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What is a Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker?
Job Description & Duties 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.
List of Veterinary Assistant Job Duties
- Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
- Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
- Record information relating to animal genealogy, feeding schedules, appearance, behavior, or breeding.
- Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
- Fill medication prescriptions.
- Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Veterinary Assistant?
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles
- Veterinary Technician Assistant (Vet Tech Assistant)
- Veterinarian Assistant
- Veterinarian Helper
- Avian Keeper
- Animal Care Taker
What Kind of Veterinary Assistant Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 83,800 jobs for Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 16,200 new jobs for Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker by 2026. There will be an estimated 15,500 positions for Veterinary Assistant per year.
The states with the most job growth for Veterinary Assistant are Utah, Nevada, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or Maryland. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Veterinary Assistant
The average yearly salary of a Veterinary Assistant ranges between $19,950 and $38,890.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers who work in Massachusetts, Maine, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $23,950 |
| Alaska | $32,170 |
| Arizona | $29,300 |
| Arkansas | $25,640 |
| California | $32,480 |
| Colorado | $30,510 |
| Connecticut | $34,850 |
| Delaware | $27,750 |
| Florida | $27,450 |
| Georgia | $25,980 |
| Hawaii | $30,050 |
| Idaho | $27,420 |
| Illinois | $28,060 |
| Indiana | $28,750 |
| Iowa | $28,410 |
| Kansas | $28,680 |
| Kentucky | $25,380 |
| Louisiana | $24,310 |
| Maine | $34,680 |
| Maryland | $29,280 |
| Massachusetts | $36,720 |
| Michigan | $26,800 |
| Minnesota | $29,830 |
| Mississippi | $23,350 |
| Missouri | $28,110 |
| Montana | $27,000 |
| Nebraska | $27,640 |
| Nevada | $28,010 |
| New Hampshire | $27,730 |
| New Jersey | $29,960 |
| New Mexico | $25,030 |
| New York | $32,320 |
| North Carolina | $28,830 |
| North Dakota | $25,120 |
| Ohio | $26,380 |
| Oklahoma | $25,080 |
| Oregon | $30,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,840 |
| Rhode Island | $24,850 |
| South Carolina | $25,450 |
| South Dakota | $24,610 |
| Tennessee | $24,960 |
| Texas | $26,410 |
| Utah | $24,750 |
| Vermont | $30,400 |
| Virginia | $26,750 |
| Washington | $31,180 |
| West Virginia | $24,050 |
| Wisconsin | $26,870 |
| Wyoming | $29,190 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Scheduling software
- Practice management software PMS
- Labeling software
- IDEXX Laboratories IDEXX Cornerstone
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant
Are there Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers education requirements?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker might also be interested in the following careers:
Those who work as a Veterinary Assistant or Laboratory Animal Caretaker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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