Veterinarians
Veterinarians earn an average annual salary of $172,853, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 10.7% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Veterinarians workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,510 Workforce in 2023
The Veterinarians workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Veterinarians.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$172,853 Average Wage
In 2023, Veterinarians earned an average of $172,853.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Veterinarians.
Salary distribution for Veterinarians.
Employment Growth Projections
3.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
40,913 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 20.8%
49,437 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 46.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Veterinarians.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Veterinarians and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Veterinarians employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Veterinarians.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Veterinarians.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Veterinarians.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,010 employees, $173,495 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Veterinarians.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,600 employees, $162,674 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,000 employees, $173,305 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 870 employees, $165,458 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 850 employees, $176,264 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 750 employees, $192,557 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 660 employees, $164,934 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 360 employees, $192,968 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 340 employees, $201,748 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 270 employees, $172,761 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 210 employees, $187,676 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Veterinarians.
Diversity
Demographic information on Veterinarians in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Veterinarians in 2023 was 8,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Veterinarians.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Veterinarians.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Veterinarians.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Veterinarians in 2023 were Business Administration, Biology, Chemistry.
Common majors for Veterinarians.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Veterinarians workers.
Education level distribution for Veterinarians.
Skills
Veterinarians need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Veterinarians.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Veterinarians.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Veterinarians include Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Veterinarians.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Veterinarians include Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Veterinarians.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Veterinarians.
Daily Activities
Veterinarians spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Veterinarians.
About
Veterinarians
The average yearly wage for Veterinarians was $172,853 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1131 - Veterinarians
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Veterinarians reports an average salary of $172,853, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.