A veterinarian cares for the health of animals. They hold the position of veterinary physician, and are often given the title of Dr. upon the completion of a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
They diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases and ailments of non-human animals.
As more and more people are taking extra special care of their pets, the demand for vets working in their private clinics is seen to rise in the next several years, making this career a lucrative profession for those who love animals.
A vet may work in a private clinic, in government, or work in the field to care for farm animals.
Veterinerian Salary
The average veterinarian salary differ per type of specialty. There are different types of vets – each with a different set of average salaries, with the hours worked per week contributing to the difference in wages.
A veterinarian’s starting salary also differs if the individual has some
previous work experience or not. The median wage for vets is
This median wage means about half of the country’s vets earns more or less this amount. The lower 10% of earners for vets earns an annual salary of $56,540 while the upper 10% earned $162,450 or more. For vets working in the federal government, their median wage is approx. $90,000.
A veterinarian’s annual salary depends on many factors, which includes the work environment. While other vets work regular day jobs, some of them work more than 50 hours a week, during holidays and weekends, and even on-call for emergency needs.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Delaware | 0.53 | $61.89 | $128,740 |
 | New Jersey | 0.36 | $57.81 | $120,240 |
 | Connecticut | 0.45 | $57.54 | $119,670 |
 | New York | 0.34 | $57.19 | $118,950 |
 | California | 0.40 | $56.83 | $118,210 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $66.94 | $139,230 | |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 0.04 | $60.05 | $124,890 |
| Employment Services | – | $58.45 | $121,570 |
| Spectator Sports | 0.04 | $49.00 | $101,920 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9.10 | $47.48 | $98,750 |
Veterinarian Job Description
What Do Veterinarians Do? Generally, a vet tests, diagnoses, treats, and prevents animal diseases and ailments. They care for the health of animals, and work to promote general public health of both animals and humans. They also provide advice to animal owners on how to care for their pets, give out prescription for medicines, advice other healthcare professionals, as well as to advise on the proper preventive care of common household pets.
Veterinarians either work in private clinics, in hospitals, work in laboratories for research, teach in colleges and universities, or work for the federal government. 74% of vets work in the veterinary services industry, while the rest work in academic institutions. 18% of vets in the US are self-employed.
Common duties of a veterinarian are examining an animal’s possible health problems, diagnosing, and creating plans for treatment. They also dress and treat wounds, perform surgical procedures, vaccinate against diseases, operate medical equipment such as x-ray machines, prescribe medicine, advice animal owners on general care and medical conditions, as well as to practice euthanasia on animals who have terminal medical conditions.
There are 5 types of veterinarian careers:
1. Companion Animal Veterinarians – These vets treat animals in private clinics or hospitals – testing, diagnosing, and treating common pet medical conditions. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 75% of vets in the US work in private clinic practice. These vets perform vaccinations, surgery, setting fractures, and general health care for pets.
2. Equine Veterinarians – These vets work primarily with horses. About 6% of the country’s vets in 2012 were Equine Veterinarians.
3. Food Animal Veterinarians – These vets care for the health of farm animals such as pigs, sheep, and cattle. About 8% of the country’s vets who had private practices treated food animals. They usually travel to and spend most of their time in farms and ranches to treat illnesses and injuries, as well as to test and vaccinate against diseases. They also provide recommendations and advice to farm animal owners regarding the housing, feeding, and general health practices of such animals.
4. Food Safety and Inspection Veterinarians – These vets inspect and test animal products, provide vaccines, enhance animal welfare, conduct research, and enforce government food safety regulations. They’re also the ones responsible for designing and implementing public health programs to prevent the transmission of animal diseases to other animals, as well as to humans.
5. Research Veterinarians – These vets don’t practice but are limited to doing research in laboratories and conducting clinical studies on human and animal health issues.
Job Outloook
There is a projected increase in the job opportunities for vets from 2016 to 2026.
The field with the most demand will be for companion animal veterinarians but employment will be very competitive. Fresh graduates of veterinary medicine will most likely apply for jobs in this field so those who have the right specialty and work experience will have the best career options.
Those who want to apply for veterinarian jobs in the fields of food animal, equine, and research are more likely to face less competition.
