Employment Statistics and Major Employers of Veterinarians

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 60,000 veterinarians were employed in the United States in 1992. Of these professionals, more than 80 percent were in private practice as either large or small animal specialists. About 3,000 veterinarians worked for the federal government, and several hundred more were employed with state governments during this same time period. Others involved in applied research worked for pharmaceutical companies, medical research laboratories, food manufacturers, public health agencies, and international health agencies. A small number are employed as professors at colleges and universities around the country.

The employment outlook for veterinarians is generally quite good. While there has been a large increase in the number of students enrolling in veterinary schools there has also been a corresponding increase in the demand for animal health care. Thus the supply of veterinarians is currently in stride with the demand. The employment outlook for veterinarians specializing in animal research is even better. The trend in the agricultural sciences toward high technology and biomedical research has put laboratory research specialists in high demand. Those with an advanced academic degree and postgraduate research experience have the brightest job projects.

Salary Statistics



Veterinarians spend a substantial amount of money on veterinary school, but unlike their physician counterparts, they rarely earn in the six-figure range.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, entry-level veterinarians entering a private practice earned between $24,000 and $30,000 per year, and those with an established practice may earn from $40,000 to $75,000 per year. In the federal government, veterinarians start at either $27,789 (GS-9), or $33,623 (GS-11), depending upon experience. According to the American Association of University Professors, the average salary for an assistant professor in the health sciences was $46,149, and $73,058 for a full professor.

Educational Requirements

In order to become a veterinarian, students must complete the requirements for the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM or VMD). To receive this degree students need first to complete a four-year bachelor's degree that includes the preparatory courses to qualify the student for a four-year veterinary school. Some colleges offer preveterinary degrees, while almost all others offer undergraduate majors such as animal science, biology, health science, and agricultural science, which prepare students for veterinary school. Students should have a very strong background in math and science and take courses such as algebra, calculus, statistics, chemistry, biology, and animal anatomy. Students should also take as many courses as possible that offer laboratory training.

Presently 27 colleges in the United States offer a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. These schools are highly competitive and scattered throughout the nation. During the first two years of veterinary school, students are required to take the basic animal medicine courses, like anatomy, immunology, microbiology, pathology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Third- and fourth-year students then receive applied medical training in courses such as animal surgery, radiation biology, pathology, and applied anatomy. Veterinarians, unlike physicians, are not normally required to complete a two-year medical internship before beginning practice, although some states may require it.

Sources Of Further Information

• American Veterinary Medical Association 1931 North Meacham Rd. Schaumburg, IL 60173
  
  
• Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc. 66 Aurora St. P.O. Box 1190 Moravia, NY 13118-1190
  
  
• Opportunities in Veterinary Medicine Careers (1993). By Robert E. Swope V.M.D. and published by VGM Career Horizons, the NTC Publishing Group.