2.59 $ 13.60 $ 28,290
Coeur d'Alene, ID 110 1.83 2.57 $ 13.96 $ 29,040
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 200 1.81 2.55 $ 16.34 $ 33,990




Top paying metropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 570 0.52 0.73 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
New Haven, CT 340 1.27 1.79 $ 21.81 $ 45,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,140 0.44 0.62 $ 19.81 $ 41,210
Ithaca, NY 150 3.30 4.65 $ 19.60 $ 40,770
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,410 0.60 0.85 $ 19.40 $ 40,360
Worcester, MA-CT (8) (8) (8) $ 19.29 $ 40,120
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 140 0.77 1.09 $ 18.71 $ 38,910
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 180 1.99 2.80 $ 18.09 $ 37,630
Rochester, MN 40 0.31 0.43 $ 18.02 $ 37,480
Portland-South Portland, ME 90 0.47 0.66 $ 17.90 $ 37,230

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 470 7.08 9.97 (8) (8)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 300 1.48 2.09 $ 13.76 $ 28,610
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 290 1.19 1.68 $ 13.46 $ 27,990
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 240 1.48 2.09 $ 11.74 $ 24,410
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 240 0.89 1.25 $ 11.69 $ 24,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 470 7.08 9.97 (8) (8)
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 140 2.03 2.86 $ 12.72 $ 26,460
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 200 2.00 2.81 $ 12.71 $ 26,430
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 1.65 2.32 $ 15.58 $ 32,400
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 90 1.58 2.23 $ 17.17 $ 35,720

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 60 0.50 0.70 $ 18.13 $ 37,700
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.36 0.51 $ 17.97 $ 37,380
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 50 0.64 0.90 $ 17.82 $ 37,060
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 17.70 $ 36,810
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 110 0.84 1.19 $ 17.68 $ 36,770


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021