How much does a veterinarian make?

The median veterinarian salary in the United States is $130,100 per year ($62.55/hour). Salaries range from $73,920 (10th percentile) to $215,700 (90th percentile). There are 83,900 veterinarian jobs in the U.S. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.

Which state pays veterinarians the most?

The highest paying state for veterinarians is California at $163,920 median salary.

Is veterinarian a good career?

Veterinarian employment is projected to grow 9.6% from 2024 to 2034 (faster than average). There are approximately 3,000 job openings per year. Typical education required: Doctoral or professional degree.

What interview questions are asked for veterinarian roles?

Common veterinarian interview questions include: "Walk me through a treatment plan for a 10-year-old lab with a mammary mass.", "How do you handle a client who can't afford recommended treatment?", "Tell me about a euthanasia conversation.". Interview format at top employers ranges from behavioral panels (STAR method) to technical case rounds — for example Mars Veterinary Health (Banfield, VCA, BluePearl, Antech) typically uses 2-3 rounds.

What certifications should veterinarians get?

Top-ROI certifications for veterinarians: NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Exam) ($1,000 exam + prep.); Rotating internship (1 year post-DVM) ($30-50k salary during internship (below new-grad pay).); Board specialty residency (3-4 years) ($40-60k salary during residency.).

How do you negotiate a veterinarian salary?

Anchor on documented market data (BLS median $130,100, p75 $166,120), specific outcomes you've delivered, and the specific band for your years of experience. Given my [X years] + [specialty training / internship], I was expecting base of $[10-15% above], plus production percentage at [25-30%]. Also: sign-on of $[X], loan repayment support ($10-30k/year industry standard), CE...

Veterinarian Salary

Q: What is the career ladder for veterinarians?

The typical veterinarian career ladder: Associate Veterinarian (0-3 yrs) (0-3 yrs, $100-130k · Corporate $110-160k + $30-50k sign-on) → Established Associate / Medical Director (3-8 yrs, $120-170k · Corporate managers $150-200k) → Practice Owner (5+ yrs, $180-450k+ depending on practice size) → Specialist (Board Certified: Surgery, IM, Onc, Ophtho, Cardio, etc.) (8+ (3-4 year residency post-DVM) yrs, $220-450k+).

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Veterinarians

The median veterinarian salary in the United States is $130,100 per year ($62.55/hour). Salaries range from $73,920 at the entry level to $215,700+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 83,900 veterinarian jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 9.6% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asVeterinarianVetDVM

Median Salary

$130,100

per year

Hourly Rate

$62.55

per hour

Employment

83,900

jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile

$73,920

25th percentile

$101,460

Median

$130,100

75th percentile

$166,120

90th percentile

$215,700

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+9.6%

Faster than average

Annual Openings

3,000

jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Doctoral or professional degree

Veterinarian Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for veterinarians.

Veterinarians diagnose and treat animals across small animal (companion — dogs/cats, largest sector), large animal (livestock, equine), mixed practice, exotic/specialty, and research/pharma. DVM required (4 years post-bachelor's, ~$180k tuition). Corporate consolidation (Mars Veterinary Health, VCA, BluePearl) has changed the market — corporate practices offer higher entry pay + sign-on, but private practice ownership remains highest-ceiling. Vet compensation lags human medicine dramatically despite similar training.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Clinical medicine + surgery

Physical exam, diagnostics, medical treatment, common surgeries (spay/neuter, mass removal, dental).

Diagnostic imaging + labs

Radiography, ultrasound, CBC/chem interpretation. In-house lab + reference lab workflows.

Client communication + euthanasia

Explaining diagnoses + treatment costs + prognosis. Compassionate end-of-life conversations.

Financial + business awareness

Practice economics, treatment plan pricing, insurance dynamics. Especially for owners.

Pharmacology + anesthesia

Species-specific dosing, anesthesia monitoring, controlled substances.

Specialty referral network

Knowing when to refer to internal medicine, surgery, oncology, dermatology specialists.

Emotional resilience

High-suicide-risk profession. Compassion fatigue awareness. Boundaries + self-care.

How to Become a Veterinarian

1
Bachelor's + vet school prerequisites
Biology, chemistry, biochem, animal science. GPA 3.5+ competitive.
2
GRE + apply to vet schools (VMCAS)
~30 accredited US vet schools. Acceptance ~10-15%. Very competitive.
3
4-year DVM program
Cost $130-250k tuition. Clinical rotations senior year.
4
NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Exam)
National + state exams. Required for practice.
5
Optional 1-year internship or 3-4 year residency
Internship for competitive specialty entry. Residency for board specialty (surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, etc.).
6
First job: associate at private or corporate practice
Corporate = better pay + sign-on for new grads. Private = better mentorship. Both work.
7
Practice ownership or specialty at year 5-10
Specialty = residency + board cert = 40-100% higher earning ceiling.

Career Progression

Associate Veterinarian (0-3 yrs)

0-3 yrs$100-130k · Corporate $110-160k + $30-50k sign-on

•Full clinical caseload (14-25 appointments/day small animal)
•Common surgeries + dental procedures
•Refer complex cases to specialists

Next: Established DVM.

