Prevailing Wage for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
The prevailing wage for Animal Care Provider positions is set by DOL across four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on where the worksite is located. Whether your offer is for an Animal Caregiver role at a veterinary clinic or a laboratory animal care position at a research institution, the level assigned to your petition determines the minimum a sponsor must pay.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Animal Care Providers with limited hands-on experience, typically performing routine tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and basic animal observation under close supervision. No specialized prior experience is expected at this tier.
Level 2 applies to qualified Animal Care Providers with some independent experience in animal handling, sample preparation, or post-operative care assistance. This is the most common filing level for sponsored Animal Care Provider positions across veterinary clinics and research facilities.
Level 3 reflects experienced Animal Caregivers who work with minimal supervision, may train junior staff, and handle more complex tasks such as medication administration, wound care, or laboratory sample processing with consistent proficiency.
Level 4 designates fully competent Animal Care Providers in senior or lead roles, exercising independent judgment across all core duties and often setting protocols or overseeing cage room operations in clinical or laboratory settings.
Prevailing Wage for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Animal Care Provider and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Distinguish clinic roles from lab animal roles
Veterinary clinic positions and laboratory animal caretaker roles share a SOC code but attract different wage levels. Lab animal facilities at research universities and pharmaceutical companies more often file at Level 2 or Level 3, reflecting biosafety and protocol responsibilities that push wages above the entry floor.
Watch for signing bonus exclusions on thin base offers
Some animal care employers supplement modest base salaries with signing bonuses or uniform stipends. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the guaranteed annual wage, so one-time bonuses and non-recurring payments cannot count toward meeting the floor on a sponsored petition.
Check the worksite city, not the employer headquarters
An animal hospital chain headquartered in a low-wage metro that places you at a San Jose or San Francisco clinic must use the worksite city wages on the LCA. The gap between Puerto Rico metros and California metros for this role is substantial, so confirming the LCA worksite address matters.
Find employers with Animal Caregiver sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Research institutions, veterinary hospital groups, and contract research organizations vary widely in H-1B sponsorship activity for animal care roles. Migrate Mate shows which employers have actually sponsored Animal Care Provider positions, so you can prioritize outreach to those with a documented sponsorship track record.
Jobs for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Animal Care ProviderPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 31-9096.00 alongside Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Animal Care Provider Prevailing Wage
Animal Care Provider Prevailing Wage
Animal Care Provider positions fall under SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Animal Caregiver Prevailing Wage
Animal Caregiver Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Animal Caregiver for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Avian Keeper Prevailing Wage
Avian Keeper Prevailing Wage
Avian Keeper is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Certified Veterinary Assistant Prevailing Wage
Certified Veterinary Assistant Prevailing Wage
Certified Veterinary Assistant positions fall under SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Emergency Veterinary Assistant Prevailing Wage
Emergency Veterinary Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Emergency Veterinary Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Inpatient Technician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Inpatient Technician Assistant Prevailing Wage
Inpatient Technician Assistant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Kennel Vet Assistant (Kennel Veterinary Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Kennel Vet Assistant (Kennel Veterinary Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Kennel Vet Assistant (Kennel Veterinary Assistant) positions fall under SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Research Animal Attendant Prevailing Wage
Research Animal Attendant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Research Animal Attendant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Small Animal Caretaker Prevailing Wage
Small Animal Caretaker Prevailing Wage
Small Animal Caretaker is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Veterinarian Assistant (Vet Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Veterinarian Assistant (Vet Assistant) Prevailing Wage
Veterinarian Assistant (Vet Assistant) positions fall under SOC 31-9096.00 (Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Animal Care Provider roles?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across geographic areas. For Animal Care Provider positions, OFLC matches the role to SOC 31-9096 and publishes four wage levels for each covered metro area. Employers filing an LCA must offer at least the level corresponding to the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify which applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing experience and independence. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 requires some independent proficiency; Level 3 covers experienced Animal Caregivers handling complex tasks with minimal oversight; Level 4 is for senior or lead roles. The level on your LCA should match the actual duties and experience requirements listed in the job description, not simply the title your employer uses.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Animal Caregiver role vary so much by city?
OFLC assigns wages based on regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metro reflects local labor market conditions. Dense employer markets with research hospitals, universities, and specialty veterinary practices, such as those in California or Massachusetts, survey higher wages than rural or lower-cost metros. The LCA must cite the actual worksite location, so the metro where you will physically work controls which wage floor applies, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if an employer's offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Animal Care Provider position?
An LCA listing a wage below the OFLC prevailing wage for the worksite and level will not pass DOL certification, blocking the H-1B or PERM process before it reaches USCIS. If an offer is already below the floor, the employer must either increase the base salary to meet the required level or reclassify the position at a lower level that matches the actual duties. Candidates should request a copy of the certified LCA to confirm the filed wage.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Animal Care Provider role at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 31-9096 for any covered metro area. Select the occupation, choose your worksite metro, and the tool returns all four wage levels DOL currently publishes. You can also cross-reference the O*NET occupation profile to confirm job zone and typical duties. Migrate Mate lists Animal Caregiver positions from employers with documented sponsorship history, making it straightforward to identify which companies have filed petitions for this role in specific cities.
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