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Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers · SOC 31-9096

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salary in the San Francisco Metro Area

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area

Figures describe the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not San Francisco city limits.

Median annual wage$49,400
Median hourly wage$23.75

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earned a median of $49,400 per year ($23.75 per hour) as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $43,820 at the 10th percentile to $59,210 at the 90th. BLS estimates 2,150 people work in this occupation in the area.

Pay distribution

Half of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers in the San Francisco metro area earn more than $49,400 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $46,430 and $57,820.

Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS)
Wage10th25thMedian75th90th
Annual$43,820$46,430$49,400$57,820$59,210
Hourly$21.07$22.32$23.75$27.80$28.47

A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.

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How this area compares

  • San Francisco metro areathis metro area
    $49,400
  • Californiastate (CA)
    $46,260
  • United Statesnational
    $38,150

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

The median here is +7% vs California overall and +29% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.

Compare with other areas

Where this metro sits nationally

$22,490$31,460$40,430$49,400Mayaguez, PR — $22,490San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $23,340El Paso, TX — $28,140Jackson, MS — $28,570Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $28,650Alexandria, LA — $28,700Hattiesburg, MS — $28,850Abilene, TX — $29,710Spartanburg, SC — $29,900College Station-Bryan, TX — $29,960Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $29,980Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $30,140Amarillo, TX — $30,210Longview, TX — $30,320Killeen-Temple, TX — $30,490Hot Springs, AR — $30,540Jonesboro, AR — $30,620Baton Rouge, LA — $30,930Columbus, GA-AL — $31,000Bowling Green, KY — $31,050Logan, UT-ID — $31,890Charleston, WV — $32,070Fort Smith, AR-OK — $32,590Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $32,610Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $33,000Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $33,590Manhattan, KS — $33,630Corpus Christi, TX — $33,650Wheeling, WV-OH — $33,690Joplin, MO-KS — $33,800Athens-Clarke County, GA — $34,020Rome, GA — $34,050Springfield, MO — $34,230Youngstown-Warren, OH — $34,260Beckley, WV — $34,270Lima, OH — $34,270Macon-Bibb County, GA — $34,390Rocky Mount, NC — $34,450Johnson City, TN — $34,520Wichita, KS — $34,650Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $34,660Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $34,720Clarksville, TN-KY — $34,810Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $34,880Erie, PA — $34,890Columbia, MO — $34,900Bloomington, IN — $34,920Grand Island, NE — $34,920Greenville, NC — $34,940Lynchburg, VA — $34,940Jacksonville, NC — $35,010Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $35,060Morristown, TN — $35,210Peoria, IL — $35,220Battle Creek, MI — $35,260Iowa City, IA — $35,310Morgantown, WV — $35,310Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $35,320Warner Robins, GA — $35,320Fayetteville, NC — $35,370Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $35,370Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $35,370Roanoke, VA — $35,410Tulsa, OK — $35,410Harrisonburg, VA — $35,440New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $35,520Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $35,530Evansville, IN — $35,570Chambersburg, PA — $35,590Oklahoma City, OK — $35,630Rapid City, SD — $35,640Knoxville, TN — $35,660Toledo, OH — $35,660Burlington, NC — $35,690Bay City, MI — $35,740Homosassa Springs, FL — $35,750Winchester, VA-WV — $35,750Savannah, GA — $35,770Gettysburg, PA — $35,780Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $35,780Las Cruces, NM — $35,800Grand Junction, CO — $35,810Jackson, TN — $35,840Huntsville, AL — $35,870Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $35,880Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $35,900Jefferson City, MO — $35,920Fort Wayne, IN — $35,930Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $35,930Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $35,940Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $35,950Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $35,950Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $35,980Green Bay, WI — $35,990La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $35,990San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $36,010Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $36,020Gainesville, GA — $36,020Topeka, KS — $36,020Tallahassee, FL — $36,030Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $36,040Fargo, ND-MN — $36,100Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $36,110Ocala, FL — $36,160Chattanooga, TN-GA — $36,170Saginaw, MI — $36,170Cedar Rapids, IA — $36,210Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $36,230Kenosha, WI — $36,240South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $36,240Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $36,240Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $36,250Utica-Rome, NY — $36,250Manchester-Nashua, NH — $36,270Greensboro-High Point, NC — $36,280Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $36,310Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $36,310Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $36,320Wausau, WI — $36,350Auburn-Opelika, AL — $36,360Pocatello, ID — $36,360Greeley, CO — $36,380Akron, OH — $36,400Lexington-Fayette, KY — $36,400Tucson, AZ — $36,430Binghamton, NY — $36,440Colorado Springs, CO — $36,460Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $36,470Gainesville, FL — $36,510Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $36,530Bloomington, IL — $36,540Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $36,570Winston-Salem, NC — $36,620York-Hanover, PA — $36,640Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $36,650Bismarck, ND — $36,660Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $36,670Cleveland, OH — $36,680Columbia, SC — $36,680Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $36,680Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $36,710Pueblo, CO — $36,760Reading, PA — $36,780Jackson, MI — $36,800Omaha, NE-IA — $36,840Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $36,860Wilmington, NC — $36,860Lincoln, NE — $36,870Ogden, UT — $36,870Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $36,890Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $36,920Pittsburgh, PA — $36,940Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $36,960Birmingham, AL — $36,980Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $36,990Lebanon, PA — $37,110Port St. Lucie, FL — $37,170Idaho Falls, ID — $37,180Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $37,190Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $37,220Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $37,260Columbus, OH — $37,280Eau Claire, WI — $37,320Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $37,320Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $37,330Flint, MI — $37,370Punta Gorda, FL — $37,390Richmond, VA — $37,470Charlottesville, VA — $37,480Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $37,490Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $37,490State College, PA — $37,500Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $37,560Rochester, NY — $37,580Kansas City, MO-KS — $37,600Appleton, WI — $37,610Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $37,660Coeur d'Alene, ID — $37,670Rockford, IL — $37,670Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $37,690Jacksonville, FL — $37,710Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $37,720Lawrence, KS — $37,720Duluth, MN-WI — $37,770Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $37,770Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $37,780Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $37,790St. Louis, MO-IL — $37,790Bangor, ME — $37,840Albuquerque, NM — $37,870Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $37,870Albany, OR — $37,880Boise City, ID — $37,890Glens Falls, NY — $37,900Champaign-Urbana, IL — $37,920Reno, NV — $37,970Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $37,980Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $38,000North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $38,030Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $38,050Springfield, IL — $38,050Medford, OR — $38,080Raleigh-Cary, NC — $38,110Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $38,120Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $38,120Traverse City, MI — $38,130Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $38,220Ames, IA — $38,300Grants Pass, OR — $38,310Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $38,340Ann Arbor, MI — $38,350Visalia, CA — $38,410Madison, WI — $38,490Missoula, MT — $38,520Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $38,620Kingston, NY — $38,690Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $38,710Midland, MI — $38,740Corvallis, OR — $38,820Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $38,830Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $38,870Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $38,970Vineland, NJ — $39,000Syracuse, NY — $39,020Anchorage, AK — $39,110Lewiston, ID-WA — $39,160Barnstable Town, MA — $39,170Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $39,240Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $39,280Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $39,380Santa Fe, NM — $39,500Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $39,520Eugene-Springfield, OR — $39,670Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $39,760Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $39,840Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $39,850Merced, CA — $40,040Kennewick-Richland, WA — $40,100Boulder, CO — $40,390Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $41,600Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $42,590Bozeman, MT — $42,740Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $43,190San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $43,270Worcester, MA — $43,510Chico, CA — $43,830Ithaca, NY — $43,900Redding, CA — $43,930Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $44,020Fresno, CA — $44,040Urban Honolulu, HI — $44,050Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $44,110Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $44,140Bellingham, WA — $44,160Bend, OR — $44,190Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $44,260Salem, OR — $44,460Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $44,530Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $44,810Portland-South Portland, ME — $45,150Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $45,260Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $45,320Naples-Marco Island, FL — $45,470Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $45,490Yuba City, CA — $45,490Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $45,530Modesto, CA — $45,560Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $45,640Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $45,690Napa, CA — $45,710Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $45,790Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $45,910Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $46,070New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $46,160Vallejo, CA — $46,590San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $46,720Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $46,990Salinas, CA — $46,990Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $47,150Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $47,270Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $49,200San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $49,210San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $49,400

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

The San Francisco metro area has the 1st-highest published median for this occupation among the 283 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Other metro areas in California

Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.

  • San Francisco metro areathis page
    $49,400
  • San Jose metro area
    $49,210
  • Santa Rosa metro area
    $47,270
  • Santa Cruz metro area
    $47,150
  • Sacramento metro area
    $46,990
  • Salinas metro area
    $46,990
  • San Diego metro area
    $46,720

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

Keep exploring

Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:

Home Health and Personal Care Aides$35,950Medical Assistants$59,790Nursing Assistants$56,080Dental Assistants$64,390Healthcare Support Workers, All Other$66,520Massage Therapists$40,280

Highest-paying metro areas for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss · Highest-paying occupations in San Francisco Metro

About this estimate

These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.

Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.