Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Wages
SOC 31-9096 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is $36,440 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $28,550 and the 90th percentile is $46,630, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
115,770
P10
$28,550
P25
$31,120
Median
$36,440
P75
$42,290
P90
$46,630
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $36,440 | $37,310 | $28,550 | $46,630 | 115,770 | — |
| 2022 | $34,740 | $34,490 | $25,270 | $44,920 | 111,880 | -4.67% |
| 2021 | $29,780 | $31,780 | $22,920 | $38,860 | 98,970 | -14.28% |
| 2020 | $29,930 | $30,980 | $21,570 | $41,080 | 98,810 | +0.5% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. The highest median is in District of Columbia at $47,890, 31% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $47,890 | +31.4% | $50,830 | 200 |
| Maine | $47,490 | +30.3% | $44,920 | 800 |
| Rhode Island | $46,040 | +26.3% | $43,080 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $44,450 | +22% | $48,090 | 1,780 |
| Washington | $43,010 | +18% | $42,290 | 4,270 |
| California | $40,190 | +10.3% | $42,650 | 16,300 |
| Delaware | $39,570 | +8.6% | $41,200 | 80 |
| Maryland | $39,520 | +8.5% | $41,860 | 2,550 |
| New York | $39,380 | +8.1% | $41,890 | 5,130 |
| Hawaii | $39,050 | +7.2% | $39,760 | 500 |
| Connecticut | $38,400 | +5.4% | $45,350 | 1,110 |
| Alaska | $38,320 | +5.2% | $38,950 | 180 |
| Colorado | $38,300 | +5.1% | $39,380 | 2,400 |
| Oregon | $38,270 | +5% | $40,350 | 2,490 |
| Minnesota | $37,700 | +3.5% | $40,680 | 1,050 |
| Arizona | $37,180 | +2% | $38,050 | 2,450 |
| New Jersey | $37,060 | +1.7% | $38,760 | 1,720 |
| New Hampshire | $36,310 | -0.4% | $36,160 | 340 |
| Florida | $36,260 | -0.5% | $35,880 | 7,360 |
| Illinois | $36,030 | -1.1% | $36,960 | 4,000 |
| South Carolina | $35,950 | -1.3% | $35,420 | 1,760 |
| Michigan | $35,930 | -1.4% | $36,130 | 3,820 |
| North Carolina | $35,860 | -1.6% | $35,500 | 5,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,810 | -1.7% | $36,570 | 4,580 |
| Montana | $35,490 | -2.6% | $34,170 | 600 |
| Tennessee | $35,210 | -3.4% | $34,490 | 2,750 |
| Nevada | $35,180 | -3.5% | $34,770 | 1,310 |
| Vermont | $35,160 | -3.5% | $34,680 | 220 |
| Wisconsin | $34,990 | -4% | $34,470 | 1,980 |
| Virginia | $34,950 | -4.1% | $35,370 | 4,690 |
| Idaho | $34,790 | -4.5% | $33,430 | 770 |
| Georgia | $34,470 | -5.4% | $34,270 | 3,310 |
| Indiana | $34,180 | -6.2% | $33,350 | 2,710 |
| South Dakota | $33,970 | -6.8% | $33,030 | 270 |
| North Dakota | $33,670 | -7.6% | $34,140 | 230 |
| Texas | $33,580 | -7.8% | $33,280 | 8,020 |
| Utah | $33,390 | -8.4% | $33,870 | 900 |
| Missouri | $32,940 | -9.6% | $33,230 | 1,710 |
| Kansas | $32,760 | -10.1% | $32,480 | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $31,310 | -14.1% | $33,010 | 1,130 |
| Nebraska | $31,300 | -14.1% | $33,440 | 750 |
| Louisiana | $31,070 | -14.7% | $31,010 | 820 |
| Arkansas | $30,980 | -15% | $35,350 | 1,300 |
| New Mexico | $30,830 | -15.4% | $33,330 | 440 |
| Ohio | $30,730 | -15.7% | $32,330 | 4,070 |
| Iowa | $30,300 | -16.8% | $33,870 | 1,300 |
| Oklahoma | $30,080 | -17.5% | $33,060 | 2,050 |
| Wyoming | $30,030 | -17.6% | $32,610 | 180 |
| Mississippi | $29,570 | -18.9% | $29,800 | 230 |
| West Virginia | $28,540 | -21.7% | $28,560 | 570 |
| Alabama | $27,990 | -23.2% | $28,930 | 1,100 |