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The national median salary for Veterinarians is $125,507 per year ($60.34/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $98,426 and $161,616 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $212,888 per year. There are approximately 80,630 veterinarians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+9.6%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
86K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
28% from new growth72% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 541900
72K
$125,560
Social Advocacy Organizations
NAICS 813300
1K
$124,290
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
1K
$126,610
Other Personal Services
NAICS 812900
1K
$126,800
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$108,240
Wage range across top 5 industries: $108,240 to $126,800 (17% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$33.82
$70,346
P25
$47.32
$98,426
P50MEDIAN
$60.34
$125,507
P75
$77.70
$161,616
P90
$102.35
$212,888
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average veterinarians salary?
The national median salary for Veterinarians is $125,507 per year ($60.34/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $98,426 and $161,616 annually.
How much do top-earning veterinarians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Veterinarians is $212,888 per year ($102.35/hr). The 75th percentile is $161,616 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for veterinarians?
Entry-level Veterinarians (10th percentile) earn approximately $70,346 per year ($33.82/hr). The 25th percentile is $98,426 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.