How to become a Veterinarian
Official title: Veterinarians
Also called: Veterinarian, Veterinary officer, Veterinary surgeon, Veterinary inspector, Veterinary scientist, Veterinary consultant, Veterinary practitioner, Veterinary field officer, Veterinary research officer, Veterinary investigating officer, Veterinary investigation officer
Veterinarians diagnose and treat animal injuries, diseases and disorders, and advise on preventative action. They may work in practices, specialising according to their location in either a rural or urban area, or in the public sector or associated industries such as pharmaceuticals, food production or drug regulation.
Main tasks
- Examines animals, diagnoses condition and prescribes and administers appropriate drugs, dressings, etc., and arranges or undertakes any necessary x-ray or other tests
- Inoculates animals against communicable diseases
- Administers local or general anaesthetics and performs surgery
- Investigates outbreaks of animal diseases and advises owners on feeding, breeding and general care
- Euthanises old, sick, terminally ill and unwanted animals
- Performs tasks relating to food safety policy, regulation of veterinary drugs, quality control of veterinary products
- Performs ante-mortem inspection of animals destined for the food chain, and animal post-mortem examinations
- Carries out expert witness work and undertakes teaching of veterinary students
How to become one
Entrants will require a university degree in veterinary science and registration as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Pre-entry experience in a veterinary practice may be required for entry to a university veterinary school.
Ways in
- University: Veterinary & Animal Science degrees, Offered by 6 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £51,058 a year
- About 23,400 people work in this job now, and about 25,700 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Veterinarian?
Entrants will require a university degree in veterinary science and registration as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Pre-entry experience in a veterinary practice may be required for entry to a university veterinary school.
How much does a Veterinarian earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £51,058 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a Veterinarian a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 23,400 to about 25,700 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a Veterinarian?
Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.