Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker Salary

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn a median $38,150 a year nationally. Healthcare Support Occupations

U.S. median

$38,150

$18.34 per hour

Range

$30,120 – $49,150

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

126,580

across the U.S.

Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$32,834

per year · effective tax rate 13.9%

$2,736Monthly

$1,368Twice a month

$1,263Every 2 weeks

$15.79Hourly

Federal income tax$2,398
Social Security (6.2%)$2,365
Medicare (1.45%)$553
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$32,834

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$30,120	$14.48	$26,381
25th percentile	$35,660	$17.14	$30,833
Median (50th)	$38,150	$18.34	$32,834
75th percentile	$45,710	$21.98	$38,908
90th percentile (top earners)	$49,150	$23.63	$41,672

Best cities for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$49,210	$40,078	$36,295	620
2	Sacramento, CA	$46,990	$38,457	$36,052	1,740
3	Minneapolis, MN	$45,910	$37,431	$35,709	1,150
4	Providence, RI	$43,190	$35,880	$35,255	480
5	Seattle, WA	$45,640	$38,852	$34,960	2,400
6	San Francisco, CA	$49,400	$40,217	$34,786	2,150
7	Memphis, TN	$36,990	$31,901	$34,608	680
8	Riverside, CA	$44,810	$36,821	$34,592	1,270
9	Denver, CO	$44,260	$36,504	$34,509	1,520
10	Baltimore, MD	$44,110	$35,891	$34,350	1,120
11	San Diego, CA	$46,720	$38,254	$34,190	1,970
12	Kansas City, MO	$37,600	$31,562	$34,105	960
13	Boston, MA	$45,790	$36,903	$34,085	1,800
14	Washington, DC	$45,320	$37,041	$34,019	2,740
15	Portland, OR	$45,690	$35,724	$33,887	1,890
16	Oxnard, CA	$45,530	$37,361	$33,800	480
17	Nashville, TN	$37,790	$32,544	$33,781	1,070
18	Grand Rapids, MI	$38,970	$32,087	$33,583	590
19	Cleveland, OH	$36,680	$31,426	$33,459	700
20	Columbus, OH	$37,280	$31,892	$33,405	1,100
21	St. Louis, MO	$37,790	$31,705	$33,343	970
22	Knoxville, TN	$35,660	$30,833	$33,308	530
23	Los Angeles, CA	$46,070	$37,766	$33,255	4,830
24	New York, NY	$46,160	$37,374	$33,203	5,560
25	Tulsa, OK	$35,410	$29,584	$33,161	470

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

San Francisco, CA — $49,400
San Jose, CA — $49,210
Sacramento, CA — $46,990
San Diego, CA — $46,720
New York, NY — $46,160
Los Angeles, CA — $46,070
Minneapolis, MN — $45,910
Boston, MA — $45,790
Portland, OR — $45,690
Seattle, WA — $45,640
Oxnard, CA — $45,530
Washington, DC — $45,320
Riverside, CA — $44,810
Denver, CO — $44,260
Baltimore, MD — $44,110

Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
Rhode Island	$49,770	$40,921	$35,510 – $50,130	380
District of Columbia	$49,080	$39,837	$46,570 – $72,840	240
Massachusetts	$46,670	$37,566	$35,460 – $63,130	2,130
California	$46,260	$37,909	$37,800 – $57,940	16,080
New Jersey	$46,160	$38,267	$36,720 – $57,670	3,270
Maine	$45,510	$36,857	$37,380 – $59,790	690
Minnesota	$45,280	$36,959	$36,410 – $49,060	1,450
Maryland	$44,770	$36,390	$37,150 – $60,710	2,220
New York	$44,750	$36,317	$36,450 – $53,460	5,790
Oregon	$44,370	$34,779	$36,480 – $49,470	3,170
Connecticut	$44,250	$36,669	$35,920 – $59,950	1,390
Washington	$44,150	$37,655	$38,470 – $55,050	4,380
Hawaii	$44,070	$35,733	$35,200 – $49,400	570
Colorado	$38,900	$32,433	$35,710 – $47,450	2,910
Delaware	$38,610	$31,737	$34,680 – $57,930	—
Montana	$38,340	$31,941	$29,430 – $45,220	550
Arizona	$38,250	$32,166	$35,530 – $47,460	3,340
Michigan	$37,960	$31,318	$30,410 – $46,730	4,420
Wyoming	$37,880	$32,617	$30,610 – $39,080	150
Florida	$37,830	$32,576	$31,090 – $47,270	6,790
Utah	$37,560	$31,635	$31,890 – $49,100	580
Idaho	$37,530	$31,455	$24,230 – $44,730	680
New Mexico	$37,500	$31,666	$29,870 – $48,310	520
Illinois	$37,480	$30,585	$31,550 – $47,000	3,270
Virginia	$37,450	$30,932	$30,430 – $48,580	4,810
Vermont	$37,290	$31,327	$30,690 – $45,880	370
North Dakota	$37,160	$32,038	$33,800 – $46,830	270
Pennsylvania	$37,140	$30,882	$30,010 – $47,200	3,760
North Carolina	$37,070	$30,995	$28,830 – $46,470	6,910
South Carolina	$36,980	$30,832	$27,390 – $48,630	1,720
Nevada	$36,920	$31,845	$35,920 – $47,910	1,380
New Hampshire	$36,910	$31,837	$29,160 – $45,690	770
Wisconsin	$36,850	$30,949	$30,400 – $45,630	2,200
Missouri	$36,660	$30,851	$30,280 – $45,940	2,010
Alaska	$36,490	$31,500	$27,690 – $47,010	130
Indiana	$36,420	$30,399	$29,580 – $44,780	2,810
Ohio	$36,340	$31,162	$29,330 – $47,070	4,640
Tennessee	$36,320	$31,363	$30,230 – $43,700	3,530
Nebraska	$36,100	$30,423	$29,930 – $42,050	900
Georgia	$35,850	$29,748	$29,210 – $44,810	4,570
Alabama	$35,800	$29,420	$27,970 – $43,360	1,240
Iowa	$35,720	$30,175	$29,440 – $47,220	1,380
Kansas	$35,680	$29,657	$28,720 – $47,930	1,570
Oklahoma	$34,850	$29,159	$23,170 – $46,810	1,740
Texas	$34,850	$30,182	$24,070 – $46,890	8,440
South Dakota	$34,700	$30,061	$28,390 – $36,700	250
Arkansas	$34,570	$28,821	$27,860 – $42,180	1,460
Kentucky	$34,140	$28,534	$26,520 – $45,430	1,840
West Virginia	$32,350	$27,329	$25,830 – $38,040	730
Louisiana	$30,480	$26,143	$28,400 – $37,510	1,230
Mississippi	$30,360	$26,092	$26,060 – $45,440	560

Frequently asked questions

How much does a veterinary assistant and laboratory animal caretaker make?

The national median salary for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers is $38,150 a year ($18.34 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $30,120 and the top 10% earn over $49,150. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers the most?

Rhode Island has the highest median pay at $49,770. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers are there in the U.S.?

About 126,580 people work as veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers nationwide.