Will AI replace Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 28 official task statements scored for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (United States, SOC 31-9096), 16% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 15 out of 100 (range 13–20, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

What should someone working in “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 16% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 84% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 28 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

US dataswitch to UK

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures, collecting laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine or feces and performing office reception duties. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: writing reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 16%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 84%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 15 out of 100 (13–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 28 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures, stays yours. The tools change, the responsibility doesn't.

Your week, as this page understands it

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists. The job title says “veterinary assistants” or “laboratory animal caretakers”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers is not one task. It is 28 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 16%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 84%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

5 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Performing office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers
This is reading one thing and writing another: office reception duties in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (60–68 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Booking appointments and handling front-desk queries is standard scheduling and information work software already does.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Recording information relating to animal genealogy
This is reading one thing and writing another: information in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Record information relating to animal genealogy, feeding schedules, appearance, behavior, or breeding.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recording pedigree, feeding, behavior and breeding details is structured record-keeping computers handle very well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties
This is reading one thing and writing another: reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reports, research notes and clerical work are written office tasks software produces to a high standard.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Performing accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services or maintaining inventories
This is reading one thing and writing another: duties in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Bookkeeping, billing and inventory are routine accounting tasks that software already completes end to end.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Placing orders to restock inventory of hospital or laboratory supplies
This is reading one thing and writing another: orders in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Place orders to restock inventory of hospital or laboratory supplies.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reordering against stock levels is routine purchasing work systems handle automatically, with occasional shelf checks.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

0 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Staying human

23 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures
This work happens in the physical world: animals during veterinary procedures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Restraining an animal for a procedure needs a person holding it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Cleaning and maintaining kennels, animal holding areas
This work happens in the physical world: kennels, animal holding areas, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning kennels and clinical areas is physical work around the practice.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assisting veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries
This work happens in the physical world: veterinarians, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Assisting with an examination is hands-on help at the table.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Performing routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests
This work happens in the physical world: routine laboratory tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running tests and taking x-rays means handling samples, equipment and the animal itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring animals recovering from surgery and notifying veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms
This work happens in the physical world: animals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spotting a worrying change after surgery means being with the animal and watching it closely.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 18 tasks

Educating or advising clients on animal health care
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles clients and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Educate or advise clients on animal health care, nutrition, or behavior problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 34 out of 100 (27–41 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Guidance on pet health, feeding and behavior is well-documented advice, though owners often prefer hearing it from a person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Filling medication prescriptions
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: medication prescriptions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Fill medication prescriptions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Working out the dose and label is computer work, but measuring and handing over medicine is done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Selling pet food or supplies to customers
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: pet food, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Sell pet food or supplies to customers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 12 out of 100 (5–19 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Product information is easy to look up, but selling over the counter means serving the customer in the store.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Examining animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: animals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Judging whether an animal looks unwell depends on being beside it and noticing how it moves and behaves.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Administering anesthetics during surgery and monitoring the effects on animals
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: anesthetics during surgery, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Supplemental
Source: “Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Giving anesthetic and watching its effects is hands-on clinical work during surgery.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Cleaning, maintaining and sterilizing instruments or equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: instruments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and sterilizing instruments is hands-on work in the practice.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Administering medication, immunizations or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: medication, immunizations or blood plasma, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Giving injections and medication is physical care delivered directly to the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing emergency first aid to sick or injured animals
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: emergency first aid, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Emergency first aid is immediate physical help given to the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Collecting laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine or feces, for testing
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: laboratory specimens, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Taking blood, urine or fecal samples means physically collecting them from the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Preparing surgical equipment and passing instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: surgical equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Preparing and passing surgical instruments means standing at the table during the operation.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Performing enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings or gavages
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings or gavages, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Enemas, catheters and feeding tubes are physical procedures done on the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Preparing feed for animals according to specific instructions
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: feed, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prepare feed for animals according to specific instructions, such as diet lists or schedules.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Measuring and preparing feed is hands-on work in the kitchen or kennel.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Exercising animals or providing them with companionship
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: animals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Exercise animals or provide them with companionship.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Exercising animals and keeping them company means physically being with them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Performing hygiene-related duties, such as clipping animals' claws or cleaning and polishing teeth
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: hygiene-related duties, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform hygiene-related duties, such as clipping animals' claws or cleaning and polishing teeth.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Clipping claws and cleaning teeth is close physical handling of the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Preparing examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: examination, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prepare examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Stocking and setting up treatment rooms is physical preparation of the space.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: assistance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Helping with euthanasia and handling remains is physical work carried out in the room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Dusting, spraying or bathe animals to control insect pests
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: bathe animals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Dust, spray, or bathe animals to control insect pests.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dusting, spraying or bathing animals for pests is hands-on treatment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Grooming, trimming or clip animals' coats
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: clip animals' coats, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Groom, trim, or clip animals' coats.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Grooming, trimming and clipping coats is physical work on the animal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $38,150a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 126,580in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: writing reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties and performing office reception duties. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where animals during veterinary procedures get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 16% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 0% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 84% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 28 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Writing reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether animals during veterinary procedures are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here

You did not come here for a career change and I am not selling you one. But one road out of here is worth knowing about, so here it is with the bill attached.

