occupation · 31-9096 · detailed
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers — wages and employment
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earned a median annual wage of $37,320 in the United States in May 2024, with 114,190 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earned a median annual wage of $37,320 in the United States in May 2024, with 114,190 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $29,160 or less, the best-paid tenth $48,150 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $36,440 to $37,320, +2.4 %. The best-paying state is Rhode Island at $48,050; the lowest Puerto Rico at $21,730. Among metropolitan areas, New Haven, CT pays the highest median, $57,320. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 114,190 | $37,320 | $38,990 | $29,160 | $34,320 | $44,550 | $48,150 | $17.94 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 115,770 | $36,440 | $37,310 | $28,550 | $31,120 | $42,290 | $46,630 | $17.52 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $48,050 | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $45,480 | 1,470 |
| California | $45,470 | 14,960 |
| Maine | $44,080 | 790 |
| Minnesota | $43,670 | 1,220 |
| Washington | $43,590 | 4,720 |
| District of Columbia | $43,580 | 150 |
| Maryland | $43,520 | 1,690 |
| New York | $43,150 | 5,680 |
| New Jersey | $42,910 | 1,910 |
| Oregon | $42,830 | 2,670 |
| Connecticut | $39,540 | 1,270 |
| Colorado | $39,480 | 2,950 |
| Arizona | $38,240 | 2,210 |
| Alaska | $37,530 | 150 |
| Illinois | $37,310 | 3,790 |
| Florida | $37,200 | 7,060 |
| Montana | $37,060 | 580 |
| North Carolina | $36,680 | 5,190 |
| Michigan | $36,550 | 4,040 |
| Virginia | $36,500 | 4,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,480 | 4,390 |
| Tennessee | $36,440 | 2,180 |
| Wyoming | $36,430 | 160 |
| North Dakota | $36,370 | 240 |
| Nevada | $36,160 | 1,400 |
| Vermont | $36,120 | 260 |
| Delaware | $36,060 | 180 |
| Idaho | $35,820 | 790 |
| Utah | $35,730 | 720 |
| South Carolina | $35,680 | 1,840 |
| New Mexico | $35,600 | 470 |
| Hawaii | $35,420 | 510 |
| Indiana | $35,270 | 2,670 |
| New Hampshire | $35,230 | 560 |
| Nebraska | $35,210 | 800 |
| Missouri | $35,040 | 2,040 |
| Wisconsin | $34,990 | 1,940 |
| Georgia | $34,980 | 3,280 |
| Ohio | $34,820 | 4,190 |
| South Dakota | $32,810 | 270 |
| Kansas | $32,670 | 1,490 |
| West Virginia | $32,630 | 660 |
| Kentucky | $32,590 | 930 |
| Iowa | $31,200 | 1,040 |
| Arkansas | $30,550 | 1,200 |
| Texas | $30,430 | 8,040 |
| Mississippi | $29,730 | — |
| Oklahoma | $29,730 | 1,640 |
| Alabama | $29,660 | 1,060 |
| Louisiana | $29,280 | 970 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,730 | 590 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | $57,320 | 330 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $48,010 | 410 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $47,460 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,040 | 2,410 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46,950 | 550 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $46,920 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,620 | 1,590 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,280 | 320 |
| Salinas, CA | $45,740 | 140 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $45,560 | 170 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,480 | 2,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,370 | 1,230 |
| Vallejo, CA | $45,360 | 140 |
| Napa, CA | $45,280 | 50 |
| Bend, OR | $45,100 | 230 |
| Worcester, MA | $44,860 | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $44,830 | 1,640 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $44,790 | 4,290 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $44,750 | 430 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $44,600 | 130 |
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