Occupation Profile

Veterinary Assistants/Laboratory Animal Caretakers

(SOC Code : 31-9096)

in California

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 post-operative 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. Exclude "Nonfarm Animal Caretakers" (39-2021).

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Short-term on-the-job training .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$13.09	$10.07	$12.11	$15.39

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	8,100	8,200	100	1.2	130

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Other Professional & Technical Services

22,725

80.1%

Colleges and Universities

1,979

6.3%

Scientific Research and Development Svc

5,742

5.0%

Social Advocacy Organizations

7,971

1.4%

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Data for Training Programs not available.

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.

Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.

Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.

Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.

Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.

Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries.

Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.

Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.

Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.

Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

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Data for Tasks not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

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