Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

31-9096 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 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. Excludes "Nonfarm Animal Caretakers" (39-2021).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
72,530 2.6 % $11.75 $24,430 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.16 $9.14 $10.98 $13.64 $16.81
Annual Wage (2) $16,970 $19,010 $22,830 $28,370 $34,970


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62,090 10.47 $11.18 $23,250
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 4,970 0.17 $15.25 $31,730
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,070 0.33 $16.16 $33,610
Social Advocacy Organizations 890 0.46 $11.81 $24,570
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 500 0.01 $14.87 $30,930

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62,090 10.47 $11.18 $23,250
Social Advocacy Organizations 890 0.46 $11.81 $24,570
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,070 0.33 $16.16 $33,610
Other Personal Services 440 0.18 $10.48 $21,800
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 4,970 0.17 $15.25 $31,730

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 280 0.11 $21.18 $44,050
Local Government (OES Designation) 350 0.01 $16.43 $34,180
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,070 0.33 $16.16 $33,610
State Government (OES Designation) 150 0.01 $15.90 $33,060
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 4,970 0.17 $15.25 $31,730


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 8,020 0.57 1.01 $12.93 $26,890
Texas 5,610 0.54 0.96 $11.49 $23,900
Virginia 3,540 1.00 1.76 $11.78 $24,500
Ohio 3,520 0.71 1.25 $10.51 $21,860
Florida 3,420 0.48 0.85 $10.61 $22,070




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Virginia 3,540 1.00 1.76 $11.78 $24,500
Kansas 1,260 0.96 1.71 $10.98 $22,830
Maine 490 0.86 1.52 $14.26 $29,650
Montana 320 0.75 1.33 $10.94 $22,760
Wyoming 200 0.72 1.27 $11.92 $24,790




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 2,090 0.66 1.17 $15.01 $31,230
Delaware 220 0.55 0.97 $14.47 $30,100
Maine 490 0.86 1.52 $14.26 $29,650
Connecticut 870 0.54 0.96 $14.09 $29,310
New York 3,070 0.36 0.64 $13.43 $27,940





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,820 0.79 1.39 $12.91 $26,850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,660 0.74 1.32 $11.28 $23,460
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,490 0.39 0.69 $12.87 $26,760
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 1,420 0.78 1.39 $14.01 $29,140
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 1,320 1.07 1.89 $13.34 $27,740
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,250 0.61 1.08 $12.76 $26,530
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,170 0.70 1.24 $16.05 $33,390
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,140 0.32 0.56 $12.07 $25,110
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,140 0.45 0.79 $11.99 $24,940
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,040 0.21 0.36 $16.26 $33,820




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Corvallis, OR 70 1.99 3.53 $10.47 $21,780
Auburn-Opelika, AL 90 1.94 3.44 $11.72 $24,370
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 110 1.85 3.27 $13.70 $28,500
Athens-Clarke County, GA 130 1.76 3.11 $10.33 $21,490
Winchester, VA-WV 90 1.73 3.06 $10.35 $21,530
College Station-Bryan, TX 150 1.59 2.82 $11.11 $23,110
Roanoke, VA 230 1.57 2.77 $9.98 $20,770
Reno-Sparks, NV 290 1.52 2.69 $12.92 $26,880
Jefferson City, MO 110 1.51 2.67 $9.96 $20,720
Chico, CA 100 1.44 2.55 $12.65 $26,310




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Haven, CT 220 0.81 1.43 $19.87 $41,330
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 460 0.82 1.46 $16.71 $34,760
Stockton, CA (8) (8) (8) $16.44 $34,200
Ithaca, NY (8) (8) (8) $16.40 $34,120
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,040 0.21 0.36 $16.26 $33,820
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,170 0.70 1.24 $16.05 $33,390
Topeka, KS 100 0.97 1.72 $15.54 $32,330
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 30 0.21 0.38 $15.32 $31,870
Rochester, MN 70 0.68 1.21 $15.28 $31,790
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (8) (8) (8) $15.04 $31,270

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 220 0.83 1.47 $10.10 $21,000
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 200 1.11 1.97 $11.50 $23,930
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 190 1.12 1.98 $10.20 $21,220
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 180 0.67 1.18 $11.68 $24,290
Eastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 180 1.12 1.99 $9.69 $20,160

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 80 2.04 3.60 $11.18 $23,260
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 1.83 3.24 $11.66 $24,240
Sussex County, Delaware nonmetropolitan area 100 1.50 2.66 $15.54 $32,330
Central South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 1.48 2.61 $9.63 $20,030
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 1.47 2.61 $11.54 $23,990

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 40 0.42 0.75 $17.34 $36,070
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 100 0.41 0.72 $15.89 $33,050
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $15.81 $32,890
Sussex County, Delaware nonmetropolitan area 100 1.50 2.66 $15.54 $32,330
Southwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $15.39 $32,020


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012