Veterinarians: Job Description
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
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What Tasks Do Veterinarians Do?
Typical responsibilities of veterinarians include:
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
- Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective veterinarians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Veterinarians Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Animal Anatomist
- Animal Chiropractor
- Animal Doctor
- Animal Pathologist
- Animal Physiologist
- Animal Surgeon
- Companion Animal Practitioner
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Employment and Demand
There are about 2,809,076 veterinarians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +13.9% over the projection horizon.
Veterinarians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,196 |
| Hourly median | $25.58 |
| 10th percentile | $33,747 |
| 25th percentile | $43,471 |
| 75th percentile | $62,920 |
| 90th percentile | $72,645 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Veterinarians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $158,950 |
| Washington | $155,060 |
| District of Columbia | $153,200 |
| New Jersey | $148,550 |
| West Virginia | $134,290 |
| Vermont | $134,240 |
| Arizona | $132,810 |
| Massachusetts | $131,500 |
| New York | $131,330 |
| Florida | $131,170 |
| Connecticut | $130,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,510 |
| New Hampshire | $128,890 |
| Illinois | $128,290 |
| Rhode Island | $126,860 |
| South Carolina | $126,720 |
| New Mexico | $126,710 |
| Tennessee | $125,420 |
| Virginia | $124,110 |
| Maine | $124,070 |
| North Carolina | $123,430 |
| Ohio | $123,140 |
| Colorado | $122,980 |
| Utah | $121,850 |
| Nevada | $121,720 |
| Texas | $121,220 |
| Louisiana | $120,630 |
| Missouri | $119,640 |
| Indiana | $119,230 |
| Minnesota | $117,340 |
| Georgia | $115,220 |
| Michigan | $112,320 |
| Idaho | $106,080 |
| Wisconsin | $104,440 |
| Oregon | $102,910 |
| Hawaii | $102,730 |
| Kansas | $102,510 |
| Mississippi | $101,300 |
| Iowa | $100,910 |
| Arkansas | $100,820 |
| North Dakota | $99,490 |
| Kentucky | $98,210 |
| Alabama | $98,060 |
| Oklahoma | $96,360 |
| Wyoming | $95,400 |
| South Dakota | $89,970 |
| Nebraska | $83,710 |
| Montana | $82,340 |
| Puerto Rico | $76,190 |
Where Veterinarians Earn the Most
Earnings for veterinarians differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $145,978 | 16.5% | 1.01 |
| New England | $129,982 | 5.6% | 1.27 |
| Southeast | $120,956 | 26.2% | 1.07 |
| Southwest | $120,545 | 10.8% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $118,874 | 14.2% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $114,664 | 5.2% | 1.42 |
| Middle Atlantic | $113,410 | 12.1% | 0.83 |
| Plains States | $108,551 | 9.3% | 1.34 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $187,990 | 1,220 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $179,080 | 30 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $175,050 | 340 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $168,330 | 90 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | VT | $165,060 | 140 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $164,220 | 100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $163,380 | 210 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $162,040 | 270 |
Which Industries Hire Veterinarians
The bulk of veterinarians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 73,060 | $125,580 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2,300 | $124,840 |
| Educational Services | 1,160 | $133,790 |
| Retail Trade | 530 | $138,040 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 330 | $102,870 |
| Wholesale Trade | 320 | $172,130 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 180 | $110,190 |
| Manufacturing | 80 | $162,380 |
Veterinarians work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of veterinarians is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Veterinarians
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Dermatologists (Primary-Long)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Primary-Short)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians (Primary-Long)
- Neurologists (Supplemental)
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring veterinarians commonly pursue programs in:
21 programs across 1 majors
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
13 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1131.00 (Veterinarians).
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