Sort by any column. Employment is the number of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker Salary by State (2026)
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn the most in Rhode Island at $49,770 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $23,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $38,150. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $49,770
- National median
- $38,150
- Lowest median
- $23,310
- States reporting
- 52
Rhode Island
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
- 1. Rhode Island$49,770 median · $48,661 adjusted · 380 employed
- 2. District of Columbia$49,080 median · $44,658 adjusted · 240 employed
- 3. Massachusetts$46,670 median · $44,129 adjusted · 2,130 employed
- 4. California$46,260 median · $41,781 adjusted · 16,080 employed
- 5. New Jersey$46,160 median · $42,425 adjusted · 3,270 employed
Lowest-paying states for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
- 52. Puerto Rico$23,310 median · no price parity · 430 employed
- 51. Mississippi$30,360 median · $34,915 adjusted · 560 employed
- 50. Louisiana$30,480 median · $34,555 adjusted · 1,230 employed
- 49. West Virginia$32,350 median · $36,146 adjusted · 730 employed
- 48. Kentucky$34,140 median · $37,866 adjusted · 1,840 employed
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $49,770 | $37,440 | $49,930 | 380 | $48,661 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $49,080 | $46,960 | $60,700 | 240 | $44,658 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $46,670 | $37,440 | $59,290 | 2,130 | $44,129 |
| 4 | California | $46,260 | $39,760 | $49,290 | 16,080 | $41,781 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $46,160 | $39,700 | $48,190 | 3,270 | $42,425 |
| 6 | Maine | $45,510 | $39,640 | $47,260 | 690 | $46,893 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $45,280 | $38,000 | $46,500 | 1,450 | $45,913 |
| 8 | Maryland | $44,770 | $39,440 | $49,230 | 2,220 | $42,655 |
| 9 | New York | $44,750 | $38,610 | $46,560 | 5,790 | $41,466 |
| 10 | Oregon | $44,370 | $38,570 | $46,950 | 3,170 | $42,927 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $44,250 | $36,720 | $51,470 | 1,390 | $42,708 |
| 12 | Washington | $44,150 | $39,930 | $47,220 | 4,380 | $41,257 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $44,070 | $36,330 | $45,120 | 570 | $40,081 |
| 14 | Colorado | $38,900 | $37,020 | $45,030 | 2,910 | $37,748 |
| 15 | Delaware | $38,610 | $37,070 | $46,850 | N/A | $38,684 |
| 16 | Montana | $38,340 | $35,680 | $40,270 | 550 | $40,509 |
| 17 | Arizona | $38,250 | $37,010 | $45,900 | 3,340 | $37,993 |
| 18 | Michigan | $37,960 | $35,720 | $43,930 | 4,420 | $39,452 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $37,880 | $31,050 | $38,570 | 150 | $40,867 |
| 20 | Florida | $37,830 | $36,160 | $44,930 | 6,790 | $36,581 |
| 21 | Utah | $37,560 | $35,810 | $45,760 | 580 | $37,992 |
| 22 | Idaho | $37,530 | $35,360 | $39,160 | 680 | $39,301 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $37,500 | $35,430 | $39,620 | 520 | $40,667 |
| 24 | Illinois | $37,480 | $35,110 | $43,420 | 3,270 | $37,496 |
| 25 | Virginia | $37,450 | $35,660 | $45,270 | 4,810 | $37,041 |
| 26 | Vermont | $37,290 | $35,670 | $39,250 | 370 | $38,067 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $37,160 | $35,800 | $43,880 | 270 | $41,772 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $37,140 | $34,940 | $42,990 | 3,760 | $38,064 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $37,070 | $35,250 | $39,080 | 6,910 | $39,300 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $36,980 | $30,530 | $40,600 | 1,720 | $39,446 |
| 31 | Nevada | $36,920 | $36,330 | $42,470 | 1,380 | $36,928 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $36,910 | $31,050 | $44,510 | 770 | $35,434 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $36,850 | $35,370 | $38,630 | 2,200 | $39,163 |
| 34 | Missouri | $36,660 | $34,150 | $41,650 | 2,010 | $40,367 |
| 35 | Alaska | $36,490 | $28,230 | $46,760 | 130 | $35,649 |
| 36 | Indiana | $36,420 | $32,340 | $38,470 | 2,810 | $39,023 |
| 37 | Ohio | $36,340 | $34,070 | $38,660 | 4,640 | $39,170 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $36,320 | $34,520 | $38,230 | 3,530 | $39,534 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $36,100 | $34,130 | $37,750 | 900 | $40,065 |
| 40 | Georgia | $35,850 | $33,560 | $38,240 | 4,570 | $37,230 |
| 41 | Alabama | $35,800 | $29,010 | $37,970 | 1,240 | $40,305 |
| 42 | Iowa | $35,720 | $30,590 | $39,020 | 1,380 | $40,701 |
| 43 | Kansas | $35,680 | $30,800 | $38,460 | 1,570 | $39,615 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $34,850 | $29,810 | $36,380 | 1,740 | $39,673 |
| 45 | Texas | $34,850 | $29,340 | $43,270 | 8,440 | $35,907 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $34,700 | $29,320 | $36,100 | 250 | $39,171 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $34,570 | $29,500 | $36,830 | 1,460 | $39,764 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $34,140 | $29,350 | $36,520 | 1,840 | $37,866 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $32,350 | $28,250 | $35,740 | 730 | $36,146 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $30,480 | $28,880 | $35,830 | 1,230 | $34,555 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $30,360 | $27,880 | $36,840 | 560 | $34,915 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $23,310 | $22,040 | $25,430 | 430 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, that changes the ranking: Rhode Island leads on raw pay at $49,770, while Rhode Island leads once prices are taken into account at $48,661.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers the most?
Rhode Island reports the highest median wage for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers at $49,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($49,080) and Massachusetts ($46,670).
Which state pays Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers at $23,310 a year, $26,460 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Rhode Island first at $48,661 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $49,770. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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