Occupations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Veterinarians
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 29-1131.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 94% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $154,350 | 2,930 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $138,430 | 2,470 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $134,430 | 2,070 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $133,340 | 1,660 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $123,400 | 1,600 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,920 | 1,530 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $132,790 | 1,510 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $127,150 | 1,440 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $124,660 | 1,410 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $124,630 | 1,320 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $131,790 | 1,260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $187,990 | 1,220 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Doctoral or professional degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine.
- Direct the overall operations of animal hospitals, clinics, or mobile services to farms.
- Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
- Euthanize animals.
- Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 3
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| animal hydrotherapist | 3255.1.1 | close |
| animal osteopath | 2269.1 | close |
| alternative animal therapist | 3240.1 | close |
| animal physiotherapist | 2264.2 | close |
| specialised veterinarian | 2250.5 | broader |
| official veterinarian | 2250.4 | broader |
| animal chiropractor | 2250.1 | broader |
| general veterinarian | 2250.3 | broader |
| animal massage therapist | 3255.1.2 | broader |
| animal therapist | 3255.1 | broader |
| aquatic animal health professional | 2250.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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