Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay in the U.S.
$40,340avg. a year
$19.39 an hour · 126,580 employed
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in the U.S. earn an average of $40,340 a year and a median of $38,150. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($55,760) and lowest in West Virginia ($32,260).
$38,150Median pay
$19.39Average hourly
+30%Avg. pay since 2020
126,580Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1240 jobs
District of Columbia
$55,760
$26.81 an hour
22,130 jobs
Massachusetts
$48,390
$23.27 an hour
316,080 jobs
California
$47,250
$22.72 an hour
4690 jobs
Maine
$46,580
$22.39 an hour
51,390 jobs
Connecticut
$46,150
$22.19 an hour
63,270 jobs
New Jersey
$46,060
$22.14 an hour
72,220 jobs
Maryland
$45,950
$22.09 an hour
84,380 jobs
Washington
$45,170
$21.72 an hour
9380 jobs
Rhode Island
$44,700
$21.49 an hour
105,790 jobs
New York
$43,880
$21.09 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $36k$36k–$38k$38k–$43k$43k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $52,310 | $25.15 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $52,120 | $25.06 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $50,260 | $24.16 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,750 | $23.44 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $48,250 | $23.20 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $47,490 | $22.83 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $47,090 | $22.64 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,890 | $22.55 |
Related jobs
- Medical Assistants$46,120
- Dental Assistants$50,200
- Phlebotomists$45,520
- Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$50,810
- Massage Therapists$63,830
- Medical Equipment Preparers$50,510
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,780 | $35,800 | 1,240 |
| Alaska | $37,520 | $36,490 | 130 |
| Arizona | $40,630 | $38,250 | 3,340 |
| Arkansas | $33,520 | $34,570 | 1,460 |
| California | $47,250 | $46,260 | 16,080 |
| Colorado | $41,540 | $38,900 | 2,910 |
| Connecticut | $46,150 | $44,250 | 1,390 |
| Delaware | $43,270 | $38,610 | – |
| District of Columbia | $55,760 | $49,080 | 240 |
| Florida | $40,030 | $37,830 | 6,790 |
| Georgia | $36,380 | $35,850 | 4,570 |
| Hawaii | $41,970 | $44,070 | 570 |
| Idaho | $36,520 | $37,530 | 680 |
| Illinois | $39,410 | $37,480 | 3,270 |
| Indiana | $36,310 | $36,420 | 2,810 |
| Iowa | $37,050 | $35,720 | 1,380 |
| Kansas | $36,490 | $35,680 | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | $33,710 | $34,140 | 1,840 |
| Louisiana | $32,670 | $30,480 | 1,230 |
| Maine | $46,580 | $45,510 | 690 |
| Maryland | $45,950 | $44,770 | 2,220 |
| Massachusetts | $48,390 | $46,670 | 2,130 |
| Michigan | $39,060 | $37,960 | 4,420 |
| Minnesota | $43,420 | $45,280 | 1,450 |
| Mississippi | $32,570 | $30,360 | 560 |
| Missouri | $37,810 | $36,660 | 2,010 |
| Montana | $38,550 | $38,340 | 550 |
| Nebraska | $35,980 | $36,100 | 900 |
| Nevada | $39,200 | $36,920 | 1,380 |
| New Hampshire | $37,800 | $36,910 | 770 |
| New Jersey | $46,060 | $46,160 | 3,270 |
| New Mexico | $37,990 | $37,500 | 520 |
| New York | $43,880 | $44,750 | 5,790 |
| North Carolina | $37,540 | $37,070 | 6,910 |
| North Dakota | $39,540 | $37,160 | 270 |
| Ohio | $37,200 | $36,340 | 4,640 |
| Oklahoma | $34,200 | $34,850 | 1,740 |
| Oregon | $43,630 | $44,370 | 3,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,720 | $37,140 | 3,760 |
| Rhode Island | $44,700 | $49,770 | 380 |
| South Carolina | $37,000 | $36,980 | 1,720 |
| South Dakota | $33,240 | $34,700 | 250 |
| Tennessee | $36,330 | $36,320 | 3,530 |
| Texas | $35,730 | $34,850 | 8,440 |
| Utah | $40,330 | $37,560 | 580 |
| Vermont | $37,630 | $37,290 | 370 |
| Virginia | $39,630 | $37,450 | 4,810 |
| Washington | $45,170 | $44,150 | 4,380 |
| West Virginia | $32,260 | $32,350 | 730 |
| Wisconsin | $37,400 | $36,850 | 2,200 |
| Wyoming | $36,120 | $37,880 | 150 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$46,890
5,560 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$46,530
4,830 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$37,410
2,880 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$46,060
2,740 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$47,090
2,400 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$41,700
2,390 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$37,810
2,350 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$40,560
2,190 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers make?
The average is $40,340 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $38,150 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $19.39, and the median is $18.34 an hour.
Which state pays veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $55,760 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $52,310.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $30,120 a year, and the top 10% earn over $49,150.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 31-9096. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.