Veterinarians — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$130,100
United States, 2025
Employment
83,900
United States, 2025
Typical education
Doctoral Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 29-1131.00
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- 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.
- Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$73,920
25th percentile
$101,460
75th percentile
$166,120
90th percentile
$215,700
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Science3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Writing3.5
- Service Orientation3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 | 4.9 | Not selected | 4.9 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Science | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.3 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Mathematics | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $265,930
Compare with VeterinariansHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $208,080 | 1,350 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $192,160 | 350 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $172,600 | 30 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $165,260 | 830 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $164,820 | 130 | 2025 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | $164,620 | 60 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $164,060 | 100 | 2025 |
| CA | $163,920 | 9,170 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $163,810 | 1,330 | 2025 |
| Amherst Town, MA | $163,630 | 60 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $163,520 | 60 | 2025 |
| MD | $163,170 | 1,430 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $163,080 | 120 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $162,930 | 700 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $162,160 | 120 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $161,060 | 1,480 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $160,860 | 660 | 2025 |
| WA | $160,510 | 2,390 | 2025 |
| Chico, CA | $160,180 | 60 | 2025 |
| NJ | $160,140 | 1,910 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Veterinarians to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.