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Veterinary and Vet Tech Careers
- Veterinarian
- Animal Welfare Veterinarian
- Aquatic Veterinarian
- Avian Veterinarian
- Bovine Veterinarian
- Clinical Pathology Vet Tech
- Clinical Practice Vet Tech
- Emergency & Critical Care Veterinarian
- Equine Veterinarian
- Equine Vet Tech
- Feline Veterinarian
- Internal Medicine Veterinarian
- Relief Veterinarian
- Small Animal Veterinarian
- Small Animal Veterinary Technician
- Large Animal Veterinarian
- Mixed Practice Veterinarian
- Track Veterinarian
- Veterinary Anesthesiologist
- Veterinary Dermatologist
- Veterinary Epidemiologist
- Veterinary Microbiologist
- Veterinary Nutritionist
- Veterinary Ophthalmologist
- Veterinary Pathologist
- Veterinary Radiologist
- Vet Tech Anesthetist
- Veterinary Surgeon
- Veterinary Surgical Tech
- Veterinary Theriogenologist
- Zoo Veterinarian
Animal Health Careers
- Animal Assisted Therapist
- Animal Chiropractor
- Animal Geneticist
- Animal Health Inspector
- Artificial Insemination Technician
- Canine Rehabilitation Therapist
- Veterinary Pharmacist
- Veterinary Practice Manager
- Veterinary Receptionist
Different Types of Veterinarian Positions
It might have been a beloved childhood dog or cat that first sparked your interest in veterinary medicine. Or maybe you were fascinated by something smaller. Even if it wasn’t a domestic animal that first drew your interest, you might have a tendency to picture your future self as a veterinarian caring for pets.
While there are certainly many vet school grads who pursue a career working with companion animals, there are other types of veterinarians out there. Some are involved in teaching and research. Others work to keep our food system safe.
You can easily spend hours scouring the web to learn more about different career options for veterinarians, so we’re here to lighten your workload. We’ve highlighted some of the major types of veterinary positions you should know about.
Familiarize yourself with each of these opportunities to start gaining a better understanding of which veterinary career could be right for you.
5 TYPES OF VETERINARIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
This is not an exhaustive list of career options, but it should give you a good idea of some potential paths you could take as a veterinarian. Unless otherwise noted, all salary information is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But keep in mind that factors like experience level, geographic location, and work setting can all affect earning potential.
1. COMPANION-ANIMAL VETERINARIANS
While they’re just one segment of the veterinarian population, those who work with companion animals are the largest group. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports about 75 percent of all veterinarians in private practice work mostly or exclusively with companion animals.
Veterinarians who work with pets are sort of like primary care physicians who work with humans. Their day-to-day tasks can vary significantly depending on the patient. A companion-animal veterinarian may treat wounds, diagnose illnesses, perform surgery, administer vaccines, and prescribe medications. They also euthanize animals nearing the end of their lives.
Small-animal practitioners can even work with pets in need of homes at animal shelters, which is a relatively new branch of medicine. While the most recent median salary estimate for veterinarians is $90,420, companion-animal practitioners have historically exceeded this figure.
2. VETERINARY SPECIALISTS
Just like doctors who work with people, veterinary physicians can pursue countless specialties. Some career options are anesthesiology, dentistry, pathology, and surgery. Veterinarians can also opt to specialize in a particular species or group of animals like cats, dogs, poultry, or wildlife.
Veterinarians refer their patients to specialists when a particular type of equipment or expertise is required. Because each role calls for different skill sets, daily duties will vary substantially across specialties. A veterinary pathologist, for example, may examine tissue samples, perform biopsies, and assist with drug development.
Salaries for different specialties can vary just as much as the duties performed. Specialists go through additional training to gain the knowledge and skills that set them apart, so they typically fall on the higher end of the salary spectrum.
3. FOOD-ANIMAL VETERINARIANS
Most people who purchase a package of ground beef from the grocery store don’t spend much time thinking about whether the meat is safe to eat or what type of life the animal led. Food animal veterinarians, on the other hand, address these issues every day by working with animals raised for human consumption.
These types of vets diagnose and treat illnesses, provide preventive care, maintain sanitary conditions, and more. Food-animal veterinarians primarily work on ranches and farms. They typically spend a fair amount of time traveling.
Though the BLS does not feature specific salary information for food-animal veterinarians, the AVMA has compiled data in past reports. In 2011, the median income for these types of veterinarians was $100,000.
4. FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION VETERINARIANS
While both food-animal veterinarians and food-safety veterinarians play a role in keeping edible products safe, they’re not necessarily the same. The latter often work for the US Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, or the US Food and Drug Administration to help enforce regulations.
These types of veterinarians may inspect livestock and animal products like eggs, dairy, and meat to ensure they meet sanitation standards. In some cases, they might need to quarantine infected animals to prevent illness from spreading to other animals and humans. Still others are involved in testing the safety of medications and additives. As you can see, these veterinarians do a lot to improve public health.
You can gain an understanding of a typical salary for food safety and inspection veterinarians by examining wage estimates for veterinarians who are employed by the government. The median salary for veterinarians who work for the government is $89,010.
5. RESEARCH VETERINARIANS
While every veterinarian needs to have strong scientific knowledge, it’s even more important for those devoted to research. Veterinarians who conduct research may find themselves working for government organizations, biomedical research firms, or universities. Vets who work at education institutions are often faculty members who teach veterinary students.
Veterinarians employed by schools and government agencies may review past findings and techniques to work toward better methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing health conditions. Those who work with biomedical or pharmaceutical firms develop and test drugs and other biomedical products.
Research positions can be among the most lucrative veterinary roles since they often require specialized education beyond a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree. Like the specialists we mentioned above, research veterinarians can expect their income to be higher on the salary spectrum.
Veterinary Careers and Salaries
Top 10 highest paid veterinarian careers
Here is a list of 10 careers in the veterinary field with the highest salaries. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the salary link by each job title below:
1. Zoo veterinarian
National average salary: $59,986 per year
Primary duties: Zoo veterinarians provide care for exotic animals and wildlife living in zoos and sanctuaries. These veterinary physicians examine animals, administer medication, rehabilitate animals and perform surgeries.
2. Veterinary practice manager
National average salary: $63,832 per year
Primary duties: Veterinary practice managers provide a veterinary office or facility with business management services. They oversee operations and organize various elements of the facility, including payroll, scheduling and office maintenance. These professionals do not work directly with servicing animals. Instead, they support the environment for that to happen.
3. Veterinary hospital manager
National average salary: $64,738 per year
Primary duties: A veterinary hospital manager makes sure that the business elements of an animal hospital run smoothly. This person does not provide animal care, but the work they do supports the systems and people who provide care for animals. A veterinary hospital manager hires and trains staff, balances budgets and expenditures, manages software and programs and completes inventory orders.
4. Public health veterinarian
National average salary: $67,343 per year for similar positions
Primary duties: Public health veterinarians consult with veterinarian physicians at both state and local levels. Their primary job function is to keep the human and animal populations safe from exposure to interspecies infectious diseases.
5. Regulatory medicine veterinarian
National average salary: $83,781 per year
Primary duties: Regulatory medicine veterinarians do not work with living animals. They conduct regulatory testing and inspections of animal meat intended for human consumption. The tests check for livestock diseases and disease causing pathogens. These professionals also complete and deliver safety reports.
6. Small animal veterinarian
National average salary: $100,708 per year
Primary duties: Small animal veterinarians provide care for small animals and house pets. These veterinary physicians work in clinics, veterinary offices and veterinary hospitals—they examine pets and administer medication, create rehabilitation plans and perform surgeries.
Read more: How To Become a Veterinarian
7. Military veterinarian
National average salary: $103,090 per year
Primary duties: Military veterinarians provide healthcare for military dogs and animals in conflicts zones. They offer aid and veterinary care in underdeveloped areas, and conduct animal research on behalf of the United States military.
8. Veterinary research scientist
National average salary: $111,691 per year
Primary duties: Veterinary research scientists design and conduct studies involving animals. They offer animal subjects basic care while performing their research. These scientists hypothesize outcomes, collect data, analyze results and publish their findings.
9. Professor of veterinary medicine
National average salary: $166,350 per year according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Primary duties: Professors of veterinary medicine work in universities and colleges delivering academic information to students of veterinary sciences. They teach, give lectures and supervise students in clinical training settings. These veterinary physicians offer crucial advice and mentorship to those studying to work in the animal healthcare industry.
10. Board certified veterinary surgery specialist
National average salary: $266,908 per year
Primary duties: Board certified veterinary surgeons are specialists who perform surgeries that require specialization beyond a licensed veterinarian. Beyond surgery, they diagnose illnesses, create treatment plans and develop rehabilitation programs.
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