Veterinarians care for the health of animals and work to improve public health by diagnosing, treating, and researching medical conditions and diseases. They require a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and state license. The median salary is $84,460 per year and employment is projected to grow 12% from 2012-2022, about average. Competition for jobs is strong so specializations and experience provide advantages.

1. Veterinarian
Salary: $40.61 per hour = $84,460 per year
Entry level degree: doctoral or professional degree
Work experience in a related occupation: none
On-the-job training: none
Number of jobs: 70,300
Job outlook: 12% (as fast as average)
Employment change: 8,400
How to become a veterinarian
Veterinarians must have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
degree from an accredited veterinary college and a state
license.
Work environment
Although most veterinarians work in private clinics and
hospitals, others travel to farms, work in laboratories or
classrooms, or work for the government.

2. What do veterinarians do
Veterinarians care for the health of animals and work to
improve public health. They diagnose, treat, and research
medical conditions and diseases of pets, livestock, and
other animals.
Pay
The median annual wage for veterinarians was $84,460 in
May 2012.
Job outlook
Employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 12
percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for
all occupations. Candidates can expect very strong
competition for available veterinarian positions. Those with
specializations and prior work experience should have the
best job opportunities

3. Similar occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of
veterinarians with similar occupations.
More information, including links to o*net
Learn more about veterinarians by visiting additional
resources, including O*NET, a source on key
characteristics of workers and occupations.