Veterinarians Salary
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 84K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$130,100
Median hourly
$63
Average annual
$142,680
Typical range
$73,920–$215,700
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Veterinarians is $130,100 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $63 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $73,920 and $215,700 a year. There are roughly 84K people employed as veterinarians in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Veterinarians.
- Hourly
- $62.55
- Daily
- $500
- Weekly
- $2,502
- Bi-weekly
- $5,004
- Monthly
- $10,842
- Annual
- $130,100
$130,100 a year is around the 50th percentile for Veterinarianss. The median is $130,100.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$163,920
- 2Maryland$163,170
- 3Washington$160,510
- 4New Jersey$160,140
- 5Arizona$152,020
- 6Massachusetts$140,260
- 7District of Columbia$134,530
- 8Illinois$133,580
- 9Pennsylvania$133,520
- 10Minnesota$133,110
- 11New York$131,830
- 12Vermont$131,820
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$208,080
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$192,160
- 3Napa, CA$172,600
- 4Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$165,260
- 5Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$164,820
- 6Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$164,620
- 7Barnstable Town, MA$164,060
- 8Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$163,810
- 9Amherst Town-Northampton, MA$163,630
- 10Kennewick-Richland, WA$163,520
- 11Salinas, CA$163,080
- 12Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$162,930
Related job titles
Employers advertise Veterinarians roles under these titles.
- Animal Anatomist
- Animal Chiropractor
- Animal Doctor
- Animal Pathologist
- Animal Physiologist
- Animal Surgeon
- Companion Animal Practitioner
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet)
- Equine Dentist
- Equine Vet (Equine Veterinarian)
- Horse Doctor
- Laboratory Veterinarian (Lab Vet)
- Large Animal Veterinarian (Large Animal Vet)
- Mixed Animal Veterinarian (Mixed Animal Vet)
- Poultry Veterinarian (Poultry Vet)
Related occupations
What a Veterinarians does
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
- Euthanize animals.
- Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals.
- Perform administrative or business management tasks, such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, budgeting, or maintaining business records.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Veterinarians make?
- The median annual wage for Veterinarians is $130,100 ($63 per hour). Pay ranges from about $73,920 at the 10th percentile to $215,700 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Veterinarians?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $142,680, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Veterinarianss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $163,920.
- Is Veterinarians a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 84K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Veterinarians do?
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.; Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.; Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans..