How Much Do Veterinarians Make?

How much do veterinarians make? According to official statistics given by BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) veterinarians earn a total of $87,590 which is equal to about $42.11 per day and to $1,455 per week. These mean veterinarian wages are averages for the fiscal year 2014.

This is far greater than the national mean wage. Still, it’s probably normal since we do want to have the people taking care of our pets motivated to do their job with love. Even the lowest paid 10% of this profession make a decent amount of money – $52,530. On the other end of the spectrum, the highest paid 10% make almost twice the average veterinarian salary, coming in at $157,390 per year. What are the biggest factors that influence how much do veterinarians make? According to PayScale, skills such as the ability to use ultrasound technology, to perform chiropractic techniques and emergency procedures greatly influence pay.

The level of experience for the profession also plays an equally important part. To get an estimate of this, one must know exactly how long it takes to become a veterinarian, as well as a vet tech (some vets choose to have double degrees).

Wage statistics for men versus for women are not available due to the low number of veterinarians employed as of 2018. The total number of vets for that year was 55,000. Of these, just 16,000 were men, whereas over 39,000 were women.

Here is a run-down of the best-paying sectors of the industry for this profession:

Industry	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
Management of Companies and Enterprises	$66.94	$139,230
Scientific Research and Development Services	$60.05	$124,890
Employment Services	$58.45	$121,570
Spectator Sports	$49.00	$101,920
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$47.48	$98,750

 

How Much Do Veterinarians Make by Location?

The question of how much do veterinarians make can yield wildly different results, mainly on account of the training provided by local veterinary schools. While many schools produce vets that will earn a significant pay, some provide skills that are more valuable to the profession (Tip: here’s a list of the best veterinary schools in the US).

For the readers’ sake, we’ve found a list of the best paying States for this profession:

State	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
Delaware	$61.89	$128,740
New Jersey	$57.81	$120,240
Connecticut	$57.54	$119,670
New York	$57.19	$118,950
California	$56.83	$118,210

 

Even though Delaware seems to be the best place for Vets in the US, the actual case is that the employment levels for the respective state are far too low to be taken into account. Here’s a list of the best States in terms of employment:

State	Employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
California	5,980	$56.83	$118,210
Texas	4,080	$50.78	$105,620
Florida	3,320	$45.90	$95,470
New York	2,980	$57.19	$118,950
Pennsylvania	2,720	$55.79	$116,040

 

How Much Do Veterinarians Make over Time?

Veterinarian salary is subject to change on account of the following factors:

• Ability to perform surgery, ultrasound, and chiropractic techniques. All these skills could up how much do veterinarians get paid an hour by up to 50%.
• An entry-level veterinarian should expect his salary to be about 7% lower than the national average. Mid-career vets will have 7% higher pay while experienced vets will be making up to 15% more.
• Having an emergency room and being trained in ER medicine. Unsurprisingly, how much do veterinarians make is greatly influenced by this, raising pay by up to 20%.

Image source: depositphotos.com.