- Salary statistics
- Animal keepers, experimental animals salary
Animal keepers, experimental animals salary
Latest available salary statistics are for 2025. Compare average pay, salary range and related job listings.
26 000 - 32 000 SEK / month
Naturbruk
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Salary progression Animal keepers, experimental animals
What does a laboratory animal caretaker do? – Tasks and work environment
A laboratory animal caretaker specializing in research animals primarily works with caring for animals used in research and laboratory settings. Tasks include daily maintenance, feeding, monitoring health and behavior, and documentation. The caretaker is also responsible for ensuring the environment meets the animals’ needs and complies with animal welfare regulations. The work environment is usually indoors, in controlled, hygienic laboratory facilities, requiring high precision and responsibility.
Salary development over time
Over the past three years, salary development for laboratory animal caretakers has shown some fluctuations. In 2022, the average salary was 25,000 SEK, followed by a sharp increase to 26 300 SEK in 2023. Since then, the salary has decreased slightly to 30 000 SEK in 2024, which is about a 5 percent decrease from the previous year. These changes may be due to temporary shifts in demand, collective agreements, or overall labor market conditions. Despite these fluctuations, the salary remains stable compared to similar professions, and there is continued demand for staff in this field.
Laboratory animal caretaker salary – complete overview
- Average salary: 30 000 SEK/month
- Lowest salary: 25,100 SEK/month (female, high school education)
- Highest salary: 28,000 SEK/month (female, post-secondary education 3+ years)
- Hourly wage: 158 SEK/hour
- Gender differences: Women 30 000 SEK, men 27,500 SEK (highest), 25,400 SEK (lowest)
- Regional differences: Data unavailable
Education and qualifications
To work as a laboratory animal caretaker, a high school education with a focus on animals is generally required, often supplemented with post-secondary courses or training related to laboratory animals. Practical experience and specific certifications for working with research animals are highly valued. Employers also appreciate knowledge of ethics, animal protection legislation, and documentation.
- High school education: Agriculture program with animal specialization (3 years)
- Post-secondary education: Vocational college or university courses on laboratory animals (1–3 years)
- Certifications: Approved course in laboratory animal science according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture
- Practical experience: Strongly recommended, often a requirement for employment
- Prerequisites: Biology and animal knowledge at high school level
Many laboratory animal caretakers get the opportunity to work closely with researchers and participate in advanced scientific studies. This means the profession often provides insight into the latest research on animal health, ethics, and medical progress.
Common benefits and compensations
Laboratory animal caretakers are often offered collective agreement benefits such as occupational pension, wellness allowance, and opportunities for professional development. Other common compensations include overtime pay for working unsociable hours and sometimes extra vacation days, depending on the employer and employment type.
Competition and challenges
Competition for positions as a laboratory animal caretaker can vary depending on the region and the availability of research activities. Since the profession requires specialized knowledge of animal care and research ethics, it is important to stay updated on legislation and new research findings. An additional challenge is managing emotional aspects of the work, especially when it involves euthanasia or other ethically challenging situations. The ability to work carefully and follow protocols is crucial to ensure animal welfare and research quality.
Tips for those wanting to become a laboratory animal caretaker
To succeed as a laboratory animal caretaker, it is beneficial to have a genuine interest in animals and a high level of accuracy, since the work often requires following routines precisely to ensure animal welfare. A structured approach facilitates documentation and reporting, which are important in research settings. Good teamwork skills are essential as the work involves close contact with colleagues and researchers. Demonstrating responsibility and empathy towards animals helps in ethically challenging situations. It is also wise to pursue ongoing education and stay updated with new regulations and techniques. Flexibility and adaptability are appreciated, especially as tasks can vary between projects. Finally, high stress tolerance is an advantage, as the pace can sometimes be high and unexpected situations may arise.