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal CaretakersVeterinary Technologists and Technicians
a year or morematched on shared tasks
You already clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment. In that job the same thing shows up as clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. Take both published task lists together and about 40% of the work in that job that the software is not taking is work you are doing today.
About 40% of it you could do on Monday. The rest is the price of the ticket.
The work the two jobs share
- You already do
  “Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.”
  They do
  “Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.”
- You already do
  “Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.”
  They do
  “Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.”
- You already do
  “Perform enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.”
  They do
  “Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.”
What you would not already have: Nothing in your task list touches “maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books”, “prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas” or “collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination”. That is the part you would be learning from scratch, and it is roughly the 60% of their durable work you do not already hold.
The honest bill
Pay: $47,380 against your $38,150 (OEWS May 2025 (both)).
- The licence gate: Default-closed. This release carries no licence-register snapshot, so I could not check whether that job is regulated, which means I have to assume it might be. Before you spend a penny, look it up on the US Labor Department’s licensed-occupations finder; the free routes below link straight to it. The route is banded a year or more because of that unknown, not in spite of it.
- The entry ticket: Typical entry-level education is published for only ten occupations in this release, and neither this job nor that one is among them. So I cannot tell you whether a qualification stands in the way. Treat that as an open question to settle before you commit, not as a green light.
- What the pay gap is telling you: $47,380 against your $38,150, 24.2% more (OEWS May 2025 (both)). A real difference, not a life-changing one. Take the move for the work, not the raise.
- What you live on meanwhile: Nobody is going to pay you to retrain. This is evenings and weekends alongside the job you already have, for a year or more, and if that is not possible right now then this route is not open right now, which is worth knowing before you start. The free American Job Center service listed below will talk training funding through with you before you pay anyone.
- Is the target job itself holding up: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians scores 14/100 on this site’s own exposure measure (minimal), with 11% of its tasks in the top band. Employment projections are not published for this occupation in this release, so this is the exposure leg of the check only. It passed, which is the only reason it is here.
How long: A year or more, part-time, alongside the job you have. That band is set by the unchecked licence question and by the 60% of their work you would be learning, not by any one course.
See what AI is doing to veterinary technologists and technicians

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Medical Assistants
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, and their equivalent is to operate x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests. Across both published task lists that is about 17% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 17% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Animal Caretakers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already prepare feed for animals according to specific instructions, and their equivalent is to feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. Across both published task lists that is about 17% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 17% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Animal Breeders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness…, and their equivalent is to examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury. Across both published task lists that is about 9% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 9% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 1,330 of those jobs against 126,580 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 1% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 16% of its task weight, across 28 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like holding or restraining animals during veterinary procedures arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

If you run a team doing this job

If you run a team doing this job, the conversation you owe them is the one on this page, and sooner than feels comfortable. Show them the ledger rather than a reassurance: the rows moving toward the software are writing reports, maintain research information or performing clerical duties, and the rows that are not are where you want your people visible. Ask each of them to do the this-week move and bring the list to your next one-to-one. It turns a rumour into a piece of work, and it tells you which parts of your team's week are actually at stake. And say the thing out loud that a team lead usually leaves unsaid: a shrinking team is your exposure too, so do the move yourself as well.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Veterinary nurses is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

Animal care services occupations n.e.c

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Veterinary nurses and Animal care services occupations n.e.c. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 16% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Nearby moves

The jobs above, as pages you can read the same way as this one. Your job shares its core work with these. That is what the match is, and it is all it is.

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians →About 40% of it you could do on Monday. The rest is the price of the ticket.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for veterinary assistants / laboratory animal caretakers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 28 official task statements scored for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (United States, SOC 31-9096), 16% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 15 out of 100 (range 13–20, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties” (93/100, very high); “Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories” (93/100, very high); “Record information relating to animal genealogy, feeding schedules, appearance, behavior, or breeding” (69/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers” stay human?: About 84% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Groom, trim, or clip animals' coats” (0/100, minimal); “Dust, spray, or bathe animals to control insect pests” (0/100, minimal); “Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 16% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 84% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 28 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-04.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.