Healthcare Support · Holland code RIC
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.
Also called: Animal Care Provider, Animal Caregiver, Certified Veterinary Assistant, Veterinarian Assistant (Vet Assistant), Avian Keeper, Emergency Veterinary Assistant, Inpatient Technician Assistant, Kennel Vet Assistant (Kennel Veterinary Assistant).
O*NET 31-9096.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $38,150
- Middle half earn $35,660 to $45,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 78% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
- US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034
- +9% · Much faster than average
- 117,800 jobs in 2024, projected 128,100. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers".
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.5 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.3 / 5
- English Language3.8 / 5
- Biology3.6 / 5
- Administrative3.5 / 5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.5 / 5
- Computers and Electronics3.2 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic89
- Investigative54
- Artistic0
- Social42
- Enterprising0
- Conventional49
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- veterinary nurse · DE Tierpfleger mit Schwerpunkt Forschung und Klinik/Tierpflegerin mit Schwerpunkt Forschung und Klinik · FR infirmier vétérinaire/infirmière vétérinaire
- animal care attendant · DE Tierpfleger /Tierpflegerin · FR auxiliaire de soins aux animaux
- kennel worker · DE Tierpfleger Tierpension/Tierpflegerin Tierpension · FR employé de chenil/employée de chenil
- animal shelter worker · DE Tierpfleger Tierheim/Tierpflegerin Tierheim · FR soigneur en refuge/soigneuse en refuge
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Veterinary nurses (3240)26,600 employed
- Animal care services occupations n.e.c. (6129)102,200 employed
- Health associate professionals n.e.c. (3219)36,300 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Service and sales workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €32,957 |
| Sweden | €32,596 |
| Netherlands | €29,198 |
| Austria | €29,068 |
| Germany | €27,471 |
| Ireland | €26,978 |
| Italy | €24,995 |
| France | €24,971 |
| Spain | €18,303 |
| Portugal | €10,656 |
| Poland | €7,579 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.77. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (31-9096).
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