Healthcare Practitioners

Veterinarians

SOC 29-1131

Diagnose and treat animals, from pets to livestock.

The job

Median pay

$130k

$101k to $166k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+9.4% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

Doctoral (DVM)

Our model

AI displacement risk

Very low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

32/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

27th pct

More exposed than 27% of occupations · modeled estimate · 54th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

78/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Naturopathic DoctorsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostCalifornia leads at $164k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Veterinarians and explore its neighbours See open jobsVeterinarians roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Veterinarians, who lean most on reading comprehension Real pay & reviewsWhat Veterinarians say they actually earn

Key skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Active Learning
Speaking
Science
Critical Thinking

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	9,170	0.5	0.9×	$164k
Texas	6,270	0.4	0.8×	$131k
Florida	5,360	0.5	1.0×	$132k
Pennsylvania	3,490	0.6	1.1×	$134k
Ohio	3,430	0.6	1.1×	$125k
New York	3,390	0.3	0.7×	$132k
North Carolina	2,940	0.6	1.1×	$129k
Virginia	2,700	0.7	1.2×	$127k
Georgia	2,670	0.5	1.0×	$127k
Washington	2,390	0.7	1.3×	$161k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Colorado	2,340	0.8	1.5×	$131k
Illinois	2,330	0.4	0.7×	$134k
Minnesota	2,140	0.7	1.3×	$133k
Arizona	2,080	0.6	1.2×	$152k
Michigan	2,030	0.5	0.8×	$125k
Massachusetts	1,920	0.5	1.0×	$140k
Missouri	1,920	0.7	1.2×	$115k
New Jersey	1,910	0.4	0.8×	$160k
Wisconsin	1,830	0.6	1.1×	$109k
Tennessee	1,730	0.5	1.0×	$124k
Oregon	1,660	0.8	1.6×	$129k
Indiana	1,500	0.5	0.9×	$125k
Maryland	1,430	0.5	1.0×	$163k
South Carolina	1,380	0.6	1.1×	$122k
Kentucky	1,190	0.6	1.1×	$104k
Oklahoma	1,150	0.7	1.3×	$98k
Alabama	1,020	0.5	0.9×	$106k
Iowa	1,000	0.6	1.2×	$125k
Kansas	1,000	0.7	1.3×	$107k
Connecticut	950	0.6	1.0×	$126k
Louisiana	950	0.5	0.9×	$124k
Nebraska	780	0.8	1.4×	$104k
Nevada	680	0.4	0.8×	$126k
New Hampshire	650	1.0	1.8×	$128k
Utah	640	0.4	0.7×	$124k
Maine	600	0.9	1.7×	$131k
Arkansas	540	0.4	0.8×	$108k
Idaho	540	0.6	1.2×	$116k
Montana	510	1.0	1.9×	$99k
Mississippi	480	0.4	0.8×	$105k
New Mexico	460	0.5	1.0×	$129k
Rhode Island	430	0.9	1.6×	$127k
West Virginia	390	0.6	1.0×	$129k
Hawaii	370	0.6	1.1×	$130k
South Dakota	280	0.6	1.1×	$89k
Vermont	280	0.9	1.7×	$132k
North Dakota	270	0.6	1.2×	$102k
Delaware	230	0.5	0.9×	$146k~
Washington DC	190	0.3	0.5×	$135k
Alaska	160	0.5	0.9×	$159k~
Wyoming	140	0.5	0.9×	$97k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ3,150 jobs · $156k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA2,740 jobs · $160k median
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD1,790 jobs · $140k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX1,760 jobs · $134k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,740 jobs · $154k median
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA1,610 jobs · $129k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,540 jobs · $139k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,530 jobs · $149k median

Where this ranks

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.