Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$55,760
- Massachusetts$48,390
- California$47,250
- Maine$46,580
- Connecticut$46,150
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$32,260
- Mississippi$32,570
- Louisiana$32,670
- South Dakota$33,240
- Arkansas$33,520
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $55,760 | $49,080 | $27 | +38.2% | 240 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $48,390 | $46,670 | $23 | +20% | 2,130 |
| 3 | California | $47,250 | $46,260 | $23 | +17.1% | 16,080 |
| 4 | Maine | $46,580 | $45,510 | $22 | +15.5% | 690 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $46,150 | $44,250 | $22 | +14.4% | 1,390 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $46,060 | $46,160 | $22 | +14.2% | 3,270 |
| 7 | Maryland | $45,950 | $44,770 | $22 | +13.9% | 2,220 |
| 8 | Washington | $45,170 | $44,150 | $22 | +12% | 4,380 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $44,700 | $49,770 | $21 | +10.8% | 380 |
| 10 | New York | $43,880 | $44,750 | $21 | +8.8% | 5,790 |
| 11 | Oregon | $43,630 | $44,370 | $21 | +8.2% | 3,170 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $43,420 | $45,280 | $21 | +7.6% | 1,450 |
| 13 | Delaware | $43,270 | $38,610 | $21 | +7.3% | — |
| 14 | Hawaii | $41,970 | $44,070 | $20 | +4% | 570 |
| 15 | Colorado | $41,540 | $38,900 | $20 | +3% | 2,910 |
| 16 | Arizona | $40,630 | $38,250 | $20 | +0.7% | 3,340 |
| 17 | Utah | $40,330 | $37,560 | $19 | +0% | 580 |
| 18 | Florida | $40,030 | $37,830 | $19 | -0.8% | 6,790 |
| 19 | Virginia | $39,630 | $37,450 | $19 | -1.8% | 4,810 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $39,540 | $37,160 | $19 | -2% | 270 |
| 21 | Illinois | $39,410 | $37,480 | $19 | -2.3% | 3,270 |
| 22 | Nevada | $39,200 | $36,920 | $19 | -2.8% | 1,380 |
| 23 | Michigan | $39,060 | $37,960 | $19 | -3.2% | 4,420 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $38,720 | $37,140 | $19 | -4% | 3,760 |
| 25 | Montana | $38,550 | $38,340 | $19 | -4.4% | 550 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $37,990 | $37,500 | $18 | -5.8% | 520 |
| 27 | Missouri | $37,810 | $36,660 | $18 | -6.3% | 2,010 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $37,800 | $36,910 | $18 | -6.3% | 770 |
| 29 | Vermont | $37,630 | $37,290 | $18 | -6.7% | 370 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $37,540 | $37,070 | $18 | -6.9% | 6,910 |
| 31 | Alaska | $37,520 | $36,490 | $18 | -7% | 130 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $37,400 | $36,850 | $18 | -7.3% | 2,200 |
| 33 | Ohio | $37,200 | $36,340 | $18 | -7.8% | 4,640 |
| 34 | Iowa | $37,050 | $35,720 | $18 | -8.2% | 1,380 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $37,000 | $36,980 | $18 | -8.3% | 1,720 |
| 36 | Idaho | $36,520 | $37,530 | $18 | -9.5% | 680 |
| 37 | Kansas | $36,490 | $35,680 | $18 | -9.5% | 1,570 |
| 38 | Georgia | $36,380 | $35,850 | $17 | -9.8% | 4,570 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $36,330 | $36,320 | $17 | -9.9% | 3,530 |
| 40 | Indiana | $36,310 | $36,420 | $17 | -10% | 2,810 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $36,120 | $37,880 | $17 | -10.5% | 150 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $35,980 | $36,100 | $17 | -10.8% | 900 |
| 43 | Texas | $35,730 | $34,850 | $17 | -11.4% | 8,440 |
| 44 | Alabama | $34,780 | $35,800 | $17 | -13.8% | 1,240 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $34,200 | $34,850 | $16 | -15.2% | 1,740 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $33,710 | $34,140 | $16 | -16.4% | 1,840 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $33,520 | $34,570 | $16 | -16.9% | 1,460 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $33,240 | $34,700 | $16 | -17.6% | 250 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $32,670 | $30,480 | $16 | -19% | 1,230 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $32,570 | $30,360 | $16 | -19.3% | 560 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $32,260 | $32,350 | $16 | -20% | 730 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 389 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49,400 | $52,120 | 2,150 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $49,210 | $52,310 | 620 |
| 3 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,200 | $45,960 | 60 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $47,270 | $47,490 | 350 |
| 5 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,150 | $48,250 | 200 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,990 | $50,260 | 1,740 |
| 7 | Salinas, CA | $46,990 | $46,350 | 160 |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,720 | $46,530 | 1,970 |
| 9 | Vallejo, CA | $46,590 | $45,390 | 130 |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,160 | $46,890 | 5,560 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $49,230 | $52,080 | 1,260 |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $49,230 | $52,080 | 1,260 |
| 3 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $49,190 | $50,590 | 290 |
| 4 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $49,190 | $51,320 | — |
| 5 | Temporary Help Services | $48,680 | $49,490 | 320 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $48,250 | $47,540 | 3,110 |
| 7 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $48,240 | $47,540 | 3,110 |
| 8 | Hospitals | $48,110 | $50,740 | 360 |
| 9 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $48,110 | $51,400 | 310 |
| 10 | Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance | $48,110 | $50,780 | 360 |
| 11 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $47,990 | $51,320 | 1,650 |
| 12 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $47,950 | $51,170 | 1,660 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers make in the U.S.?
The median veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary in the United States is $38,150 per year (mean $40,340), and about 80% earn between $30,120 and $49,150.
How much do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers make per hour?
Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $40,340 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers at $55,760 per year (median $49,080).
What is the job outlook for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers?
Employment is projected to change +8.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 22,200 openings per year.