Updated October 9, 2026. Do not use the $93,830 veterinarian salary this page used to lead with. That number is from an older Bureau of Labor Statistics release. Later BLS occupational wage data put the median annual pay for veterinarians near $130,000.
The city and specialty tables that used to follow on this page were built from that older release. They are not 2026 local offers. A clinic’s posted salary, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, and the current OEWS table are the figures to use.
Veterinarians still need a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a license in the state where they practice. Pay is higher in some specialties and in some high-cost cities, and lower in mixed rural practice. The national median is the midpoint: half of veterinarians earn less.
The work includes exams, surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia. The last of those is part of the job, not a side note. Hours include emergencies at many clinics.