Healthcare
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 salary
$37,320
Typical range
$29k – $48k
Job outlook
+9% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Entry / Junior
$29,160
~2 yrs to advance
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Established
$37,320
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Senior
$42,735
Key skills
A typical day
- •Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- •Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- •Fill medication prescriptions.
- •Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- •Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.