Veterinarians

Veterinarians held about 58,000 jobs in 2002. About 28 percent were self-employed in solo or group practices. Most others were salaried employees of another veterinary practice. The Federal Government employed about 1,100 civilian veterinarians, chiefly in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Other employers of veterinarians are State and local governments, colleges of veterinary medicine, medical schools, research laboratories, animal food companies, and pharmaceutical companies. A few veterinarians work for zoos, but most veterinarians caring for zoo animals are private practitioners who contract with zoos to provide services, usually on a part-time basis.

In addition, many veterinarians hold veterinary faculty positions in colleges and universities. (See the statement on teachers—postsecondary elsewhere in the Handbook.)

Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $63,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $49,050 and $85,770. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $38,000, and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $123,370.

According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of 2002 veterinary medical college graduates varied by type of practice as follows:

The average annual salary for veterinarians in the Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $72,208 in 2003.

(from the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Veterinarians)

See more recent statistics for employed workers below.