Veterinarian Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 0.496 | $36.13 | $75,160 |
 | Alaska | 0.527 | $45.40 | $94,440 |
 | Arizona | 0.544 | $38.69 | $80,480 |
 | Arkansas | 0.403 | $43.46 | $90,390 |
| California | 0.395 | $56.83 | $118,210 |
 | Colorado | 0.78 | $45.26 | $94,150 |
| Connecticut | 0.451 | $57.54 | $119,670 |
| Delaware | 0.531 | $61.89 | $128,740 |
 | Florida | 0.434 | $45.90 | $95,470 |
 | Georgia | 0.497 | $44.39 | $92,340 |
 | Hawaii | 0.29 | $55.69 | $115,840 |
 | Idaho | 0.803 | $39.27 | $81,690 |
 | Illinois | 0.435 | $42.52 | $88,440 |
 | Indiana | 0.429 | $42.84 | $89,100 |
 | Iowa | 0.723 | $45.85 | $95,360 |
 | Kansas | 0.565 | $35.26 | $73,340 |
 | Kentucky | 0.489 | $39.12 | $81,370 |
 | Louisiana | 0.368 | $37.33 | $77,640 |
 | Maine | 0.627 | $43.52 | $90,520 |
 | Maryland | 0.503 | $50.20 | $104,410 |
 | Massachusetts | 0.466 | $51.51 | $107,140 |
 | Michigan | 0.466 | $47.88 | $99,600 |
 | Minnesota | 0.478 | $40.30 | $83,820 |
 | Mississippi | 0.4 | $39.15 | $81,440 |
 | Missouri | 0.437 | $37.49 | $77,980 |
 | Montana | 0.75 | $34.08 | $70,880 |
 | Nebraska | 0.713 | $37.69 | $78,400 |
 | Nevada | 0.471 | $43.60 | $90,680 |
 | New Hampshire | 0.515 | $45.95 | $95,570 |
| New Jersey | 0.364 | $57.81 | $120,240 |
 | New Mexico | 0.465 | $39.22 | $81,570 |
| New York | 0.339 | $57.19 | $118,950 |
 | North Carolina | 0.611 | $44.29 | $92,120 |
 | North Dakota | 0.436 | $41.32 | $85,940 |
 | Ohio | 0.451 | $43.58 | $90,660 |
 | Oklahoma | 0.478 | $51.54 | $107,200 |
 | Oregon | 0.681 | $41.31 | $85,920 |
 | Pennsylvania | 0.48 | $55.79 | $116,040 |
 | Rhode Island | 0.444 | $55.19 | $114,790 |
 | South Carolina | 0.496 | $43.31 | $90,090 |
 | South Dakota | 0.527 | $41.98 | $87,310 |
 | Tennessee | 0.438 | $39.35 | $81,840 |
 | Texas | 0.363 | $50.78 | $105,620 |
 | Utah | 0.31 | $39.84 | $82,860 |
 | Vermont | 0.876 | $41.97 | $87,300 |
 | Virginia | 0.601 | $54.26 | $112,850 |
 | Washington | 0.527 | $41.65 | $86,630 |
 | West Virginia | 0.4 | $39.90 | $82,980 |
 | Wisconsin | 0.619 | $43.99 | $91,500 |
 | Wyoming | 0.675 | $44.22 | $91,980 |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara / Santa Maria / Goleta, – CA | – | $84.26 | $175,260 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 0.40 | $78.94 | $164,200 |
| San Francisco / San Mateo / Redwood City, – CA – Metropolitan Division | 0.31 | $75.45 | $156,930 |
| Honolulu, HI | 0.23 | $73.70 | $153,300 |
| Fort Worth / Arlington, – TX – Metropolitan Division | 0.48 | $72.98 | $151,790 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western – Central – North Carolina – nonmetropolitan area | 0.50 | $66.93 | $139,220 |
| Southwestern Virginia – nonmetropolitan area | – | $66.27 | $137,850 |
| Eastern Ohio – nonmetropolitan area | 0.73 | $60.21 | $125,240 |
| Sussex County, Delaware – nonmetropolitan area | 0.61 | $56.89 | $118,330 |
| South Georgia – nonmetropolitan area | 0.45 | $56.32 | $117,150 |
One Response
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