Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become a Veterinarian

Official title: Veterinarians

Also called: Companion Animal Practitioner, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet), Large Animal Veterinarian (Large Animal Vet), Mixed Animal Veterinarian (Mixed Animal Vet), Small Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet), Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM), Veterinary Surgeon (Vet Surgeon), Veterinary Surgical Specialist (Vet Surgical Specialist), Zoo Veterinarian (Zoo Vet)

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.

Main tasks

Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.

How to become one

Veterinarians must have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited veterinary college, as well as a state license.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Veterinary & Animal Science degrees, Offered by 9 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 47 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $130,100 a year The middle half earn $101,460 to $166,120.
About 91,100 people work in this job now, and about 99,600 are projected by 2035. (+9.4%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Veterinarian?

Veterinarians must have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited veterinary college, as well as a state license.

How much does a Veterinarian earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $130,100 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $101,460 to $166,120.

Is a Veterinarian a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 91,100 to about 99,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Veterinarian?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Veterinarian?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.