Best Cities for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	Rhode IslandState	1.30	$49,770	$49,522	36%
2	MinnesotaState	1.21	$45,280	$46,204	34%
3	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.21	$45,910	$46,141	39%
4	MaineState	1.20	$45,510	$45,601	34%
5	District of ColumbiaState	1.13	$49,080	$42,940	51%
6	MassachusettsState	1.13	$46,670	$43,014	58%
7	OregonState	1.13	$44,370	$43,078	43%
8	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.12	$38,830	$42,577	38%
9	New JerseyState	1.11	$46,160	$42,426	47%
10	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.11	$45,690	$42,384	47%
11	CaliforniaState	1.10	$46,260	$41,789	59%
12	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.09	$44,110	$41,692	46%
13	AlabamaState	1.08	$35,800	$41,102	32%
14	ConnecticutState	1.08	$44,250	$41,125	43%
15	MichiganState	1.08	$37,960	$41,127	35%
16	MissouriState	1.08	$36,660	$41,377	34%
17	WashingtonState	1.08	$44,150	$41,146	52%
18	MarylandState	1.07	$44,770	$40,998	45%
19	New MexicoState	1.07	$37,500	$40,761	34%
20	WyomingState	1.07	$37,880	$40,731	31%
21	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.07	$49,210	$40,940	77%
22	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.06	$45,790	$40,344	67%
23	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.06	$37,600	$40,517	41%
24	ArkansasState	1.05	$34,570	$40,058	30%
25	HawaiiState	1.05	$44,070	$40,064	65%
26	IndianaState	1.05	$36,420	$40,243	35%
27	IowaState	1.05	$35,720	$40,045	32%
28	North DakotaState	1.05	$37,160	$40,130	32%
29	OhioState	1.05	$36,340	$40,199	35%
30	South CarolinaState	1.05	$36,980	$40,196	41%
31	WisconsinState	1.05	$36,850	$39,924	35%
32	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$37,280	$39,872	42%
33	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.05	$36,940	$39,935	38%
34	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.05	$45,640	$39,930	58%
35	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.05	$45,320	$40,177	53%
36	KansasState	1.04	$35,680	$39,644	35%
37	MontanaState	1.04	$38,340	$39,772	35%
38	New YorkState	1.04	$44,750	$39,778	50%
39	TennesseeState	1.04	$36,320	$39,694	41%
40	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.04	$46,070	$39,545	59%
41	NebraskaState	1.03	$36,100	$39,454	35%
42	North CarolinaState	1.03	$37,070	$39,269	42%
43	OklahomaState	1.03	$34,850	$39,379	33%
44	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$37,780	$39,436	48%
45	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.03	$37,790	$39,283	49%
46	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.03	$36,010	$39,141	43%
47	IdahoState	1.02	$37,530	$38,891	38%
48	GeorgiaState	1.01	$35,850	$38,383	47%
49	IllinoisState	1.01	$37,480	$38,480	42%
50	KentuckyState	1.01	$34,140	$38,576	34%
51	West VirginiaState	1.01	$32,350	$38,420	31%
52	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$39,840	$38,493	48%
53	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.01	$38,000	$38,579	54%
54	DelawareState	1.00	$38,610	$38,228	42%
55	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$37,140	$38,289	42%
56	South DakotaState	1.00	$34,700	$38,216	33%
57	ArizonaState	0.99	$38,250	$37,909	47%
58	FloridaState	0.98	$37,830	$37,271	55%
59	UtahState	0.98	$37,560	$37,485	48%
60	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.98	$36,110	$37,304	54%
61	ColoradoState	0.97	$38,900	$36,907	57%
62	NevadaState	0.97	$36,920	$36,846	47%
63	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.97	$36,040	$37,078	53%
64	TexasState	0.96	$34,850	$36,454	48%
65	VermontState	0.95	$37,290	$36,380	46%
66	VirginiaState	0.95	$37,450	$36,184	50%
67	MississippiState	0.94	$30,360	$35,802	35%
68	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.93	$38,340	$35,336	64%
69	AlaskaState	0.92	$36,490	$34,986	45%
70	New HampshireState	0.91	$36,910	$34,821	52%
71	LouisianaState	0.89	$30,480	$33,829	41%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).