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.
- O*NET-SOC code
31-9096.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,120 | $35,660 | $38,150 | $45,710 | $49,150 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,240 | $35,800 | 0.72 |
| Alaska | 130 | $36,490 | 0.49 |
| Arizona | 3,340 | $38,250 | 1.27 |
| Arkansas | 1,460 | $34,570 | 1.38 |
| California | 16,080 | $46,260 | 1.08 |
| Colorado | 2,910 | $38,900 | 1.25 |
| Connecticut | 1,390 | $44,250 | 1.01 |
| Delaware | $38,610 | ||
| District of Columbia | 240 | $49,080 | 0.41 |
| Florida | 6,790 | $37,830 | 0.84 |
| Georgia | 4,570 | $35,850 | 1.15 |
| Hawaii | 570 | $44,070 | 1.12 |
| Idaho | 680 | $37,530 | 0.97 |
| Illinois | 3,270 | $37,480 | 0.66 |
| Indiana | 2,810 | $36,420 | 1.08 |
| Iowa | 1,380 | $35,720 | 1.09 |
| Kansas | 1,570 | $35,680 | 1.34 |
| Kentucky | 1,840 | $34,140 | 1.13 |
| Louisiana | 1,230 | $30,480 | 0.78 |
| Maine | 690 | $45,510 | 1.32 |
| Maryland | 2,220 | $44,770 | 0.99 |
| Massachusetts | 2,130 | $46,670 | 0.72 |
| Michigan | 4,420 | $37,960 | 1.23 |
| Minnesota | 1,450 | $45,280 | 0.60 |
| Mississippi | 560 | $30,360 | 0.59 |
| Missouri | 2,010 | $36,660 | 0.84 |
| Montana | 550 | $38,340 | 1.32 |
| Nebraska | 900 | $36,100 | 1.08 |
| Nevada | 1,380 | $36,920 | 1.09 |
| New Hampshire | 770 | $36,910 | 1.39 |
| New Jersey | 3,270 | $46,160 | 0.94 |
| New Mexico | 520 | $37,500 | 0.73 |
| New York | 5,790 | $44,750 | 0.73 |
| North Carolina | 6,910 | $37,070 | 1.72 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $37,160 | 0.77 |
| Ohio | 4,640 | $36,340 | 1.03 |
| Oklahoma | 1,740 | $34,850 | 1.25 |
| Oregon | 3,170 | $44,370 | 1.98 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,760 | $37,140 | 0.76 |
| Rhode Island | 380 | $49,770 | 0.93 |
| South Carolina | 1,720 | $36,980 | 0.92 |
| South Dakota | 250 | $34,700 | 0.67 |
| Tennessee | 3,530 | $36,320 | 1.32 |
| Texas | 8,440 | $34,850 | 0.74 |
| Utah | 580 | $37,560 | 0.41 |
| Vermont | 370 | $37,290 | 1.51 |
| Virginia | 4,810 | $37,450 | 1.44 |
| Washington | 4,380 | $44,150 | 1.51 |
| West Virginia | 730 | $32,350 | 1.28 |
| Wisconsin | 2,200 | $36,850 | 0.92 |
| Wyoming | 150 | $37,880 | 0.67 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.967 |
| 2 | Animal Caretakers | 1-2 | 0.960 |
| 3 | Physical Therapist Aides | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 4 | Ophthalmic Medical Technologists | 3 | 0.952 |
| 5 | Dental Assistants | 3 | 0.951 |
| 6 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 3 | 0.951 |
| 7 | Pharmacy Technicians | 3 | 0.950 |
| 8 | Veterinarians | 5 | 0.949 |
| 9 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 3 | 0.948 |
| 10 | Medical Assistants | 3 | 0.948 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
None at these thresholds.
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, excluding software Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| MEDITECH software | 11 of 20 | 6.6x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 8 of 20 | 11.5x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 5 of 20 | 4.8x |
| Medical condition coding software | 4 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Medical procedure coding software | 4 of 20 | 4.1x |
| Billing software | 3 of 20 | 6.3x |
| GE Healthcare Centricity EMR | 3 of 20 | 6.3x |
| Epic Systems | 4 of 20 | 2.9x |
| JavaScript | 4 of 20 | 2.2x |
| Database software | 5 of 20 | 1.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.33 | 4.64 |
| English Language | 3.83 | 3.79 |
| Biology | 3.56 | 3.63 |
| Administrative | 3.51 | 4.08 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.50 | 3.76 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.18 | 4.03 |
| Mathematics | 2.87 | 3.12 |
| Communications and Media | 2.63 | 2.51 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.60 | 2.66 |
| Telecommunications | 2.58 | 1.65 |
| Chemistry | 2.48 | 2.76 |
| Administration and Management | 2.46 | 2.35 |
| Education and Training | 2.38 | 2.44 |
| Psychology | 2.35 | 1.99 |
| Mechanical | 2.34 | 2.05 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.18 | 1.94 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.18 | 1.92 |
| Law and Government | 2.14 | 1.73 |
| Production and Processing | 2.08 | 1.69 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.98 | 1.61 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.95 | 1.62 |
| Geography | 1.90 | 1.86 |
| Foreign Language | 1.80 | 1.36 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.74 | 1.44 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.67 | 1.23 |
| Physics | 1.60 | 1.14 |
| Food Production | 1.58 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.50 | 1.18 |
| Design | 1.47 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.47 | 1.12 |
| Building and Construction | 1.37 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.37 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.27 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Oral Expression | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Stamina | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.25 | 2.50 |
| Control Precision | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Visualization | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Rate Control | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Response Orientation | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- IDEXX Laboratories IDEXX Cornerstone
- Labeling software
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
- Practice management software PMS
- Scheduling software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corvallis, OR | 160 | 4.98 | $38,820 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 410 | 3.77 | $29,960 |
| Wilmington, NC | 510 | 3.26 | $36,860 |
| Bend, OR | 290 | 3.24 | $44,190 |
| Manhattan, KS | 140 | 3.12 | $33,630 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 100 | 2.92 | $35,780 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 270 | 2.87 | $37,480 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 200 | 2.47 | $47,150 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 150 | 2.45 | $36,230 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 100 | 2.42 | $35,010 |