Veterinarians: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $101,460–$166,120. 83,900 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
100% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $107,392.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 3,100 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 30% | Biology |
| Animal Sciences | 24% | Animal Sciences |
| Nursing | 3% | Nursing |
| Zoology | 3% | Zoology / Animal Biology |
| Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions | 2% | Dietetics · Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other |
| Psychology | 2% | Psychology |
| Health And Medical Preparatory Programs | 2% | Pre-Med / Pre-Health |
| Biochemical Sciences | 2% | Biochemistry |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 2% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Communication Disorders Sciences And Services | 2% | Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $163,920 |
| Maryland | $163,170 |
| Washington | $160,510 |
| New Jersey | $160,140 |
| Arizona | $152,020 |
| Massachusetts | $140,260 |
| District of Columbia | $134,530 |
| Illinois | $133,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,520 |
| Minnesota | $133,110 |
| New York | $131,830 |
| Vermont | $131,820 |
| Florida | $131,660 |
| Texas | $131,330 |
| Colorado | $130,840 |
| Maine | $130,600 |
| Hawaii | $130,120 |
| New Mexico | $129,390 |
| North Carolina | $129,240 |
| West Virginia | $128,990 |
| Oregon | $128,880 |
| New Hampshire | $128,190 |
| Virginia | $126,730 |
| Georgia | $126,590 |
| Rhode Island | $126,570 |
| Connecticut | $126,190 |
| Nevada | $125,550 |
| Michigan | $125,390 |
| Ohio | $125,060 |
| Iowa | $124,610 |
| Indiana | $124,530 |
| Louisiana | $124,370 |
| Tennessee | $124,350 |
| Utah | $123,990 |
| South Carolina | $122,130 |
| Idaho | $116,170 |
| Missouri | $114,660 |
| Wisconsin | $108,780 |
| Arkansas | $107,710 |
| Kansas | $107,080 |
| Alabama | $105,630 |
| Mississippi | $105,370 |
| Kentucky | $104,100 |
| Nebraska | $103,500 |
| North Dakota | $102,180 |
| Montana | $99,390 |
| Oklahoma | $98,090 |
| Wyoming | $97,240 |
| PR | $89,810 |
| South Dakota | $88,650 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$129,890
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$131,190
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$132,440
- Jacksonville$133,810
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$136,840
- Tallahassee$140,830
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$128,940
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$133,850
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$154,350
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$122,010
- Richmond$121,670
- Roanoke$121,940
- Charlottesville$127,460
- Kingsport-Bristol$105,090
- Lynchburg$107,870
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$105,300
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$160,080
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$208,080
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$159,750
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$165,260
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$160,860
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$192,160
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$158,810
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$158,770
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Science
Knowledge used
- Biology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Veterinarians: questions
How much do veterinarians make?
Veterinarians earn a U.S. median $130,100 a year; the middle half earn $101,460 to $166,120 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $107,392 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is veterinarians a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 9.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,100 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a veterinarian?
BLS lists the typical entry education as doctoral or professional degree. In O*NET's survey, 100% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (30%).
How much do veterinarians make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $131,660 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $130,100 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1131. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Veterinarians: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/veterinarians.