Veterinarians

Veterinarians enjoy being with and taking care of many different types of animals including pets, livestock, zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Most veterinarians perform clinical work in private practices. More than one-half of these veterinarians treat small companion animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and rabbits. About one-fourth of all veterinarians work in mixed animal practices where they see farm animals such as pigs, goats, and sheep. A small number of private practice veterinarians work exclusively with large animals, focusing mostly on horses or cows. These veterinarians usually drive to farms or ranches to provide veterinary services for herds or individual animals. Other veterinarians care for zoo, aquarium, or laboratory animals.

Employment

Veterinarians held about 58,000 jobs in 2002. These workers have lots of different job opportunities, probably because there are so many different types of animals. About 28 percent were self-employed in solo or group practices. Most others were employees of another veterinary practice. The federal government employed about 1,100 civilian veterinarians, chiefly in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.

Other employers of veterinarians are state and local governments, colleges of veterinary medicine, medical schools, research laboratories, animal food companies, and pharmaceutical companies. A few veterinarians work for zoos, but most veterinarians caring for zoo animals are private practitioners who contract with zoos to provide services, usually on a part-time basis.

Job Outlook

Employment of veterinarians is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. People enjoy having pets and their pets are increasingly viewed as a member of the family. This means pet owners will be more willing to spend increasing amounts on advanced veterinary medical care, creating more demand for veterinarians.

Most veterinarians practice in animal hospitals or clinics to care primarily for companion animals. Recent trends indicate particularly strong interest in cats as pets. Faster growth of the cat population is expected to increase the demand for feline medicine and veterinary services, while demand for veterinary care of dogs should continue to grow at a more modest pace.

Education and Earnings

Prospective veterinarians must graduate from a four year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree and obtain a license to practice. Most of the students admitted have completed an undergraduate program.

Experience, such as working with animals on a farm or ranch or at a stable or animal shelter, is helpful.

Newly trained veterinarians can become government meat and poultry inspectors, disease-control workers, animal welfare and safety workers, epidemiologists, research assistants, or commissioned officers in the U.S. Public Health Service or various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. A State license may be required.

Typical annual earnings of veterinarians were $63,090 in 2002. According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of 2002 veterinary medical college graduates varied by type of practice as follows:

If you are interested in this occupation or are wondering about related occupations, use the links below to continue your exploration. Always remember, the more effort you put into exploring possible careers, the easier it will be for you to discover the best career choices for you!

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/.

O*NET OnLine, Occupational Information Network: http://online.onetcenter.org/.