With a national median of $130,100 and +9.6% projected job growth through 2034, Veterinarian offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
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.
Also known as:
Veterinarian earn $130,100 nationally, well above the national median for college graduates. The middle 50% of earners fall between $101,460 and $166,120. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and location.
Well above average for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
O*NET data identifies 5 core activities and 5 measurable skills for Veterinarian roles. Use this section to judge whether the day-to-day reality aligns with what you actually want to spend time doing.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
The BLS projects +9.6% employment change for Veterinarian through 2034, well above the national average of +5%. About 3,000 openings per year keep the field accessible to new entrants.
Faster than average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2024.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024.
The five states below employ the most Veterinarian professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $130,100 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 8,510 | $158,950 | +22.2% |
| 2 | Texas | 5,940 | $121,220 | -6.8% |
| 3 | Florida | 5,480 | $131,170 | +0.8% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 3,220 | $129,510 | -0.5% |
| 5 | New York | 3,200 | $131,330 | +0.9% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
Most Veterinarian positions require a doctoral or professional degree to qualify. The 2 programs below are the most common academic pathways into this field, ranked by how many graduates they produce each year.
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veterinary Medicine | 3,555 | — | 35 |
| 2 | Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | 954 | $70,929 | 45 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 2 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | 90 | $14,741 | $80,838 |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 89 | $14,355 | $81,054 |
| 4 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | 88 | $15,678 | $82,860 |
| 5 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | 88 | $13,936 | $68,726 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | 88 | $14,091 | $78,466 |
Once you've sized up Veterinarian, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Veterinarian pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Veterinarian a compelling path. The 3 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
Only 95 of 385 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
