Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakerssalary
Official wage statistics for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 126.58K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $30,120 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $35,660 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $38,150 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $45,710 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $49,150 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $40,340 |
Salary by state
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIRhode Island | $49,770 | $35,510 – $50,130 | 380 |
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $49,080 | $46,570 – $72,840 | 240 |
| MAMassachusetts | $46,670 | $35,460 – $63,130 | 2,130 |
| CACalifornia | $46,260 | $37,800 – $57,940 | 16,080 |
| NJNew Jersey | $46,160 | $36,720 – $57,670 | 3,270 |
| MEMaine | $45,510 | $37,380 – $59,790 | 690 |
| MNMinnesota | $45,280 | $36,410 – $49,060 | 1,450 |
| MDMaryland | $44,770 | $37,150 – $60,710 | 2,220 |
| NYNew York | $44,750 | $36,450 – $53,460 | 5,790 |
| OROregon | $44,370 | $36,480 – $49,470 | 3,170 |
| CTConnecticut | $44,250 | $35,920 – $59,950 | 1,390 |
| WAWashington | $44,150 | $38,470 – $55,050 | 4,380 |
| HIHawaii | $44,070 | $35,200 – $49,400 | 570 |
| COColorado | $38,900 | $35,710 – $47,450 | 2,910 |
| DEDelaware | $38,610 | $34,680 – $57,930 | — |
| MTMontana | $38,340 | $29,430 – $45,220 | 550 |
| AZArizona | $38,250 | $35,530 – $47,460 | 3,340 |
| MIMichigan | $37,960 | $30,410 – $46,730 | 4,420 |
| WYWyoming | $37,880 | $30,610 – $39,080 | 150 |
| FLFlorida | $37,830 | $31,090 – $47,270 | 6,790 |
| UTUtah | $37,560 | $31,890 – $49,100 | 580 |
| IDIdaho | $37,530 | $24,230 – $44,730 | 680 |
| NMNew Mexico | $37,500 | $29,870 – $48,310 | 520 |
| ILIllinois | $37,480 | $31,550 – $47,000 | 3,270 |
| VAVirginia | $37,450 | $30,430 – $48,580 | 4,810 |
| VTVermont | $37,290 | $30,690 – $45,880 | 370 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $37,160 | $33,800 – $46,830 | 270 |
| PAPennsylvania | $37,140 | $30,010 – $47,200 | 3,760 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $37,070 | $28,830 – $46,470 | 6,910 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $36,980 | $27,390 – $48,630 | 1,720 |
| NVNevada | $36,920 | $35,920 – $47,910 | 1,380 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $36,910 | $29,160 – $45,690 | 770 |
| WIWisconsin | $36,850 | $30,400 – $45,630 | 2,200 |
| MOMissouri | $36,660 | $30,280 – $45,940 | 2,010 |
| AKAlaska | $36,490 | $27,690 – $47,010 | 130 |
| INIndiana | $36,420 | $29,580 – $44,780 | 2,810 |
| OHOhio | $36,340 | $29,330 – $47,070 | 4,640 |
| TNTennessee | $36,320 | $30,230 – $43,700 | 3,530 |
| NENebraska | $36,100 | $29,930 – $42,050 | 900 |
| GAGeorgia | $35,850 | $29,210 – $44,810 | 4,570 |
| ALAlabama | $35,800 | $27,970 – $43,360 | 1,240 |
| IAIowa | $35,720 | $29,440 – $47,220 | 1,380 |
| KSKansas | $35,680 | $28,720 – $47,930 | 1,570 |
| OKOklahoma | $34,850 | $23,170 – $46,810 | 1,740 |
| TXTexas | $34,850 | $24,070 – $46,890 | 8,440 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $34,700 | $28,390 – $36,700 | 250 |
| ARArkansas | $34,570 | $27,860 – $42,180 | 1,460 |
| KYKentucky | $34,140 | $26,520 – $45,430 | 1,840 |
| WVWest Virginia | $32,350 | $25,830 – $38,040 | 730 |
| LALouisiana | $30,480 | $28,400 – $37,510 | 1,230 |
| MSMississippi | $30,360 | $26,060 – $45,440 | 560 |
| PRPuerto Rico | $23,310 | $21,840 – $38,310 | 430 |
Frequently asked
The median veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in United States earns $38,150 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $30,120 (10th percentile or low) to $49,150 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 31-9096). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 126,580 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 34,682 · GBP 30,039 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $38,150. FX conversion is informational only.