Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

People in this career spend their days caring for pets and laboratory animals. Daily tasks include feeding, watering, and examining animals to check for signs of disease, injury, or illness. Under the supervision of veterinarians or scientists, these assistants clean and disinfect cages, sterilize surgical equipment, administer topical or oral medications, and prepare laboratory samples.

This role fits well for individuals with realistic interests who enjoy hands-on, physical work. Success in this job requires strong skills in active listening, monitoring, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness. Workers must be dependable, cooperative, and highly attentive to detail. They also need empathy and stress tolerance to handle animal distress and emotional situations.

Day-to-day operations require knowledge of biology, medicine, customer service, and administrative procedures. Assistants must communicate effectively with supervisors and the public, document information accurately, and make quick decisions to ensure animal safety.

Entering this field typically requires a high school diploma. Most workers receive on-the-job training or already have some basic experience. While a high school education is the standard entry requirement, students can also prepare by majoring in veterinary and animal health technologies or techniques in college.

Depending on where you live, some states list a license for this work. Various voluntary certifications are available to help candidates stand out to employers. These include the Veterinary Assistant Online National Certification from American Allied Health, the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination from the International Council for Veterinary Assessment, and credentials from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, such as the Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician or the Certified Manager of Animal Resources.

The median annual pay for these professionals is $38,150. Salaries generally range from less than $30,120 for the lowest 10% of earners to more than $49,150 for the highest 10% of earners.

With 126,580 people currently employed in this field, the occupation is expanding rapidly. Employment is projected to grow by 9.1% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with normal staff turnover, is expected to create about 23,200 job openings each year.