Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers salary
The median pay for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in the United States is $38,150 a year. About 126,580 people hold this job.
- 10th percentile
- $30,120
- 25th percentile
- $35,660
- Median percentile
- $38,150
- 75th percentile
- $45,710
- 90th percentile
- $49,150
Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How to become: education, skills and job outlook
Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities
By state
- Rhode Island $49,770
- District of Columbia $49,080
- Massachusetts $46,670
- California $46,260
- New Jersey $46,160
- Maine $45,510
- Minnesota $45,280
- Maryland $44,770
- New York $44,750
- Oregon $44,370
- Connecticut $44,250
- Washington $44,150
- Hawaii $44,070
- Colorado $38,900
- Montana $38,340
- Arizona $38,250
- Michigan $37,960
- Wyoming $37,880
- Florida $37,830
- Utah $37,560
- Idaho $37,530
- New Mexico $37,500
- Illinois $37,480
- Virginia $37,450
- Vermont $37,290
- North Dakota $37,160
- Pennsylvania $37,140
- North Carolina $37,070
- South Carolina $36,980
- Nevada $36,920
- New Hampshire $36,910
- Wisconsin $36,850
- Missouri $36,660
- Alaska $36,490
- Indiana $36,420
- Ohio $36,340
- Tennessee $36,320
- Nebraska $36,100
- Georgia $35,850
- Alabama $35,800
- Iowa $35,720
- Kansas $35,680
- Oklahoma $34,850
- Texas $34,850
- South Dakota $34,700
- Arkansas $34,570
- Kentucky $34,140
- West Virginia $32,350
- Louisiana $30,480
- Mississippi $30,360
By metro area
- San Francisco, CA $49,400
- San Jose, CA $49,210
- Kahului, HI $49,200
- Santa Rosa, CA $47,270
- Santa Cruz, CA $47,150
- Sacramento, CA $46,990
- Salinas, CA $46,990
- San Diego, CA $46,720
- Vallejo, CA $46,590
- New York, NY $46,160
- Los Angeles, CA $46,070
- Minneapolis, MN $45,910
- Boston, MA $45,790
- Napa, CA $45,710
- Portland, OR $45,690
- Seattle, WA $45,640
- Modesto, CA $45,560
- Oxnard, CA $45,530
- Santa Maria, CA $45,490
- Yuba City, CA $45,490
- Naples, FL $45,470
- Washington, DC $45,320
- Mount Vernon, WA $45,260
- Portland, ME $45,150
- Riverside, CA $44,810
- Wenatchee, WA $44,530
- Salem, OR $44,460
- Denver, CO $44,260
- Bend, OR $44,190
- Bellingham, WA $44,160
- Trenton, NJ $44,140
- Baltimore, MD $44,110
- Urban Honolulu, HI $44,050
- Fresno, CA $44,040
- Bremerton, WA $44,020
- Redding, CA $43,930
- Ithaca, NY $43,900
- Chico, CA $43,830
- Worcester, MA $43,510
- San Luis Obispo, CA $43,270
- Providence, RI $43,190
- Bozeman, MT $42,740
- Crestview, FL $42,590
- Atlantic City, NJ $41,600
- Boulder, CO $40,390
- Kennewick, WA $40,100
- Merced, CA $40,040
- Bakersfield, CA $39,850
- Philadelphia, PA $39,840
- Olympia, WA $39,760
- Eugene, OR $39,670
- Albany, NY $39,520
- Santa Fe, NM $39,500
- Kiryas Joel, NY $39,380
- Chicago, IL $39,280
- Spokane, WA $39,240
- Barnstable Town, MA $39,170
- Lewiston, ID $39,160
- Anchorage, AK $39,110
- Syracuse, NY $39,020
- Vineland, NJ $39,000
- Grand Rapids, MI $38,970
- Bridgeport, CT $38,870
- Detroit, MI $38,830
- Corvallis, OR $38,820
- Midland, MI $38,740
- Phoenix, AZ $38,710
- Kingston, NY $38,690
- Hartford, CT $38,620
- Missoula, MT $38,520
- Madison, WI $38,490
- Visalia, CA $38,410
- Ann Arbor, MI $38,350
- Miami, FL $38,340
- Grants Pass, OR $38,310
- Ames, IA $38,300
- Salt Lake City, UT $38,220
- Traverse City, MI $38,130
- Greenville, SC $38,120
- Lansing, MI $38,120
- Raleigh, NC $38,110
- Medford, OR $38,080
- Buffalo, NY $38,050
- Springfield, IL $38,050
- North Port, FL $38,030
- Tampa, FL $38,000
- Durham, NC $37,980
- Reno, NV $37,970
- Champaign, IL $37,920
- Glens Falls, NY $37,900
- Boise City, ID $37,890
- Albany, OR $37,880
- Albuquerque, NM $37,870
- Cape Coral, FL $37,870
- Bangor, ME $37,840
- Nashville, TN $37,790
- St. Louis, MO $37,790
- Charlotte, NC $37,780
- Duluth, MN $37,770
- Milwaukee, WI $37,770
- Allentown, PA $37,720
- Lawrence, KS $37,720
- Jacksonville, FL $37,710
- Waterbury, CT $37,690
- Coeur d'Alene, ID $37,670
- Rockford, IL $37,670
- Charleston, SC $37,660
- Appleton, WI $37,610
- Kansas City, MO $37,600
- Rochester, NY $37,580
- Des Moines, IA $37,560
- State College, PA $37,500
- Oshkosh, WI $37,490
- Palm Bay, FL $37,490
- Charlottesville, VA $37,480
- Richmond, VA $37,470
- Punta Gorda, FL $37,390
- Flint, MI $37,370
- Indianapolis, IN $37,330
- Eau Claire, WI $37,320