Veterinary Assistant Salary in New York (2026)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinary assistant wages in New York vary by metro area, experience, and specialization. Below you will find detailed salary data and wage percentile breakdowns.

Veterinary-Assistant Salary in New York

Median Salary $44,750 $21.52/hr
Average Salary $43,880 $21.09/hr
State National Diff
Median Wage $44,750 $38,150 +17.3%
Mean Wage $43,880 $40,340 +8.8%

Salary Range

$36,450 10th pctl
$44,750 Median
$53,460 90th pctl
10th Percentile $36,450 $17.52/hr
25th Percentile $38,610 $18.56/hr
75th Percentile $46,560 $22.39/hr
90th Percentile $53,460 $25.70/hr

Employment & Outlook

Total Employed5,790
Jobs per 1,0000.6

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (31-9096) • BLS OEWS, May 2025 • bls.gov/oes

Veterinary Assistant Wages by Metro Area in New York

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Wages by Metro Area in New York

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers wages in New York vary by metro area.

Metro AreaEmploymentMedian Annual WageAvg. Annual WageEntry Level
(10th pctile)
Experienced
(90th pctile)
New York-Newark-Jersey City5,560$46,160$46,890$39,200$57,650
Buffalo-Cheektowaga420$38,050$39,660$34,600$45,850
Albany-Schenectady-Troy400$39,520$41,090$35,230$47,570
Rochester360$37,580$39,080$33,650$45,830
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh240$39,380$41,400$36,130$46,990
Syracuse220$39,020$41,690$34,660$51,240
Ithaca90$43,900$42,720$35,390$46,600
Kingston80$38,690$40,540$35,430$45,740
Utica-Rome70$36,250$37,960$33,280$45,170
Binghamton50$36,440$38,700$34,200$46,940
Glens Falls50$37,900$38,490$34,080$44,470

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Understanding Wage Percentiles

Wage percentiles show how veterinary assistant salaries are distributed across New York. The 10th percentile represents entry-level wages, while the 90th percentile reflects what experienced professionals earn. The median (50th percentile) is the midpoint where half of veterinary assistants earn more and half earn less.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reflect reported wages for New York. Actual earnings depend on employer, certifications, and years of experience.

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About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)