American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : Careers

If you are looking for an exciting new position, check our Positions Open Listings for current job listings. We also have some links you might find useful in your search for a new job.

New to the Field?
A career in laboratory animal science requires a person who enjoys working with animals and is genuinely concerned for their welfare. Animals must have care seven days a week, including weekends and holidays, so dependability and reliability are important.

Is a career in laboratory animal science for you? To find out, answer these questions:

If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, then laboratory animal science may be the field for you.

What is laboratory animal science?
Laboratory animal science is a field of science devoted to the production, care, and study of laboratory animals used in biomedical research and education. It is a large field comprised of professionals from many scientific and educational disciplines such as anatomy, animal science, comparative biology, engineering, environmental science, ethics, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, and toxicology. Professionals within this field have a deep sense of purpose and are dedicated to helping society and improving the lives of people and animals alike.

What types of jobs are available?
There are a variety of career opportunities within the field of laboratory animal science. There are positions for everyone-from those looking for an entry-level position requiring no college education to those with advanced college degrees. Some examples of positions you may find in this field are:

Cagewashers are responsible for cleaning and maintaining equipment necessary for the positive outcome of all research performed. Duties may include:

sanitizing and/or sterilizing animal caging and equipment
operating and maintaining washers and other sanitization and/or sterilization equipment
performing preventive maintenance and keeping service records on racks and caging equipment

Earnings: $17,000 - $28,000*

Laboratory Animal Technicians provide the daily care for the animals used in biomedical research. Duties may include:

caring for animals, including daily observation, feeding and watering, exercising, and providing environmental enrichment
maintaining clean animal quarters and equipment
assisting veterinary and research staff with animal procedures such as collection of biological samples and administration of medications and treatments
maintaining animal records
receiving and storing materials and supplies

Earnings: $18,000 - $38,000*

Animal Health Technicians provide support to the veterinary staff within a facility. Duties may include:

administering medications and treatments, collecting biological samples, performing diagnostic laboratory procedures, and taking radiographs
operating and maintaining anesthesia equipment, providing pre- and post-operative care of animals, and assisting in surgery
maintaining and storing medical and diagnostic supplies

Earnings: $28,000 - $39,000*

Facility Supervisors/Managers/Directors provide the day-to-day supervision and overall management of laboratory animal care personnel and the animal facility. Duties may include:

assuring standard operating procedures are current and accurate and that occupational safety procedures for animal care are followed
handling personnel actions such as hiring, promotion, and discipline
assuring overall facility compliance with federal, state, and local regulations

Earnings: Supervisors - $34,000 - $49,000*

Managers - $50,000 - $73,000*

Directors - $110,000 - $148,000*

Clinical Veterinarians provide the daily veterinary care for all research animals. Duties may include:

planning, conducting, and following up on research projects
developing, implementing, and controlling procedures related to acquisition, maintenance, quarantine, and disposition of all research animals
providing support to management and other divisions regarding animal health issues

Earnings: $74,000 - $106,000*

*Based on the 2002 AALAS Laboratory Animal Facility Compensation Survey. Salaries vary depending upon the job, education and training, level of experience, and geographical area of the country.

Not all of the jobs within laboratory animal science deal directly with animals. Many positions involve the manufacture and sale of products that are used in research facilities such as caging, animal feed and bedding, equipment, and enrichment products. People in these jobs may never come in direct contact with the animals, yet they play critical roles in the overall research process. Some of these job titles include:

Where can I find a job?
A very diverse group of employers await your application! Rewarding positions can be found with any of these potential employers:

Come join the thousands of professionals already in the field of laboratory animal science and help make a difference! Contact AALAS for more information on careers in the field of laboratory animal science.

Other Job Search Sites
As a courtesy to our members, we also offer the following links to other sources. (Links are arranged alphabetically.) Please realize that these are only a few of the job sites on the Internet; using various other search engines may produce many additional useful sites. AALAS cannot guarantee the availability of positions offered on other job search sites. These links may change or close at any time without notice. If you discover that any of these services is no longer available, please let us know so that we may update this page.