GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Best States to Be a Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary goes furthest in Rhode Island — a $49,770 BLS median worth $47,422 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 122.4).
Which US states are best for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers after cost of living and tax?
For a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Rhode Island #1: a $49,770 BLS median becomes $47,422 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 122.4). Louisiana ranks last ($33,944, index 87.6). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Rhode Island ranks #1 of 51 states for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers. Index 100 = the average state; 122.4 means pay goes 22.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedVeterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $49,770 | $1,266 | 102.3 | $47,422 | 122.4 |
| 2 | Maine | $45,510 | $1,471 | 97.0 | $45,378 | 117.1 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $45,280 | $1,623 | 98.6 | $44,268 | 114.2 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $49,080 | $1,845 | 109.9 | $42,980 | 110.9 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $46,670 | $2,114 | 105.8 | $42,131 | 108.7 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $37,160 | — | 89.0 | $41,772 | 107.8 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $44,250 | $1,066 | 103.6 | $41,679 | 107.5 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $46,160 | $1,003 | 108.8 | $41,503 | 107.1 |
| 9 | Washington | $44,150 | — | 107.0 | $41,257 | 106.4 |
| 10 | California | $46,260 | $872 | 110.7 | $40,994 | 105.8 |
| 11 | Maryland | $44,770 | $1,794 | 105.0 | $40,946 | 105.6 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $37,880 | — | 92.7 | $40,867 | 105.4 |
| 13 | Oregon | $44,370 | $3,078 | 103.4 | $39,949 | 103.1 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $37,500 | $693 | 92.2 | $39,916 | 103.0 |
| 15 | New York | $44,750 | $1,856 | 107.9 | $39,746 | 102.5 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $36,320 | — | 91.9 | $39,534 | 102.0 |
| 17 | Missouri | $36,660 | $842 | 90.8 | $39,440 | 101.8 |
| 18 | Montana | $38,340 | $1,124 | 94.6 | $39,322 | 101.5 |
| 19 | Iowa | $35,720 | $1,317 | 87.8 | $39,200 | 101.1 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $36,100 | $803 | 90.1 | $39,174 | 101.1 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $34,700 | — | 88.6 | $39,171 | 101.1 |
| 22 | Ohio | $36,340 | $217 | 92.8 | $38,937 | 100.5 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $36,980 | $685 | 93.7 | $38,715 | 99.9 |
| 24 | Alabama | $35,800 | $1,525 | 88.8 | $38,588 | 99.6 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $34,570 | $1,140 | 86.9 | $38,453 | 99.2 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $34,850 | $1,118 | 87.8 | $38,401 | 99.1 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $44,070 | $1,857 | 110.0 | $38,392 | 99.1 |
| 28 | Kansas | $35,680 | $1,192 | 90.1 | $38,292 | 98.8 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $36,850 | $862 | 94.1 | $38,247 | 98.7 |
| 30 | Idaho | $37,530 | $1,017 | 95.5 | $38,236 | 98.7 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $37,070 | $1,034 | 94.3 | $38,204 | 98.6 |
| 32 | Michigan | $37,960 | $1,367 | 96.2 | $38,032 | 98.1 |
| 33 | Indiana | $36,420 | $1,063 | 93.3 | $37,885 | 97.7 |
| 34 | Arizona | $38,250 | $481 | 100.7 | $37,515 | 96.8 |
| 35 | Vermont | $37,290 | $830 | 98.0 | $37,220 | 96.0 |
| 36 | Delaware | $38,610 | $1,466 | 99.8 | $37,215 | 96.0 |
| 37 | Nevada | $36,920 | — | 100.0 | $36,928 | 95.3 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $37,140 | $1,140 | 97.6 | $36,896 | 95.2 |
| 39 | Colorado | $38,900 | $1,052 | 103.1 | $36,727 | 94.8 |
| 40 | Florida | $37,830 | — | 103.4 | $36,581 | 94.4 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $34,140 | $1,235 | 90.2 | $36,497 | 94.2 |
| 42 | Utah | $37,560 | $1,709 | 98.9 | $36,263 | 93.6 |
| 43 | Texas | $34,850 | — | 97.1 | $35,907 | 92.6 |
| 44 | Georgia | $35,850 | $1,286 | 96.3 | $35,895 | 92.6 |
| 45 | Illinois | $37,480 | $1,714 | 100.0 | $35,781 | 92.3 |
| 46 | Virginia | $37,450 | $1,354 | 101.1 | $35,702 | 92.1 |
| 47 | Alaska | $36,490 | — | 102.4 | $35,649 | 92.0 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $36,910 | — | 104.2 | $35,434 | 91.4 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $32,350 | $844 | 89.5 | $35,203 | 90.8 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $30,360 | $531 | 87.0 | $34,305 | 88.5 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $30,480 | $539 | 88.2 | $33,944 | 87.6 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Rhode Island, a $49,770 salary is worth about $45,746 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,981 (≈ top marginal 5.99% (upper bound)) · take-home $46,789 · BEA cost of living 102.3 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $56,183, a $10,437 gain over Rhode Island.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $56,183 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $55,016 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $54,731 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $54,719 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $54,555 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $54,548 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $54,174 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $53,967 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $53,695 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $53,231 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $52,994 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $52,930 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Rhode Island is the best state for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers: a BLS median of $49,770 is worth $47,422 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,266) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.3), an index of 122.4 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Rhode Island has the highest headline BLS median for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers at $49,770, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 122.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 51 states for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers: a $30,480 BLS median is worth only $33,944 after tax and cost of living (index 87.6). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.