Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker resume
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Also called animal caretaker, laboratory animal caretaker, small animal caretaker and animal care provider.
$38,150
Median pay a year
126,580
People do this work
6
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Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
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Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Summary
Veterinary assistant caring for pets and nonfarm animals by feeding, examining for illness, and administering medication in animal hospitals and laboratories. Responsible for cleaning work areas, collecting samples, and assisting veterinarians with examinations
Experience
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Monitored animals recovering from surgery and notified veterinarians of any unusual changes
Cleaned and maintained kennels and examination rooms to control the spread of disease
Assisted veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses
Administered medication and immunizations to animals as prescribed by veterinarians
Collected laboratory specimens, such as blood or urine, for testing
Performed office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments and helping customers
Skills
Core Skills
Assisting patients with activities, Giving medications and immunizations, Administering basic health care, Performing clerical work, Monitoring patient progress, Monitoring patients, Assessing patient physical conditions, Cleaning patient rooms, Assisting practitioners
Checking & Planning
Conducting diagnostic tests
Education
High School Diploma Your school, Year
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Held animals during proceduresWatched animals after surgeryFilled medication prescriptionsCleaned kennels and animal areasChecked animals for signs of illnessHelped veterinarians examine animals
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Held and restrained animals during veterinary procedures to ensure safety and comfort.
Filled medication prescriptions accurately to support treatment plans.
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Mention if you were trusted to handle any specific animals.
The line
Held and restrained larger animals like dogs and cats during veterinary procedures to ensure safety and comfort
Mention if you were trusted to handle any specific animals.
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Handled larger animals like dogs and catsWorked with exotic animals like reptilesAssisted with nervous or injured animals
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Show what improved once the prescriptions were filled.
The line
Filled medication prescriptions accurately to support treatment plans.
Show what improved once the prescriptions were filled.
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Helped ensure timely treatment for recovering animalsReduced wait times for pet ownersImproved medication adherence for patients
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What it is made of
Skills for a Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker resume
What this work is made of. Rung offers these and keeps the ones you claim.
What are you good at?
Assisting patients with activities
Assisting practitioners
Giving medications and immunizations
Administering basic health care
Performing clerical work
Monitoring patient progress
Monitoring patients
Conducting diagnostic tests
Assessing patient physical conditions
Cleaning patient rooms
Disposing of biomedical waste
Cleaning medical equipment
The work itself
What a Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$35,660
Median
$38,150
75th percentile
$45,710
About 126,580 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AK
$28,230
$36,490
$46,760
AL
$29,010
$35,800
$37,970
AR
$29,500
$34,570
$36,830
AZ
$37,010
$38,250
$45,900
CA
$39,760
$46,260
$49,290
CO
$37,020
$38,900
$45,030
CT
$36,720
$44,250
$51,470
DC
$46,960
$49,080
$60,700
DE
$37,070
$38,610
$46,850
FL
$36,160
$37,830
$44,930
GA
$33,560
$35,850
$38,240
HI
$36,330
$44,070
$45,120
IA
$30,590
$35,720
$39,020
ID
$35,360
$37,530
$39,160
IL
$35,110
$37,480
$43,420
IN
$32,340
$36,420
$38,470
KS
$30,800
$35,680
$38,460
KY
$29,350
$34,140
$36,520
LA
$28,880
$30,480
$35,830
MA
$37,440
$46,670
$59,290
MD
$39,440
$44,770
$49,230
ME
$39,640
$45,510
$47,260
MI
$35,720
$37,960
$43,930
MN
$38,000
$45,280
$46,500
MO
$34,150
$36,660
$41,650
MS
$27,880
$30,360
$36,840
MT
$35,680
$38,340
$40,270
NC
$35,250
$37,070
$39,080
ND
$35,800
$37,160
$43,880
NE
$34,130
$36,100
$37,750
NH
$31,050
$36,910
$44,510
NJ
$39,700
$46,160
$48,190
NM
$35,430
$37,500
$39,620
NV
$36,330
$36,920
$42,470
NY
$38,610
$44,750
$46,560
OH
$34,070
$36,340
$38,660
OK
$29,810
$34,850
$36,380
OR
$38,570
$44,370
$46,950
PA
$34,940
$37,140
$42,990
PR
$22,040
$23,310
$25,430
RI
$37,440
$49,770
$49,930
SC
$30,530
$36,980
$40,600
SD
$29,320
$34,700
$36,100
TN
$34,520
$36,320
$38,230
TX
$29,340
$34,850
$43,270
UT
$35,810
$37,560
$45,760
VA
$35,660
$37,450
$45,270
VT
$35,670
$37,290
$39,250
WA
$39,930
$44,150
$47,220
WI
$35,370
$36,850
$38,630
WV
$28,250
$32,350
$35,740
WY
$31,050
$37,880
$38,570
Other names
Other names for this job
animal caretaker, laboratory animal caretaker, small animal caretaker, animal care provider, animal care service worker, animal care specialist, animal caregiver, animal health technician, avian keeper, certified veterinary assistant, emergency veterinary assistant, inpatient technician assistant.
More names for this work
kennel vet assistant, kennel veterinary assistant, laboratory animal technician, research animal attendant, vet assistant, vet helper, vet kennel assistant, vet receptionist, veterinarian assistant, veterinarian helper, veterinary attendant, veterinary kennel assistant, veterinary receptionist.
If you served
Military jobs this work counts as
From the crosswalk the US Department of Labor publishes itself. If one of these was your job, this page is about the civilian work it maps to.
68T Animal Care Specialist
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This page is about the occupation Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.