Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Healthcare Support · SOC 31-9096
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 31-9096 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 1.8%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 56/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $38,150
- H-1B offered wage $52,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 18,100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +8.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 27,254 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~22.2% of this role but only ~1.8% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Animal Care Provider, Animal Caregiver, Avian Keeper, Certified Veterinary Assistant, Emergency Veterinary Assistant, Inpatient Technician Assistant
Representative Tasks
- •Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- •Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- •Fill medication prescriptions.
- •Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- •Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Hold patients to ensure proper positioning or safety.
- •Give medications or immunizations.
- •Monitor patients to detect health problems.
- •Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- •Control prescription refills or authorizations.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 69% Bright |
| Median Salary | $38,150 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 98/100 | N/A |