SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1131.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $73,920 | $6,160 | $1,422 | $35.54 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $101,460 | $8,455 | $1,951 | $48.78 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $130,100 | $10,842 | $2,502 | $62.55 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $166,120 | $13,843 | $3,195 | $79.87 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $215,700 | $17,975 | $4,148 | $103.70 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Veterinarians is $130,100, which is 155% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 31 by median pay. With 83,900 jobs, it makes up about 5.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Veterinarians pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($163,920), Maryland ($163,170) and Washington ($160,510). The lowest was in South Dakota ($88,650), Puerto Rico ($89,810) and Wyoming ($97,240). The most jobs were in California (9,170), Texas (6,270) and Florida (5,360). The occupation is most concentrated in Montana, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 9,170 | $163,920 | $169,860 | $78.81 |
| Maryland | 1,430 | $163,170 | $163,830 | $78.45 |
| Washington | 2,390 | $160,510 | $163,010 | $77.17 |
| New Jersey | 1,910 | $160,140 | $166,170 | $76.99 |
| Arizona | 2,080 | $152,020 | $187,410 | $73.09 |
| Massachusetts | 1,920 | $140,260 | $157,520 | $67.43 |
| District of Columbia | 190 | $134,530 | $160,520 | $64.68 |
| Illinois | 2,330 | $133,580 | $153,810 | $64.22 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,490 | $133,520 | $154,440 | $64.19 |
| Minnesota | 2,140 | $133,110 | $146,230 | $64.00 |
| New York | 3,390 | $131,830 | $151,530 | $63.38 |
| Vermont | 280 | $131,820 | $145,030 | $63.38 |
| Florida | 5,360 | $131,660 | $139,760 | $63.30 |
| Texas | 6,270 | $131,330 | $138,150 | $63.14 |
| Colorado | 2,340 | $130,840 | $137,190 | $62.91 |
| Maine | 600 | $130,600 | $136,620 | $62.79 |
| Hawaii | 370 | $130,120 | $128,820 | $62.56 |
| New Mexico | 460 | $129,390 | $138,880 | $62.21 |
| North Carolina | 2,940 | $129,240 | $136,200 | $62.14 |
| West Virginia | 390 | $128,990 | $127,520 | $62.01 |
| Oregon | 1,660 | $128,880 | $133,560 | $61.96 |
| New Hampshire | 650 | $128,190 | $144,960 | $61.63 |
| Virginia | 2,700 | $126,730 | $143,080 | $60.93 |
| Georgia | 2,670 | $126,590 | $127,920 | $60.86 |
| Rhode Island | 430 | $126,570 | $133,850 | $60.85 |
| Connecticut | 950 | $126,190 | $139,290 | $60.67 |
| Nevada | 680 | $125,550 | $140,600 | $60.36 |
| Michigan | 2,030 | $125,390 | $128,100 | $60.28 |
| Ohio | 3,430 | $125,060 | $129,890 | $60.12 |
| Iowa | 1,000 | $124,610 | $122,200 | $59.91 |
| Indiana | 1,500 | $124,530 | $127,060 | $59.87 |
| Louisiana | 950 | $124,370 | $125,270 | $59.79 |
| Tennessee | 1,730 | $124,350 | $129,660 | $59.78 |
| Utah | 640 | $123,990 | $139,770 | $59.61 |
| South Carolina | 1,380 | $122,130 | $126,280 | $58.72 |
| Idaho | 540 | $116,170 | $118,000 | $55.85 |
| Missouri | 1,920 | $114,660 | $125,720 | $55.12 |
| Wisconsin | 1,830 | $108,780 | $118,890 | $52.30 |
| Arkansas | 540 | $107,710 | $108,100 | $51.79 |
| Kansas | 1,000 | $107,080 | $117,620 | $51.48 |
| Alabama | 1,020 | $105,630 | $120,170 | $50.79 |
| Mississippi | 480 | $105,370 | $114,370 | $50.66 |
| Kentucky | 1,190 | $104,100 | $112,730 | $50.05 |
| Nebraska | 780 | $103,500 | $123,810 | $49.76 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $102,180 | $108,300 | $49.13 |
| Montana | 510 | $99,390 | $112,730 | $47.78 |
| Oklahoma | 1,150 | $98,090 | $123,820 | $47.16 |
| Wyoming | 140 | $97,240 | $105,200 | $46.75 |
| Puerto Rico | 180 | $89,810 | $98,210 | $43.18 |
| South Dakota | 280 | $88,650 | $93,990 | $42.62 |
| Alaska | 160 | not published | not published | not published |
| Delaware | 230 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Physician Assistants$135,880 a year
- Nurse Midwives$134,040 a year
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300 a year
- Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other$115,210 a year
- Radiation Therapists$105,310 a year
- Physical Therapists$102,760 a year
Common questions
How much do Veterinarians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $130,100 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $73,920 and the highest-paid 10% more than $215,700.
How many people work as Veterinarians?
About 83,900 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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