How to hire a laboratory animal technician

How to hire a laboratory animal technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step laboratory animal technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a laboratory animal technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new laboratory animal technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a laboratory animal technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The laboratory animal technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a laboratory animal technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a laboratory animal technician that fits the bill.

   This list presents laboratory animal technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Laboratory Animal Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Laboratory Animal Technician	Veterinary technologists and technicians perform medical tests under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian to assist in diagnosing the injuries and illnesses of animals.	$10-19
   Registered Veterinary Technician	Registered veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The technicians must control and prevent zoonotic diseases... Show more	$14-25
   Certified Veterinary Technician	A certified veterinary technician is in charge of performing laboratory tests, participating in medical procedures, and performing clerical support tasks at veterinary clinics, zoos, and private laboratories. Their responsibilities often include collecting information from pet owners, studying the patients' medical histories, gathering and analyzing samples from the patients through various laboratory procedures, operating equipment and machines, and monitoring the patients' conditions... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Animal Handling
   • Animal Husbandry
   • Research Animals
   • Cleanliness
   • Technical Procedures
   • Animal Species
   • Animal Facility
   • AALAS
   • Animal Cages
   • LAT
   • FDA
   • Husbandry Care
   • IACUC
   • Facility Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the crossing activities to meet the target number of F1 seed, including quality control and purity.
   • Conduct daily internal audits/inspections to ensure lab are in compliance with IACUC, GLP and FDA regulations.
   • Register animal lab technician and member of AALAS.
   • Maintain lab records in accordance to USDA standards.
   • Depend upon for movement of sows and gilts.
   • Perform husbandry duties for all species house according to ALLAC and USDA standards.

   More laboratory animal technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your laboratory animal technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A laboratory animal technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, laboratory animal technicians' average salary in arkansas is 41% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level laboratory animal technicians 45% less than senior-level laboratory animal technicians.
   • Certifications. A laboratory animal technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a laboratory animal technician's salary.

   Average laboratory animal technician salary

   $14.61hourly

   $30,382 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level laboratory animal technician salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average laboratory animal technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$36,382	$17
   2	Maryland	$33,104	$16
   3	Massachusetts	$33,001	$16
   4	Connecticut	$32,045	$15
   5	New York	$31,620	$15
   6	Nevada	$30,793	$15
   7	Oregon	$30,383	$15
   8	Pennsylvania	$29,343	$14
   9	Nebraska	$29,035	$14
   10	Minnesota	$28,529	$14
   11	West Virginia	$27,337	$13
   12	Ohio	$27,254	$13
   13	North Carolina	$27,187	$13
   14	Florida	$26,328	$13
   15	Michigan	$26,020	$13
   16	Indiana	$25,538	$12
   17	Tennessee	$24,700	$12
   18	Montana	$24,636	$12
   19	Texas	$24,312	$12
   20	Missouri	$23,630	$11

   Average laboratory animal technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$53,022	$25.49	1
   2	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$48,731	$23.43
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$43,260	$20.80
   4	Boehringer Ingelheim	$40,948	$19.69	10
   5	UC Santa Barbara	$39,850	$19.16
   6	University of California	$39,120	$18.81	31
   7	Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory	$38,564	$18.54	4
   8	Zoetis	$37,390	$17.98	13
   9	University of Southern California	$37,142	$17.86	27
   10	BASi	$36,045	$17.33
   11	Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute	$35,693	$17.16	2
   12	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$35,508	$17.07	510
   13	General Dynamics	$35,159	$16.90	1
   14	Oregon Health & Science University	$35,092	$16.87	11
   15	Alpha Consulting	$34,685	$16.68
   16	Mayo Clinic	$34,634	$16.65	118
   17	Baylor College of Medicine	$33,956	$16.32
   18	Dartmouth	$33,943	$16.32	4
   19	Charles River Center	$33,755	$16.23
   20	The City University of New York	$33,291	$16.01	12

4. Writing a laboratory animal technician job description

   A laboratory animal technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a laboratory animal technician job description:

   Laboratory animal technician job description example

   Job Title: Lab Animal Technician 1
   Location: Augusta University
   Regular/Temporary: Regular
   Full/Part Time: Full-Time
   * Job Summary This position requires manual labor in the care and feeding of laboratory animals. Work involves caring for laboratory animals in accordance with specific directions given by a supervisor. Duties include feeding and watering of animals, transferring animals from cages and cleaning the cages, rooms and adjacent areas. Duties also include assembly line cage washing and clean cage preparation. Work is performed under general supervision and is reviewed through observation of the animals and the cleanliness of cages, rooms and adjacent areas.Responsibilities Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

   • Feed and water all animals according to specified standards. Observe the animals and report any abnormal findings. If an expired animal is found, proper identification and storage/disposal is required. Change bedding and caging periodically in accordance with Federal Regulations to insure proper care of animals. Keep supply levels adequately maintained. Keep storage areas clean and organized. Load and unload supplies as required.
   • Routine cleaning and sanitization of feeding and water utensils and cages. Work in Cage wash as required. Disinfect animal areas at routine intervals.
   • Inspect and report any malfunctions of equipment such as thermostats, hygro-thermometers, lights, sanitation equipment, carts, etc. Notify Supervisor of any abnormalities in the physical environment of the animal facilities.
   • Participate in continuing education course of Laboratory Animal care.
   • Perform other related duties/tasks incidental to work described herein as required.

   Required Qualifications High school diploma, GED, or equivalent from a state or federal accrediting organization.Preferred Qualifications A degree from an accredited college or university, certification, training or experience in the field of Laboratory Animal Science or animal related field is desired.Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Ability to maintain confidentiality
   Willingness and ability to work with animals
   Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
   Proficient in Microsoft Office and other computer software/databases Shift/Salary/Benefits Shift: Days; Monday - FridaySalary to be commensurate with qualifications of selected candidate within the established range (generally minimum-midpoint) of the position Recruitment Period: Until FilledAugusta University offers a variety of benefits to full-time benefits-eligible employees and some of our half-time (or more) employees. Benefits that may be elected could include health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, Teachers Retirement System (or Optimal Requirement Retirement), as well as earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays. Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program. Consider applying with us today!Conditions of Employment All candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Augusta University.
   All employees are responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of sensitive [patient, student, employee, financial, business, etc.] information by exercising sound judgment and adhering to cybersecurity and privacy policies during the course of their employment and beyond.Other Information This position is also responsible for promoting a customer friendly environment and providing superior service to our patients, students, faculty, and employees. "Augusta University is a patient-and family-centered care institution, where employees partner everyday with patients and families for success." Augusta University is a tobacco free environment and the use of any tobacco products on any part of the campus, both inside and outside, is strictly prohibited.Equal Employment Opportunity Augusta University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right laboratory animal technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your laboratory animal technician job on Zippia to find and attract quality laboratory animal technician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit laboratory animal technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new laboratory animal technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect laboratory animal technician candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new laboratory animal technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a laboratory animal technician?