Healthcare Support Occupations

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 73 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$29,359
BLS median: $37,320
DOL Median Salary
$29,359
From 73 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$37,320
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
43
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
114,190
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$29,359
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$20,800$26,000$29,359$34,986$59,000

This figure comes from 73 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$37,320
BLS Survey Salary Range
$29,160$34,320$37,320$44,550$48,150

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 114,190 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 21.3% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1Oklahoma State University$29,00010-22.3%
2Washington State University$27,1505-27.3%

View all companies hiring Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs NationalFilingsEmployers
Stillwater, OK$29,000-1.2%101

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
Massachusetts$39,996-12.1%1
Louisiana$39,484+34.9%2
Arizona$38,700+1.2%1
West Virginia$35,589+9.1%1
California$33,571-26.2%5
South Carolina$31,080-12.9%2
Kentucky$30,900-5.2%1
Mississippi$30,000+0.9%2
Alaska$29,286-22%1
Florida$29,100-21.8%10
Oklahoma$29,000-2.5%10
Washington$27,150-37.7%4
New Jersey$25,110-41.5%1
North Carolina$23,920-34.8%1
Ohio$23,088-33.7%1
Texas$21,840-28.2%1

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers positions, 18% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 64% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
Oklahoma State UniversityNot specified$29,000
Washington State UniversityNot specified$27,150

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers make?

Based on 73 DOL filings, the median salary for a Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is $29,359, ranging from $26,000 to $34,986.

What is the highest salary for a Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?

The 90th percentile salary is $48,150 according to BLS data.

Which city pays the most for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?

Based on DOL filings, Stillwater, OK offers the highest median at $29,000.

Does this data include all Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.