Established Associate / Medical Director

3-8 yrs$120-170k · Corporate managers $150-200k

•Higher-complexity cases
•Team leadership among associates
•Practice quality initiatives

Next: Owner or specialty.

Practice Owner

5+ yrs$180-450k+ depending on practice size

•Clinical + business ownership
•Staff of 6-20 (techs, assistants, admin)
•Corporate acquisition offers common — many owners sell to Mars/VCA

Specialist (Board Certified: Surgery, IM, Onc, Ophtho, Cardio, etc.)

8+ (3-4 year residency post-DVM) yrs$220-450k+

•Referral-based practice
•Highly complex cases
•Higher fees per case

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 10 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through a treatment plan for a 10-year-old lab with a mammary mass.technical

Physical exam + full history (spayed?, timing). Diagnostics: FNA cytology (benign vs suspicious), CBC/chem/urinalysis (surgical prep), 3-view chest rads (metastasis screen). Surgical planning: excision + margins, HP submission. Postop pain management + recheck. Discuss cost + prognosis with client. Screens for real clinical workflow.

Q2. How do you handle a client who can't afford recommended treatment?situational

Present tiered options: ideal, acceptable, minimum-necessary. Financing (CareCredit, ScratchPay). Never deliver substandard care but respect financial reality. Discuss quality-of-life outcomes honestly. Document informed decision. Continue relationship.

Q3. Tell me about a euthanasia conversation.behavioral

STAR. Real conversation — quality of life assessment tool, honest discussion of prognosis, respecting client's decision-making, technical + emotional handling of the procedure itself. Screens for compassion + professional depth.

Q4. Why vet med / why our practice?culture

Concrete. Vet med: personal story, not 'I love animals.' Practice: research their model, medicine level, culture, corporate vs private.

Q5. How do you handle compassion fatigue?behavioral

Real answer, no bravado. Boundaries — leave work at work when possible. Peer support networks. Not personalizing client emotional volatility. Professional counseling access. Sustainability signal — vet suicide rate is elevated.

Resume Template — Associate Veterinarian (0-3 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Associate Veterinarian (0-3 yrs)

▸Managed clinical caseload of 22-28 patients daily at general practice; performed 60+ surgical procedures/month.
▸Passed NAVLE with 88th-percentile score on first attempt.
▸Achieved 94% client satisfaction score across 800+ patient interactions in 12-month period.
▸Completed AAHA-accredited practice standards training within 90 days of hire.

What Gets You Rejected

✗Slow with common surgeries — production per hour matters.
✗Poor communication — clients drive practice success.
✗Overreferring — corporate + private both want in-house work.
✗No specialty interest or CE plan after year 2.
✗Emotional dysregulation in interview — vet med is emotionally intense.
✗Bad-mouthing previous employers.

Salary Negotiation Levers

✓Corporate sign-on bonus ($30-50k common for new grads).
✓Production percentage (20-25% at corporate, 25-30% at private).
✓Loan repayment support (vet school debt averages $180k).
✓Non-compete clause — negotiate reasonable geography + duration.
✓CE budget ($3-5k annually).
✓Malpractice + license + DEA fees covered.
✓Ownership path (buy-in structure + valuation methodology).

Veterinarian Resume Review — $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired veterinarians. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

✓ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
✓ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
✓ Missing skills / keywords flagged
✓ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
✓ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Veterinarian Career Kit — $19

✓ All 10 interview questions with expert answers
✓ 7 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
✓ Interview format intel for 5 top employers
✓ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
✓ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
✓ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
✓ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
✓ Detailed salary negotiation script
✓ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
✓ Downloadable PDF for offline access
✓ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews — real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

“The interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.”

— Anonymous, Financial Analyst

“Copy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.”

— Anonymous, Software Developer

“The 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

— Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Veterinarian Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$89K

$164K■ No data

Top Paying States

Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.

State	Median	vs. National	Employment
California	$163,920	+26.0%	9,170
Maryland	$163,170	+25.4%	1,430
Washington	$160,510	+23.4%	2,390
New Jersey	$160,140	+23.1%	1,910
Arizona	$152,020	+16.8%	2,080
Massachusetts	$140,260	+7.8%	1,920
District of Columbia	$134,530	+3.4%	190
Illinois	$133,580	+2.7%	2,330
Pennsylvania	$133,520	+2.6%	3,490
Minnesota	$133,110	+2.3%	2,140

Showing 1–10 of 49

Veterinarian Salary by Metro Area

Metro Area	Median	vs. National
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$208,080	+59.9%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$192,160	+47.7%
Napa, CA	$172,600	+32.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$165,260	+27.0%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$164,820	+26.7%
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$164,620	+26.5%
Barnstable Town, MA	$164,060	+26.1%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$163,810	+25.9%
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA	$163,630	+25.8%
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$163,520	+25.7%

Showing 1–10 of 284

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.

How does this compare to pro athletes?

A veterinarian earning $130,100/year would need 458 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 492 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.

See all sports & celebrity salaries →

📈 See how veterinarian salaries have changed over the past decade.

View Veterinarian salary trend (2011–2024) →