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Entry Level Animal Jobs in Cape Cod, MA (NOW HIRING)

Provides foundational support to the Chemistry team. Entry-level laboratory support role. No degree ... Support daily animal/organism care activities under direct supervision (feeding, watering ...

Provides foundational support to the Chemistry team. Entry-level laboratory support role. No degree ... Support daily animal/organism care activities under direct supervision (feeding, watering ...

Pharmacology Associate I

Cambridge, MA · On-site

$25 - $32.67/hr

Onsite - onsite Hours: 40.0 Overview Leading pharmaceutical company looking for an entry level ... Experience with animal handling and dosing techniques is a plus. * Bachelor's or Master's degree in ...

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Entry Level Animal information

See Cape Cod, MA salary details

$11

$17

$29

How much do entry level animal jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for entry level animal in Cape Cod, MA is $17.87, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.96 and $18.03 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an entry level animal?

An Entry Level Animal job typically involves working with animals in roles that require little to no prior experience. These jobs may include positions such as animal care technician, kennel assistant, or veterinary assistant. Responsibilities often include feeding, cleaning, monitoring animal health, and assisting with basic care. Many positions provide on-the-job training, making them a great starting point for those interested in animal-related careers.

What are some typical daily tasks for an entry level animal care technician?

Entry Level Animal Care Technicians are typically responsible for feeding and watering animals, cleaning enclosures, monitoring animal health, and assisting more experienced staff with treatments or medication. You may also be expected to keep detailed logs of animal behavior, report any health concerns, and help maintain a clean and safe environment. Most roles require collaboration with veterinarians, animal handlers, and other technicians. This hands-on work provides a solid foundation in animal husbandry and offers a gateway to more advanced positions within the animal care or veterinary field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the entry level animal position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Animal Care Technician, you need a basic understanding of animal handling, attention to detail, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with animal care protocols, record-keeping systems, and, in some settings, certification in animal care or laboratory safety, can be beneficial. Compassion, patience, and strong communication skills help you stand out when interacting with animals and supporting team members. These skills are critical for ensuring animals' well-being, maintaining safety standards, and working effectively as part of a care team.

How do I start to work with animals?

To start working with animals as an entry-level animal worker, gain experience through volunteering or internships at shelters, farms, or veterinary clinics. Developing skills in animal handling, basic care, and safety procedures, along with obtaining relevant certifications like pet first aid, can improve job prospects. Entry-level roles often require patience, physical stamina, and a genuine interest in animal welfare.

How to start a career with animals?

To start a career as an entry-level animal worker, gain relevant experience through volunteering or internships at shelters, farms, or veterinary clinics. Obtain basic certifications such as animal first aid or handling courses, and develop skills in animal care, patience, and communication. Entry-level positions often require a high school diploma and a genuine interest in working with animals.

What are the most commonly searched types of Animal jobs in Cape Cod, MA?

The most popular types of Animal jobs in Cape Cod, MA are:

What job categories do people searching Entry Level Animal jobs in Cape Cod, MA look for?

The top searched job categories for Entry Level Animal jobs in Cape Cod, MA are:

What cities near Cape Cod, MA are hiring for Entry Level Animal jobs?

Cities near Cape Cod, MA with the most Entry Level Animal job openings:

Infographic showing various Entry Level Animal job openings in Cape Cod, MA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $37,175 per year, or $17.9 per hour.

Animal Care Associate (EG)

Wilmington, MA


Charles River Laboratories, Inc.
Scientific Research and Development Services • 10K+ employees

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 94 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

24th of 86 rated pharmaceutical

People enjoy working here

Good employer

Respectful managers


$18/hr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago


Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

As an Animal Care Associate for our GEMS Breed Group in Wilmington, MA.  The GEMS Animal Care Associate will learn how and continue to maintain and monitor the health, production, and physical environment of client or Charles River Laboratories (CRL) animals housed at CRL facilities. These environments may include isolators or individual ventilated cages (IVC).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Perform entry-level husbandry tasks, including supplying food, bedding, water and environmental enrichment.
  • Maintain rat and mouse colonies, including setting up matings, weaning and sexing of offspring, genetic sampling of animals.
  • Handle rodents (mice and rats), including restraining of animals for collection of fecal pellets, ear/tail sampling as well as tagging animals for identification.
  • Observe animals for any abnormalities or common health issues.
  • Identify and select specific animals for customer shipments, genotyping, health monitoring, matings, transfers or other various tasks as needed.
  • Learn, understand, and comply with all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with direct supervision and instruction for most processes/tasks.
  • Learn and strictly follow all animal welfare standards and biosecurity procedures necessary to maintain isolator integrity and animal health status, including the proper sterilization and entry of supplies/animals into isolators.
  • Be detailed-oriented and enter accurate data entry into Internet Colony Management (ICM).
  • Ensure compliance with all local, state and federal laws governing the use of research animals.
  • Ability to prioritize and execute daily tasks with guidance from supervisor(s).
  • Perform general housekeeping and adhere to EHS, safety, and ergonomic procedures.
  • General computer skills and ability to quickly learn required computer programs, databases and other applications (i.e. ICM and Microsoft Office)
  • Be able to learn to identify issues and communicate to management and learn the importance of our CRL DNA and core values.
  • Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Role Specific Information: 

  • Location:  Wilmington, MA 
  • Schedule:  Monday - Friday - early shifts, no weekends required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience: Entry-level, no previous experience required.
  • Sufficient computer knowledge to use a tablet computer and communicate using Microsoft Applications.
  • The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
  • The ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Certification/Licensure: AALAS certification at the ALAT or above.

The hourly pay rate for this position is $18.00.  

About Research Models & Services
Fundamental to basic research and discovery is the use of in vivo models to help identify disease targets and determine potential biological pathways that regulate the condition.  As the world’s leader in the production and distribution of the highest quality research animal, with 1 out of 2 animal models produced for preclinical research globally, we understand the importance of this step. With seven decades of experience, our expertise is unmatched, allowing us to provide you with the perfect model, including disease-specific and preconditioned options, for basic research and beyond.


About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life.  Based on your position these may include:  bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.


Charles River logo

About Charles River

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients' clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market. With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client's unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people's lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of 86% of the drugs approved by the FDA in 2021.

Industry

Scientific research and development services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Wilmington, MA, US

Year founded

1947


What Charles River Laboratories employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

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