Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.
- Median pay
- $38,150
- Doing it now
- 132,100
- By 2035
- Up 9.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
23,200 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
- Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.
- Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansSee 30 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $38,150 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.