Key facts about laboratory animal caretakers
- Education level: High school or post-secondary education with a focus on animals and research
- Typical work environment: Laboratory and research facilities
- Work arrangement: Usually full-time, sometimes shifts or irregular hours
- Demand: 360 available jobs within the profession (2024)
- Special skills: Ethics, animal protection legislation, documentation
Career paths and future prospects
After three to five years in the profession, a laboratory animal caretaker can advance to senior roles such as supervisor, laboratory manager, or specialized technician within research environments. There are also opportunities to further education, for example to become a laboratory technician or to take on responsibilities for training new employees. According to the Swedish Employment Service, demand for laboratory animal caretakers remains stable, with 360 job openings in 2024. The outlook indicates that the need will persist, especially in larger research centers and universities, where competence requirements are increasing in line with research developments.
Frequently asked questions about laboratory animal caretakers
- What is the salary of a laboratory animal caretaker?
- The average salary is 30 000 SEK per month, but varies depending on experience and education. - What education is required to become a laboratory animal caretaker?
- High school education with supplementary courses on research animals is most common; sometimes post-secondary education is required. - What is the work environment like for laboratory animal caretakers?
- Usually in laboratories or research facilities, with high demands on hygiene and animal welfare. - Are there gender differences in salary?
- The highest female salary is 28,000 SEK and the highest male salary is 27,500 SEK; the average for women is 30 000. - What are the future prospects for the profession?
- The demand remains stable with good employment opportunities, especially within research activities. - What personal qualities are important?
- Diligence, responsibility, empathy, and teamwork skills are key for success and job satisfaction. - What career options are available?
- Opportunities for supervisory roles, specialization, or further training as a laboratory technician after some years in the field.
Salary distributed by age and sector
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 23300 kr | 27500 kr | |
| 25-34 | 29600 kr | 30700 kr | |
| Snitt | 28500 kr | 30000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25200 kr | 26000 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 26700 kr | 27700 kr |
| 35-44 | 27300 kr | 27600 kr | |
| 45-54 | 29000 kr | 29600 kr | |
| 55-64 | 99% | 27200 kr | 28400 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26900 kr | 27700 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25200 kr | 26000 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 26700 kr | 27700 kr |
| 35-44 | 27300 kr | 27600 kr | |
| 45-54 | 29000 kr | 29600 kr | |
| 55-64 | 99% | 27200 kr | 28400 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26900 kr | 27700 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 22900 kr | 27900 kr | |
| Snitt | 29000 kr | 30600 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 22900 kr | 27900 kr | |
| Snitt | 29000 kr | 30600 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25300 kr | 25400 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 25300 kr | 25800 kr |
| 55-64 | 99% | 28200 kr | 28700 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26600 kr | 27000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25300 kr | 25400 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 25300 kr | 25800 kr |
| 55-64 | 99% | 28200 kr | 28700 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26600 kr | 27000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 23200 kr | 27600 kr | |
| 25-34 | 29700 kr | 30800 kr | |
| Snitt | 29400 kr | 31000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25200 kr | 26100 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 26800 kr | 27800 kr |
| 35-44 | 27300 kr | 27500 kr | |
| 45-54 | 29100 kr | 29700 kr | |
| 55-64 | 99% | 27000 kr | 28400 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26900 kr | 27700 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 103% | 25200 kr | 26100 kr |
| 25-34 | 108% | 26800 kr | 27800 kr |
| 35-44 | 27300 kr | 27500 kr | |
| 45-54 | 29100 kr | 29700 kr | |
| 55-64 | 99% | 27000 kr | 28400 kr |
| Snitt | 103% | 26900 kr | 27700 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 22800 kr | 27900 kr | |
| Snitt | 30200 kr | 32000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 22800 kr | 27900 kr | |
| Snitt | 30200 kr | 32000 kr |
About the data
All information displayed on this page is based on data from the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics (SCB), the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish employment agency. Learn more about our data and data sources here.
All figures are gross salaries, meaning salaries before tax. The average salary, or mean salary, is calculated by adding up the total salary for all individuals within the profession and dividing it by the number of individuals. For specific job categories, we have also considered various criteria such as experience and education.
Profession Animal keepers, experimental animals has the SSYK code 6129, which we use to match against the SCB database to obtain the latest salary statistics.
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