What Is The Average Veterinarian Salary?

The average salary for a veterinarian is around $ 100,000, but that number can vary based on location, type of practice, and more. Starting salaries for veterinarians can be much lower, which could be daunting after the eight years of school normally required for the position. Even so, becoming a veterinarian can be fulfilling and lucrative.

Read on to find out what factors affect veterinarians’ salaries and how you can decide whether this career choice is worthwhile.

How much do veterinarians earn?

In terms of salary, working as a vet is similar to any other industry. Depending on where you live, many years of professional experience and your own practice, you can earn more or less in this professional field. The industry in which you work as a veterinarian can also have a huge impact and whether you have a specialization.

Starting salary as a veterinarian

Industry experience inevitably plays a role in starting veterinary salaries. After all, more experience in any field usually means you can get higher wages and better performance.

Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that the bottom 10 percent of veterinarians make an average of $ 60,690. Meanwhile, the bottom 25 percent of earners report an average veterinarian salary of just $ 79,430.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) data shows similar trends, reporting that average veterinary graduate compensation in 2019 was $ 70,045 in its most recent report, up from $ 65,983 in 2018.

place

The place of residence also plays a major role in how much you can earn in this professional field, regardless of whether it is the starting salary as a veterinarian or the salary for experienced veterinarians.

As an example, the following states reported the highest average veterinary salaries in BLS data:

• New Jersey: $ 128,430.
• Maryland: $ 128,120.
• Washington, DC: $ 127,310.
• Rhode Island: $ 126,630.
• Oregon: $ 122,840.

In some metropolitan areas there are also significantly higher salaries for veterinarians. For example, veterinarians in the greater Houston, Texas area earn average wages of $ 169,220, and those in Bridgeport, Connecticut make $ 150,370. Other metropolitan areas with generous average salaries for veterinarians include:

• Akron, Ohio: $ 150,330.
• Ogden-Clearfield, Utah: $ 150,310.
• Modesto, California: $ 149,460.
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina: $ 148,900.
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Washington, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia: $ 146,900.
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida: $ 145,380.
• Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California: $ 145,140.
• Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas: $ 144,560.

Of course, you may earn less if you live in an area with low demand or a lower cost of living. For example, veterinarians who live in the greater College Station, Texas area earn an average salary of just $ 73,040, and veterinarians in Manhattan, Kansas, make just $ 61,520.

Type of practice

The type of practice you work in can also play a big role in how much you can make as a veterinarian, and this is true regardless of where you live. Figures from the BLS show the following average earnings for veterinarians in various settings nationwide:

• Colleges, Universities, and Vocational Schools: $ 89,900.
• State government, excluding schools and hospitals: $ 93,810.
• Animal Production Support Activities: USD 95,950.
• Federal Executive: $ 97,370.
• Other personal services: $ 99,860.
• Social advocacy organizations: $ 101,250.
• Employment Agency: $ 112,600.
• General Practice and Surgical Hospitals: $ 122,470.
• Management, Scientific, and Technical Advisory Services: $ 126,000.
• Specialty Hospitals: $ 154,310.

Is it worth becoming a vet?

While veterinary medicine can feel like a calling if you love animals, it’s still important to make sure that becoming a veterinarian is worthwhile. After all, veterinary degrees aren’t cheap, and you have to pay for that post-graduate education. You should pay special attention to the cost of veterinary training if you are dependent on student loans for graduation.

According to AVMA, the average debt of veterinary graduates is around $ 150,000 due to the high cost of the program. However, more and more graduates are entering this profession with a debt burden exceeding $ 400,000.

The problem can also get worse. AMVA figures show that 10.7 percent of 2019 graduates left school with more than $ 300,000 in student loan debt, compared with less than 1 percent prior to 2013.

If you spend eight years or more in college, you can also be absent from work, which means you may have to “catch up” as you hit financial milestones like paying off your student loan or buying a home.

Before jumping into veterinary medicine, it is important to understand the high cost of college education, as well as the opportunity costs associated with so many years of study. A high salary can help offset student loan payments, but it’s important that you love your job even with a potentially lower starting salary.

The bottom line

The salary range for veterinarians is wide, but it’s worth considering the profitability of a veterinary degree, as well as possible alternatives.

Loving animals is a good reason to consider veterinary school, but it’s not a good reason to borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars. Before you get a veterinarian loan, create a repayment plan and you will be better prepared to start your career.

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