Veterinarian

Explore This Path

Passionate about animal health? Make a difference in their lives every day.
Ensure animal well-being and public health through expert care and research.
Unique chance to work with diverse species, from pets to exotic animals.

💰 Earn $105K-$179K

📚 Doctoral or Professional Degree

⏱️ 48 MONTH TRAINING

📈 19.1% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

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.

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.

Scoop

Minimum Education

Doctoral or Professional Degree

Career Prospects

Excellent (Increasing by 5% or more)

Training Time

Over 4 years

Job Openings

4,300 Annually

Median Earnings

$132,360 in California

$119,100 Nationally

$25K

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$250K

Real Talk Reel

Want to see what it's like to be a Veterinarian? We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life.

@dr.bozelkaervet

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Thinking and problem solving
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Learning
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Writing

You value 🙏

Accomplishing things
Having freedom
Receiving recognition

Deep Dive

Veterinarian

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years