All About Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Job Description: 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 post-operative 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.
Life As a Veterinary Assistant
- Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.
- Fill medication prescriptions.
- Groom, trim, or clip animals’ coats.
- Perform hygiene-related duties, such as clipping animals’ claws or cleaning and polishing teeth.
- Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
- Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Veterinary Assistant?
Below is a list of the skills most Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Types of Veterinary Assistant Jobs
- Veterinary Assistant (Vet Assistant)
- Research Animal Attendant
- Animal Care Service Worker
- Veterinarian Assistant
- Veterinary Technician Assistant (Vet Tech Assistant)
Is There Job Demand for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?
There were about 83,800 jobs for Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 16,200 new jobs for Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 15,500 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Veterinary Assistant are Utah, Nevada, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or Maryland. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Veterinary Assistant Make?
The average yearly salary of a Veterinary Assistant ranges between $19,950 and $38,890.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers who work in Massachusetts, Maine, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $23,950 |
| Alaska | $32,170 |
| Arizona | $29,300 |
| Arkansas | $25,640 |
| California | $32,480 |
| Colorado | $30,510 |
| Connecticut | $34,850 |
| Delaware | $27,750 |
| Florida | $27,450 |
| Georgia | $25,980 |
| Hawaii | $30,050 |
| Idaho | $27,420 |
| Illinois | $28,060 |
| Indiana | $28,750 |
| Iowa | $28,410 |
| Kansas | $28,680 |
| Kentucky | $25,380 |
| Louisiana | $24,310 |
| Maine | $34,680 |
| Maryland | $29,280 |
| Massachusetts | $36,720 |
| Michigan | $26,800 |
| Minnesota | $29,830 |
| Mississippi | $23,350 |
| Missouri | $28,110 |
| Montana | $27,000 |
| Nebraska | $27,640 |
| Nevada | $28,010 |
| New Hampshire | $27,730 |
| New Jersey | $29,960 |
| New Mexico | $25,030 |
| New York | $32,320 |
| North Carolina | $28,830 |
| North Dakota | $25,120 |
| Ohio | $26,380 |
| Oklahoma | $25,080 |
| Oregon | $30,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,840 |
| Rhode Island | $24,850 |
| South Carolina | $25,450 |
| South Dakota | $24,610 |
| Tennessee | $24,960 |
| Texas | $26,410 |
| Utah | $24,750 |
| Vermont | $30,400 |
| Virginia | $26,750 |
| Washington | $31,180 |
| West Virginia | $24,050 |
| Wisconsin | $26,870 |
| Wyoming | $29,190 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Scheduling software
- Practice management software PMS
- Labeling software
- IDEXX Laboratories IDEXX Cornerstone
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
How to Become a Veterinary Assistant
What kind of Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker requirements are there?
What work experience do I need to become a Veterinary Assistant?
Where Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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