Veterinarians: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1131 · O*NET 29-1131.00
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.
Veterinarians fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Veterinarians earn a median salary of $125,510 per year, ranking in the top 6% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +9.6% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about veterinarians right now
Veterinarians diagnose, treat, and help prevent disease in animals, working in private practice, research, public health, food safety, and zoo or wildlife settings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment to grow 10 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 3,000 openings each year over the decade. The median annual wage was $125,510 in May 2024. Becoming a veterinarian requires a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) degree from an AVMA-accredited college, which is a four-year graduate program after a bachelor's degree. Admission is competitive and typically requires a strong science GPA, GRE scores at many programs, and documented clinical hours under a licensed vet. After graduation, candidates must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) and meet state licensing requirements, which often include a state law exam and continuing education. The trend driving demand is steady growth in pet-related spending, an aging pet population, and an expanding menu of advanced treatments such as oncology, cardiology, and orthopedic surgery that pet owners are increasingly willing to pay for. Telehealth visits, corporate-owned hospital groups, and a documented shortage of large-animal and rural veterinarians are also reshaping where new graduates work. Parents should know the path is rigorous and student-debt loads are notable, but teens who shadow at a clinic in high school, volunteer at shelters, and excel in biology and chemistry have a clear, if narrow, runway into a stable, well-paid profession.
What do veterinarians earn?
The median annual wage for veterinarians is $125,510. That puts veterinarians at #46 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $70,350 |
| 25th percentile | $98,420 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $125,510 |
| 75th percentile | $161,610 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $212,890 |
| Median hourly wage | $60.34/hr |
Is veterinarians a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for veterinarians is +9.6%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 86K positions in 2024 to 94K in 2034, a net change of 8K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.
What do veterinarians do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working veterinarians, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- 2.Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- 3.Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
- 4.Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- 5.Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- 6.Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- 7.Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
- 8.Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
Top skills for veterinarians
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become veterinarian?
Becoming a veterinarian typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Licensing requirements for veterinarians
Veterinarians are regulated at the state level in the United States. Practicing without a current license is not legal in most jurisdictions.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about veterinarians
What is the median salary for veterinarians?
The median annual salary for veterinarians is $125,510 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is veterinarians a growing career?
BLS projects +9.6% growth for veterinarians from 2024 through 2034, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.
What education does my child need to become veterinarian?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to veterinarians?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.