Healthcare Support

Veterinary Assistants

SOC 31-9096

Restrain, feed, and monitor animals and keep the clinic running.

The job

Median pay

$38k

$36k to $46k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+9.1% projected

Openings a year

23k

BLS projection

Typical education

High school

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

10/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

13th pct

More exposed than 13% of occupations · modeled estimate · 7th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

58/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Medical AssistantsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostRhode Island leads at $50k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Veterinary Assistants and explore its neighbours See open jobsVeterinary Assistants roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Veterinary Assistants, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Veterinary Assistants say they actually earn

Key skills

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Writing
Monitoring
Speaking

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	16,080	0.9	1.1×	$46k
Texas	8,440	0.6	0.7×	$35k
North Carolina	6,910	1.4	1.7×	$37k
Florida	6,790	0.7	0.8×	$38k
New York	5,790	0.6	0.7×	$45k
Virginia	4,810	1.2	1.4×	$37k
Ohio	4,640	0.8	1.0×	$36k
Georgia	4,570	0.9	1.1×	$36k
Michigan	4,420	1.0	1.2×	$38k
Washington	4,380	1.2	1.5×	$44k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Pennsylvania	3,760	0.6	0.8×	$37k
Tennessee	3,530	1.1	1.3×	$36k
Arizona	3,340	1.0	1.3×	$38k
Illinois	3,270	0.5	0.7×	$37k
New Jersey	3,270	0.8	0.9×	$46k
Oregon	3,170	1.6	2.0×	$44k
Colorado	2,910	1.0	1.2×	$39k
Indiana	2,810	0.9	1.1×	$36k
Maryland	2,220	0.8	1.0×	$45k
Wisconsin	2,200	0.7	0.9×	$37k
Massachusetts	2,130	0.6	0.7×	$47k
Missouri	2,010	0.7	0.8×	$37k
Kentucky	1,840	0.9	1.1×	$34k
Oklahoma	1,740	1.0	1.3×	$35k
South Carolina	1,720	0.7	0.9×	$37k
Kansas	1,570	1.1	1.3×	$36k
Arkansas	1,460	1.1	1.4×	$35k
Minnesota	1,450	0.5	0.6×	$45k
Connecticut	1,390	0.8	1.0×	$44k
Iowa	1,380	0.9	1.1×	$36k
Nevada	1,380	0.9	1.1×	$37k
Alabama	1,240	0.6	0.7×	$36k
Louisiana	1,230	0.6	0.8×	$30k
Nebraska	900	0.9	1.1×	$36k
New Hampshire	770	1.1	1.4×	$37k
West Virginia	730	1.0	1.3×	$32k
Maine	690	1.1	1.3×	$46k
Idaho	680	0.8	1.0×	$38k
Utah	580	0.3	0.4×	$38k
Hawaii	570	0.9	1.1×	$44k
Mississippi	560	0.5	0.6×	$30k
Montana	550	1.1	1.3×	$38k
New Mexico	520	0.6	0.7×	$38k
Delaware	385	0.8	1.0×	$39k~
Rhode Island	380	0.8	0.9×	$50k
Vermont	370	1.2	1.5×	$37k
North Dakota	270	0.6	0.8×	$37k
South Dakota	250	0.5	0.7×	$35k
Washington DC	240	0.3	0.4×	$49k
Wyoming	150	0.5	0.7×	$38k
Alaska	130	0.4	0.5×	$36k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ5,560 jobs · $46k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA4,830 jobs · $46k median
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA2,880 jobs · $36k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,740 jobs · $45k median
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2,400 jobs · $46k median
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ2,390 jobs · $39k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX2,350 jobs · $36k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,190 jobs · $39k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.