Healthcare Support Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 31-9096

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

O*NET task statements lead this Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Occupational Therapy Assistants, Orderlies, Dental Assistants, Medical Assistants.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: Occupational Therapy Assistants ($72K) , Orderlies ($38K) , Dental Assistants ($48K) , Medical Assistants ($46K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 31-9096 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures
  2. 2. Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms
  3. 3. Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals
  4. 4. Fill medication prescriptions
  5. 5. Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control th…
  6. 6. Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury
  7. 7. Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays
  8. 8. Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries
  9. 9. Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians
  10. 10. Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing
  11. 11. Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers
  12. 12. Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 31-9096 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.5
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.3
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  4. 4. Writing 3.1
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Service Orientation 3.1
  7. 7. Speaking 3.0
  8. 8. Social Perceptiveness 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.3
  2. 2. English Language 3.8
  3. 3. Biology 3.6
  4. 4. Administrative 3.5
  5. 5. Medicine and Dentistry 3.5
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 3.2
National median after O*NET task lead
$38,150
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures
$38K
National median
↑ +9%
Growth 2024-2034
22,200
Annual openings
126,580
Estimated US jobs
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Highest-pay peer · $72K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

1. Oregon $44,370
2. Rhode Island $49,770
3. Maryland $44,770
4. New York $44,750
5. Maine $45,510
6. California $46,260
7. District of Columbia $49,080
8. Minnesota $45,280
9. New Jersey $46,160
10. Massachusetts $46,670

Other Healthcare Support Occupations titles

  1. 1. Occupational Therapy Assistants $72,300
  2. 2. Dental Assistants $48,070
  3. 3. Orderlies $38,290
  4. 4. Medical Assistants $45,690
  5. 5. Massage Therapists $58,450
  6. 6. Medical Equipment Preparers $47,700

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (SOC 31-9096). The national OEWS median is $38,150 inside Healthcare Support Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Occupational Therapy Assistants, Orderlies, Dental Assistants, Medical Assistants. Lead published task: Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.

Employment Projections expect +9% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 22,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $44,370. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Occupational Therapy Assistants at $72,300. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay-rank #14 in Healthcare Support Occupations

On the Healthcare Support Occupations median table (17 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers lands at #14, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 31-9096 · national median $38,150 · lower third of Healthcare Support Occupations (#14/17). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 31-9096

Oregon · top state for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

$44K published median

Rhode Island · #2 state pay

$50K · behind Oregon

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Highest-pay peer vs Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers · $72K

Orderlies

Lower-pay peer beside Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers · $38K

Compare Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers land on the Healthcare Support Occupations median table? ▼
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is pay-rank #14 of 17 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Orderlies ($38K), Pharmacy Aides ($38K), Home Health and Personal Care Aides ($36K), Physical Therapist Aides ($35K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. Leading ones include: Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures; Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms; Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals; Fill medication prescriptions. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers? ▼
For SOC 31-9096, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.5), Critical Thinking (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Writing (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Biology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $38,150 as the national median for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. The published 10th-90th range is $30,120 to $49,150. Beside Occupational Therapy Assistants ($72,300), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is +9%. Projected annual openings: about 22,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers? ▼
Oregon ($44,370), Rhode Island ($49,770), Maryland ($44,770) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 31-9096. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics