Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
SOC Code: 31-9096.00
Healthcare SupportVeterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers provide essential hands-on support to veterinary clinics, research laboratories, and animal hospitals by managing the daily care and welfare of animal patients. They feed, water, clean, and monitor animals under veterinary or technician supervision, maintaining the hygienic and compassionate environment that animals require to heal, thrive, or contribute to research. While their clinical scope is more limited than veterinary technicians, their attentive daily observations—noting changes in appetite, behavior, or mobility—are often the first signal that alerts professional staff to a developing medical problem. The role is a gateway into the veterinary and animal science professions for those who love animals and are exploring clinical careers.
Salary Overview
Median
$37,320
25th Percentile
$34,320
75th Percentile
$44,550
90th Percentile
$48,150
Salary Distribution
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Growth Rate
+8.7%
New Openings
22,200
Outlook
Faster than average
Key Skills
Knowledge Areas
What They Do
- 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.
- Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
- Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries.
- Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.
Tools & Technology
★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)
Education Requirements
Typical entry-level education: High School Diploma
Related Careers
Top Career Pivot Targets
View all 4 →Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
A Day in the Life
A typical shift begins with feeding rounds—preparing and distributing species-appropriate diets, checking that all animals have fresh water, and documenting food intake for animals under dietary monitoring protocols. Cage and kennel cleaning follows, with proper disinfection protocols applied consistently to prevent disease transmission between animal patients. Throughout the day, assistants monitor hospitalized animals for changes in condition—checking for lethargy, vomiting, respiratory changes, or wound complications—and immediately reporting concerns to supervising technicians or veterinarians. They also restrain animals during examinations and minor procedures, prepare treatment rooms, sterilize instruments, launder bedding, and assist with intake and discharge of patients.
Work Environment
Veterinary assistants work in bustling clinical environments defined by animal sounds, varied odors, and the physical demands of animal handling and facility cleaning. The work requires sustained physical effort—lifting, bending, kneeling, and restraining struggling animals—and carries occupational hazards including bites, scratches, zoonotic disease exposure, and allergen sensitization. Laboratory animal caretakers work in quieter, more controlled research facility environments under strict biosafety protocols with formalized personal protective equipment requirements. Emotional demands are significant: regular exposure to sick, injured, and euthanized animals requires emotional resilience and healthy coping strategies.
Career Path & Advancement
Most veterinary assistants enter the field directly from high school or during college, with employers typically providing on-the-job training covering basic restraint, sanitation protocols, and animal husbandry. The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) offers the Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) credential, which signals formal competency and improves hiring prospects. Many veterinary assistants use the role as a stepping stone, gaining the clinical exposure and professional references needed to pursue acceptance into accredited veterinary technician programs. Others build long careers as senior assistants in specialty hospitals, research institutions, or zoos, where deep species expertise becomes a specialized professional asset.
Specializations
Veterinary clinic assistants work in companion animal hospitals, specializing in the handling and care of dogs and cats, and developing expertise in restraint techniques for animals of all temperament profiles. Laboratory animal caretakers work in biomedical research facilities caring for research animals—typically mice, rats, rabbits, primates, and swine—under IACUC-governed welfare protocols and NIH guidelines. Exotic animal caretakers assist in practices and zoos with reptiles, birds, small mammals, and exotic pets, requiring specialized knowledge of species-specific husbandry, dietary needs, and behavioral signals. Shelter assistants work in humane societies and animal control facilities, caring for surrendered animals undergoing medical assessment and behavioral evaluation before adoption.
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- ✓Daily hands-on interaction with animals provides emotional satisfaction that few other career paths offer
- ✓Low formal education requirements make the role accessible with relatively modest initial investment
- ✓Strong pathway into veterinary technology, veterinary school, or animal research careers for motivated individuals
- ✓Robust job demand driven by growing pet ownership and persistent workforce shortages across veterinary practices
- ✓Development of transferable clinical skills—restraint, sanitation, patient monitoring—useful across veterinary and human healthcare settings
- ✓Variety in daily tasks prevents monotony—no two days have the same clinical challenges or patient mix
- ✓Collaborative team environment with veterinarians, technicians, and other assistants creates strong professional relationships
Challenges
- ✗Wages are among the lowest in clinical healthcare support, making long-term financial stability challenging without advancement
- ✗Physical demands including lifting, bending, and animal restraint cause musculoskeletal injuries at high rates
- ✗Occupational exposure to bites, scratches, zoonotic pathogens, and chemical disinfectants creates real health risks
- ✗Emotional toll of animal euthanasia, owner grief, and treating suffering animals is a genuine and persistent occupational burden
- ✗Limited career advancement without pursuing additional education or professional certification programs
- ✗Part-time and variable scheduling at many clinics makes consistent income planning difficult
- ✗Allergen sensitization from animal dander, latex, and cleaning chemicals is a significant long-term occupational health concern
Industry Insight
The dramatic surge in U.S. pet ownership during the pandemic—estimated to have added tens of millions of companion animals to households—has created sustained elevated demand for veterinary support staff that practices are struggling to fill. Workforce shortages across the entire veterinary support spectrum have prompted clinics to invest more in training and retaining assistants who previously might have been replaced easily. Technological advances in veterinary diagnostics—digital radiography, in-house laboratory analyzers, ultrasound—are incrementally expanding the technical scope of support staff roles even as they remain distinct from licensed technician functions. Animal research institutions continue operating with consistent staffing needs tied to federally funded biomedical research programs that remain robust regardless of economic cycles.
How to Break Into This Career
No formal degree is required for most entry-level positions, and many veterinary clinics actively hire candidates with demonstrated animal care experience—volunteering at shelters, work at pet stores, or farm animal experience—over formal credentials. The NAVTA's Approved Veterinary Assistant program provides a nationally recognized credential attainable through online coursework and a skills examination. Volunteering at humane societies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, or veterinary clinics is the most direct strategy for gaining the hands-on experience that distinguishes applicants in a competitive field. Research facility positions may require background checks and training in IACUC protocols and biocontainment procedures, so familiarity with research ethics and occupational health standards strengthens applications.
Career Pivot Tips
Pet store employees and animal shelter volunteers can transition directly into veterinary assistant roles, citing hands-on handling experience and familiarity with animal behavior in their applications. Farm workers and livestock handlers bring large animal husbandry knowledge that translates well into mixed practices, equine clinics, and agricultural research facilities seeking assistants comfortable with non-companion species. People making career changes from other service industries—restaurant, retail, childcare—who have genuine animal affinity should invest first in volunteer hours at a local shelter to document hands-on experience before applying to clinical positions. The NAVTA AVA certification is a particularly smart investment for career changers, as it provides structured knowledge in a compressed timeframe and signals professional commitment to skeptical hiring managers who might otherwise prioritize candidates with more direct clinical backgrounds.
Explore Career Pivots
See how Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers compares to other careers and find your best pivot opportunities.
Find Pivots from Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers