Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles

BLS metro-level wage data places Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA at a median of $43,270 per year ($20.80/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $38,150, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays +13% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 170 veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss are employed across the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA in SOC 31-9096.

The San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pay distribution spans from $37,220 at the 10th percentile to $46,540 at the 90th, a 1.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $38,140 and the 75th at $45,920, so half of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-based veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live, which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CA data, and peer-metro comparisons, a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.