Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Salary
The median pay for a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in Santa Fe, NM is $39,500/year ($18.99/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.77), that's roughly $39,992 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,685/month, about 62.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Santa Fe?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Fe’s Regional Price Parity (98.77). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
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What this looks like in Santa Fe
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers pay in Santa Fe tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,685/month, which is 61.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in metros near Santa Fe, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $38K | $40K |
| Las Cruces | $36K | $40K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $39K | $37K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $36K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Fe, NM
Entry-level veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $50K | +30% | 380 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +29% | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +22% | 2,130 |
| California | $46K | +21% | 16,080 |
| New Jersey | $46K | +21% | 3,270 |
| Maine | $46K | +19% | 690 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +19% | 1,450 |
| Maryland | $45K | +17% | 2,220 |
| New York | $45K | +17% | 5,790 |
| Oregon | $44K | +16% | 3,170 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +16% | 1,390 |
| Washington | $44K | +16% | 4,380 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +16% | 570 |
| Colorado | $39K | +2% | 2,910 |
| Delaware | $39K | +1% | N/A |
| Montana | $38K | +0% | 550 |
| Arizona | $38K | +0% | 3,340 |
| Michigan | $38K | -0% | 4,420 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -1% | 150 |
| Florida | $38K | -1% | 6,790 |
| Utah | $38K | -2% | 580 |
| Idaho | $38K | -2% | 680 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -2% | 520 |
| Illinois | $37K | -2% | 3,270 |
| Virginia | $37K | -2% | 4,810 |
| Vermont | $37K | -2% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $37K | -3% | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -3% | 3,760 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -3% | 6,910 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -3% | 1,720 |
| Nevada | $37K | -3% | 1,380 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | -3% | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -3% | 2,200 |
| Missouri | $37K | -4% | 2,010 |
| Alaska | $36K | -4% | 130 |
| Indiana | $36K | -5% | 2,810 |
| Ohio | $36K | -5% | 4,640 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -5% | 3,530 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -5% | 900 |
| Georgia | $36K | -6% | 4,570 |
| Alabama | $36K | -6% | 1,240 |
| Iowa | $36K | -6% | 1,380 |
| Kansas | $36K | -6% | 1,570 |
| Texas | $35K | -9% | 8,440 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -9% | 1,740 |
| South Dakota | $35K | -9% | 250 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -9% | 1,460 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -11% | 1,840 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -15% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -20% | 1,230 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -20% | 560 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Fe?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 61.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,685/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers in Santa Fe?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,927/month. At HUD’s $1,685/month FMR, rent would take 87% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretaker a high-paying job in Santa Fe?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Santa Fe compare to the national average for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers?
Santa Fe pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers make in Santa Fe, NM?
The median is $39,500 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,120, and experienced veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers can clear $49,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Santa Fe?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,736/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,685/month, which eats 61.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary go in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe has a Regional Price Parity of 98.77 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers salary is worth about $39,992 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.