Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 31-9096
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers AI displacement risk
Restraining animals, cleaning kennels, preparing surgical rooms, and assisting procedures is physical animal-handling work. Clinic software manages records; the animal in the exam room needs calm, skilled human hands.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
Pet-care demand keeps climbing and clinics cannot hire enough support staff. Nothing in this role's daily work — restraint, hygiene, patient comfort — is software-addressable; it is a common entry point into credentialed vet-tech careers.
Distribution
Where Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 14 — higher than 8% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
28 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 31-9096. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $38,150 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 31-9096.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
SOC 31-9096 places this role in the paper's all-other occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 14/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+1.1% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
+5.9% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
+33.6% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
The current evidence import matched 28 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks28
SOC31-9096
- Core task / ID 4312
Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- Core task / ID 4306
Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- Core task / ID 4314
Fill medication prescriptions.
- Core task / ID 4311
Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Core task / ID 4316
Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
- Core task / ID 4313
Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Restrain animals during procedures
Exposure 12, automation 3%, augmentation 22%.
O*NET evidence: Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures. (ID 4312)
Clean kennels and treatment areas
Exposure 16, automation 7%, augmentation 20%.
O*NET evidence: Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or an... (ID 4311)
Assist veterinarians with exams and surgery
Exposure 18, automation 6%, augmentation 34%.
O*NET evidence: Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes... (ID 4306)
Schedule appointments and record information
Exposure 50, automation 28%, augmentation 54%.
O*NET evidence: Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers. (ID 4327)
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Restrain animals during procedures123%22%
Clean kennels and treatment areas167%20%
Assist veterinarians with exams and surgery186%34%
Schedule appointments and record information5028%54%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
credentialed transition
LowVeterinary Technician
Training horizon: 18-24 months. Skill overlap 72. Wage preservation signal 124.
- Complete a vet-tech program
- Build clinical procedure skills
- Pass credentialing exams
role redesign
LowPractice Supervisor
Training horizon: 2-5 months. Skill overlap 62. Wage preservation signal 118.
- Manage support staff schedules
- Own supply and sanitation standards
- Track patient flow
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
18-24 months
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers to Veterinary Technician
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers into Veterinary Technician.
2-5 months
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers to Practice Supervisor
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers into Practice Supervisor.
What the AI risk score means for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
The displacement pressure score for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is 14. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Schedule appointments and record information carries 28% automation pressure, while Schedule appointments and record information carries 54% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $38,150 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Animal clinic support role with strong pet-care demand. Typical education: High school diploma plus on-the-job training.
Wage vulnerability is 72, while transition feasibility is 64. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Very low displacement pressure
- Clinic staffing demand is strong
- Physical animal care resists automation
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Animal handling
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Clinical support
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Safety procedures
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Customer service
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Veterinary Technician, such as complete a vet-tech program.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Veterinary Technician or Practice Supervisor and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Will AI replace Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?
Restraining animals, cleaning kennels, preparing surgical rooms, and assisting procedures is physical animal-handling work. Clinic software manages records; the animal in the exam room needs calm, skilled human hands. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers work are most exposed to AI?
Schedule appointments and record information and Clean kennels and treatment areas show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Schedule appointments and record information and Assist veterinarians with exams and surgery are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers learn next?
Start with Animal handling, Clinical support, Safety procedures. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Veterinary Technician and Practice Supervisor.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
International Labour Organization / 20 May 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational ExposureO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics