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Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

On-The-Job Responsibilities:

Education & Outlook

Statewide

Typical Degree: High school diploma or equivalent

Employed as of 2023: 988

2033 Projected Openings: 2,114

Entry Level Salary: $23,750

Median Salary: $32,590

Experienced Level Salary: $45,490

Numbers By Area*

Associated Local Workforce Area:

*values presented are at the Local Workforce Area level

Employed as of 2023:

2033 Projected Openings:

Entry Level Salary:

Median Salary:

Experienced Level Salary:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Biology

Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Skills

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.

Critical Thinking

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

Monitoring

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

Abilities

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Institutions With Associated Majors
Change View:

Morehead State University

Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant

Degrees Offered For This Major:
  • Associate
  • Bachelor
Cost
Cost of Attendance
$10,089
Graduation
Graduation Rate
47.5 %
Completion
Median Loan Debt
$22,250

Murray State University

Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant

Degrees Offered For This Major:
  • Bachelor
Cost
Cost of Attendance
$9,121
Graduation
Graduation Rate
59.0 %
Completion
Median Loan Debt
$20,500

Owensboro Community and Technical College

Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant

Degrees Offered For This Major:
  • Associate
Cost
Cost of Attendance
$4,627
Graduation
Graduation Rate
48.0 %
Completion
Median Loan Debt
$7,933
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This page includes information from the O*NET Career Exploration Tools by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY-ND 4.0 license.

This tool was built using publicly available data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.