Veterinarians
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 called: Animal Anatomist, Animal Chiropractor, Animal Doctor, Animal Pathologist, Animal Physiologist, Animal Surgeon
Median pay
$130,100
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$73,920 – $215,700
People employed
83,900
Holland code
RIC
Realistic · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 3.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 4.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 5.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 6.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Veterinarians pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (48 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What veterinarians do
- 01Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- 02Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- 03Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- 04Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- 05Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- 06Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Speaking
- Science
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from veterinarians
- Medical Dosimetrists69% · +13%
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists68% · −21%
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary66% · −18%
- Biochemists and Biophysicists65% · −2%
- Geneticists64% · group pay
Majors that lead here
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences, General
- Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine
- Large Animal/Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine
- Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine
- Veterinary Anatomy
- Veterinary Infectious Diseases
- Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology
- Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology
- Veterinary Physiology
- Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health
- Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.