Veterinarians Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for veterinarians in the U.S. is $130,100 ($62.55 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $130,100
- Mean annual wage
- $142,680
- Median hourly wage
- $62.55
- Employment
- 83,900
83,900 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,920 | $35.54 |
| 25th percentile | $101,460 | $48.78 |
| Median (50th) | $130,100 | $62.55 |
| 75th percentile | $166,120 | $79.87 |
| 90th percentile | $215,700 | $103.70 |
Highest-paying states for veterinarians
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $163,920 | 9,170 |
| Maryland | $163,170 | 1,430 |
| Washington | $160,510 | 2,390 |
| New Jersey | $160,140 | 1,910 |
| Arizona | $152,020 | 2,080 |
| Massachusetts | $140,260 | 1,920 |
| District of Columbia | $134,530 | 190 |
| Illinois | $133,580 | 2,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,520 | 3,490 |
| Minnesota | $133,110 | 2,140 |
Lowest-paying states
- South Dakota: $88,650 median annual wage
- Wyoming: $97,240 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $98,090 median annual wage
- Montana: $99,390 median annual wage
- North Dakota: $102,180 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals.
- Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
- Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths.
- Inspect and test horses, sheep, poultry, or other animals to detect the presence of communicable diseases.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Master's degree | 3.1% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 96.9% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Registered Nurses$97,550
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400
- Pharmacy Technicians$45,750
- Physicians, All Other$265,930
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300
- Pharmacists$140,910
- Physical Therapists$102,760
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.