Your work. Your records.
Veterinary Assistant Workplace Records
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers may support procedures, monitor recovery and clean work areas under supervision. An employment concern needs a clear description of your assigned task and reporting role. Avoid treating a later animal outcome as proof of what happened during your own part of the work.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Task handoff
Record when your assistance began and ended and which supervising role directed it.
Observation report
Describe the change you reported without inferring a clinical cause or responsibility.
Own schedule
Match your personal time and correction request to preparation, care support and cleanup duties.
Start with the work you actually do
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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (31-9096.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.Source task 4312 · updated 08/2020
- Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.Source task 4306 · updated 08/2020
- Fill medication prescriptions.Source task 4314 · updated 08/2020
- Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.Source task 4311 · updated 08/2020
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (SOC 31-9096). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $13.95 | $17.21 | $18.26 | $35,800 |
| Alaska | $13.57 | $17.54 | $22.48 | $36,490 |
| Arizona | $17.79 | $18.39 | $22.07 | $38,250 |
| Arkansas | $14.18 | $16.62 | $17.71 | $34,570 |
| Connecticut | $17.65 | $21.28 | $24.74 | $44,250 |
| Delaware | $17.82 | $18.56 | $22.52 | $38,610 |
| Florida | $17.38 | $18.19 | $21.60 | $37,830 |
| Georgia | $16.13 | $17.24 | $18.39 | $35,850 |
| Hawaii | $17.47 | $21.19 | $21.69 | $44,070 |
| Idaho | $17.00 | $18.04 | $18.83 | $37,530 |
| Indiana | $15.55 | $17.51 | $18.50 | $36,420 |
| Iowa | $14.71 | $17.18 | $18.76 | $35,720 |
| Kansas | $14.81 | $17.16 | $18.49 | $35,680 |
| Kentucky | $14.11 | $16.41 | $17.56 | $34,140 |
| Louisiana | $13.89 | $14.65 | $17.23 | $30,480 |
| Maine | $19.06 | $21.88 | $22.72 | $45,510 |
| Michigan | $17.17 | $18.25 | $21.12 | $37,960 |
| Minnesota | $18.27 | $21.77 | $22.35 | $45,280 |
| Mississippi | $13.41 | $14.60 | $17.71 | $30,360 |
| Missouri | $16.42 | $17.62 | $20.03 | $36,660 |
| Montana | $17.15 | $18.43 | $19.36 | $38,340 |
| Nebraska | $16.41 | $17.36 | $18.15 | $36,100 |
| New Hampshire | $14.93 | $17.74 | $21.40 | $36,910 |
| New Mexico | $17.04 | $18.03 | $19.05 | $37,500 |
| New York | $18.56 | $21.52 | $22.39 | $44,750 |
| North Carolina | $16.95 | $17.82 | $18.79 | $37,070 |
| North Dakota | $17.21 | $17.87 | $21.09 | $37,160 |
| Ohio | $16.38 | $17.47 | $18.59 | $36,340 |
| Oklahoma | $14.33 | $16.76 | $17.49 | $34,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.80 | $17.86 | $20.67 | $37,140 |
| Rhode Island | $18.00 | $23.93 | $24.01 | $49,770 |
| South Dakota | $14.10 | $16.68 | $17.35 | $34,700 |
| Tennessee | $16.60 | $17.46 | $18.38 | $36,320 |
| Texas | $14.10 | $16.75 | $20.81 | $34,850 |
| Utah | $17.21 | $18.06 | $22.00 | $37,560 |
| Vermont | $17.15 | $17.93 | $18.87 | $37,290 |
| Virginia | $17.15 | $18.01 | $21.76 | $37,450 |
| West Virginia | $13.58 | $15.55 | $17.18 | $32,350 |
| Wisconsin | $17.00 | $17.71 | $18.57 | $36,850 |
| Wyoming | $14.93 | $18.21 | $18.54 | $37,880 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Separate assistance from clinical decisions
Describe the general procedure or care duty and the supervising role. Note when you requested help or reported an observed change. Distinguish your handling task from diagnosis, medication authorization or other decisions made by veterinary or research personnel.
Document preparation and cleanup
List setup, restraint assistance, monitoring and sanitation duties relevant to your schedule. Record interruptions or reassignment and compare them with your own time entry. Keep permitted training and assignment messages rather than relying on an animal’s treatment timestamps to calculate your workday.
Protect client and research information
Do not copy owner contact details, animal treatment histories, study protocols or restricted facility records. Identify record types and dates for review. Never handle an animal or repeat a procedure solely to gather employment evidence; retain your own report acknowledgment and feedback instead.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
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