Veterinarians
SOC code 29-1131 · O*NET-SOC 29-1131.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Veterinarians pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$130,100
a year
Hourly
$62.55
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$142,680
$68.60 per hour
Middle 50%
$101,460 – $166,120
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$73,920 – $215,700
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
83,900
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $73,920
- $35.54/hr
- 25th percentile
- $101,460
- $48.78/hr
- Median percentile
- $130,100
- $62.55/hr
- 75th percentile
- $166,120
- $79.87/hr
- 90th percentile
- $215,700
- $103.70/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+10%
Growing much faster than average
86,400
jobs in 2024
94,700
projected for 2034
About 8,300 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does a veterinarian do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- 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.
- Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine.
How to become a veterinarian
Most people in this role hold doctoral degree — 79% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Doctoral Degree79%
- Post-Doctoral Training12%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.9%
Common questions
How much does a veterinarian earn?
The national median is $130,100 a year. The full range runs from $73,920 at the 10th percentile to $215,700 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a veterinarian without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is veterinarian in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 10% between 2024 and 2034 — growing much faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Science3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Writing3.5/5
Knowledge areas
- Biology4.7/5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.5/5
- English Language4.3/5
- Mathematics3.7/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
- Chemistry3.4/5
- Personnel and Human Resources3.3/5
Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Service Orientation.