Occupation · SOC 29-1131
Veterinarians
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.
Median wage
$125,510
$70,350–$212,890
Projected growth
+9.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings
830
per year
Employed (US)
80,630
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
43 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionActive LearningScienceCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingSpeaking
Knowledge areas
BiologyMedicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageMathematics
Technology & tools
Document management softwareMedical softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software
Representative tasks
Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performiInoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Physical examination of animals — conduct systematic head-to-tail assessments under attending veterinarian supervision in a clinical practice setting.Diagnostic sample collection — gather blood, urine, feces, and tissue specimens following established protocols under direct oversight in a veterinary hospital.Diagnostic imaging equipment — operate radiographic and ultrasound units with guidance, producing basic images for attending veterinarian interpretation in a clinical environment.Routine vaccination administration — inoculate companion animals against rabies, distemper, and other core diseases according to established immunization schedules under supervision.Wound care and bandaging — dress and manage minor wounds following standard wound-care protocols in a supervised small-animal clinical setting.Medical record documentation — enter patient history, examination findings, and treatment notes into practice management software under mentorship in a veterinary clinic.Client communication — convey basic pet care, feeding, and sanitation guidance to animal owners under direction in an outpatient consultation environment.Pharmacological fundamentals — identify and prepare prescribed medications for common conditions under supervising veterinarian instruction in a clinical pharmacy setting.Zoonotic disease awareness — recognize and report potential zoonotic disease indicators to senior clinicians following public health reporting protocols in a clinical context.Laboratory result interpretation — review basic hematology and urinalysis results alongside a supervising veterinarian to support preliminary diagnoses in a hospital laboratory setting.
developing
Disease diagnosis — examine animals, synthesize clinical signs, and formulate differential diagnoses with limited oversight in a general veterinary practice.Surgical procedures — perform routine soft-tissue surgeries such as spays and neuters with reduced supervision, following standard aseptic technique in an operating theater.Vaccination program execution — design and administer species-appropriate inoculation schedules for individual patients and small herds in a mixed-practice environment.Diagnostic imaging interpretation — independently operate radiographic and ultrasound equipment and interpret resulting images to guide treatment decisions in an outpatient clinic.Pharmacotherapy management — prescribe, adjust, and monitor medication regimens for common medical conditions across multiple species in a routine clinical setting.Orthopedic injury management — evaluate and treat fractures by applying splints or performing bone-setting procedures under general clinical protocols in an emergency or referral context.Client bereavement and euthanasia counseling — guide pet owners through end-of-life discussions and euthanasia decisions with empathy and professional judgment in a companion-animal practice.Animal owner education — deliver clear, evidence-based advice on sanitation, nutrition, and preventive care to diverse clients during scheduled consultations in a clinical practice.Zoonotic disease education — prepare and present public health information about animal-to-human disease transmission risks to community groups or client audiences in outreach settings.Time and case management — prioritize and manage a caseload of multiple patients simultaneously, allocating resources effectively across a busy mixed-species practice day.
proficient
Complex case diagnosis — independently examine animals presenting with ambiguous or multi-system disorders, integrating clinical, laboratory, and imaging data to reach definitive diagnoses in an autonomous practice environment.Advanced surgical intervention — plan and perform complex orthopedic, soft-tissue, and emergency surgeries, managing intraoperative complications without referral in a full-service veterinary hospital.Herd and flock health management — develop comprehensive preventive health programs including vaccination, parasite control, and biosecurity protocols for large-animal operations in a production agriculture context.Specialized diagnostic imaging — conduct and interpret advanced radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations for atypical presentations, guiding non-routine treatment plans in a specialty or referral hospital.Critical care management — stabilize and treat critically ill or severely injured animals, making high-stakes clinical decisions autonomously in an intensive care unit setting.Pharmacovigilance and drug resistance — monitor patient responses to treatment, recognize adverse drug events, and adjust therapeutic strategies to combat resistance patterns across a diverse patient population.Zoonotic disease investigation — lead on-site investigation and management of potential zoonotic outbreaks, coordinating with public health agencies and advising clients in a community or agricultural setting.End-of-life and ethical decision-making — navigate ethically complex euthanasia, quality-of-life, and resource-allocation decisions with clients, applying bioethical frameworks in a professional clinical environment.Mentorship of clinical staff — guide veterinary students, interns, and technicians through diagnostic reasoning and procedural skill development within a teaching hospital or clinical rotation context.Evidence-based protocol development — review current literature and translate findings into updated clinical protocols for common and emerging conditions in an independent or group veterinary practice.
advanced
Clinical program leadership — design, implement, and continuously improve comprehensive veterinary service programs across multiple departments or practice locations within a large animal health organization.Organizational health policy — establish evidence-based standards of care, clinical governance frameworks, and quality-assurance systems that set practice-wide benchmarks across a veterinary health network.Strategic workforce development — recruit, mentor, and evaluate veterinary teams, building technical and professional competencies aligned with organizational growth in a multi-site or academic institution.Public health and One Health advocacy — lead initiatives connecting animal, human, and environmental health at regional or national levels, influencing policy through collaboration with government and research bodies.Research and innovation leadership — direct clinical or translational research programs, securing funding and translating outcomes into new diagnostic or therapeutic approaches for the veterinary profession.Zoonotic disease policy formulation — develop and communicate institutional or regional response frameworks for emerging zoonotic threats, coordinating multidisciplinary teams across public health and veterinary sectors.Advanced specialist education — design curricula, supervise residency programs, and set examination standards for specialist training in an accredited veterinary school or professional organization.Financial and operational stewardship — oversee budget planning, resource allocation, and technology investment decisions to ensure the sustainability and growth of a large veterinary enterprise.Industry and regulatory engagement — represent organizational or professional interests in standard-setting bodies, regulatory agencies, or veterinary associations to shape profession-wide policy and ethical guidelines.Executive client and stakeholder relations — cultivate and maintain high-level partnerships with agricultural producers, government agencies, pharmaceutical industry partners, and academic collaborators to advance the organization's mission and impact.
Also known as
62 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Mixed Animal Veterinarian (Mixed Animal Vet)Veterinary Radiologist (Vet Radiologist)Veterinary Pharmacologist (Vet Pharmacologist)Veterinary CardiologistAnimal SurgeonVeterinary EpidemiologistVeterinary Pathologist (Vet Pathologist)Veterinary Epidemiologist (Vet Epidemiologist)Wildlife Veterinarian (Wildlife Vet)Zoo Veterinarian (Zoo Vet)Veterinary PharmacologistVeterinary AnatomistVeterinary Anatomist (Vet Anatomist)Veterinary Meat-InspectorVeterinary PathologistVeterinary Surgical Specialist (Vet Surgical Specialist)Veterinary MicrobiologistTreatment CoordinatorEquine Vet (Equine Veterinarian)Technical Services Veterinarian (Technical Services Vet)Zoo VeterinarianVeterinary Virus-Serum InspectorEquine DentistVeterinary Microbiologist (Vet Microbiologist)Animal DoctorVeterinarianManaging VeterinarianVeterinary Livestock Inspector (Vet Livestock Inspector)Veterinary Virus Serum Inspector (Vet Virus Serum Inspector)Veterinary Physiologist (Vet Physiologist)Relief Veterinarian (Relief Vet)Veterinarian, Laboratory Animal CareSmall Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet)Animal AnatomistLarge Animal Veterinarian (Large Animal Vet)Veterinary Bacteriologist (Vet Bacteriologist)Professional Services Veterinarian (PSV)Veterinary Medicine Scientist (Vet Medicine Scientist)Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet)Poultry Veterinarian (Poultry Vet)