Veterinarians Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for veterinarianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $142,680 ≈ $69/hr
National median salary $130,100
Total employment 83,900 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +9.6%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 3,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 86,400 → 94,700 (+8,300)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Arizona$187,410
- California$169,860
- New Jersey$166,170
- Maryland$163,830
- Washington$163,010
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$93,990
- Wyoming$105,200
- Arkansas$108,100
- North Dakota$108,300
- Montana$112,730
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $187,410 | $152,020 | $90 | +31.3% | 2,080 |
| 2 | California | $169,860 | $163,920 | $82 | +19% | 9,170 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $166,170 | $160,140 | $80 | +16.5% | 1,910 |
| 4 | Maryland | $163,830 | $163,170 | $79 | +14.8% | 1,430 |
| 5 | Washington | $163,010 | $160,510 | $78 | +14.2% | 2,390 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $160,520 | $134,530 | $77 | +12.5% | 190 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $157,520 | $140,260 | $76 | +10.4% | 1,920 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $154,440 | $133,520 | $74 | +8.2% | 3,490 |
| 9 | Illinois | $153,810 | $133,580 | $74 | +7.8% | 2,330 |
| 10 | New York | $151,530 | $131,830 | $73 | +6.2% | 3,390 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $146,230 | $133,110 | $70 | +2.5% | 2,140 |
| 12 | Vermont | $145,030 | $131,820 | $70 | +1.6% | 280 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $144,960 | $128,190 | $70 | +1.6% | 650 |
| 14 | Virginia | $143,080 | $126,730 | $69 | +0.3% | 2,700 |
| 15 | Nevada | $140,600 | $125,550 | $68 | -1.5% | 680 |
| 16 | Utah | $139,770 | $123,990 | $67 | -2% | 640 |
| 17 | Florida | $139,760 | $131,660 | $67 | -2% | 5,360 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $139,290 | $126,190 | $67 | -2.4% | 950 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $138,880 | $129,390 | $67 | -2.7% | 460 |
| 20 | Texas | $138,150 | $131,330 | $66 | -3.2% | 6,270 |
| 21 | Colorado | $137,190 | $130,840 | $66 | -3.8% | 2,340 |
| 22 | Maine | $136,620 | $130,600 | $66 | -4.2% | 600 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $136,200 | $129,240 | $65 | -4.5% | 2,940 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $133,850 | $126,570 | $64 | -6.2% | 430 |
| 25 | Oregon | $133,560 | $128,880 | $64 | -6.4% | 1,660 |
| 26 | Ohio | $129,890 | $125,060 | $62 | -9% | 3,430 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $129,660 | $124,350 | $62 | -9.1% | 1,730 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $128,820 | $130,120 | $62 | -9.7% | 370 |
| 29 | Michigan | $128,100 | $125,390 | $62 | -10.2% | 2,030 |
| 30 | Georgia | $127,920 | $126,590 | $62 | -10.3% | 2,670 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $127,520 | $128,990 | $61 | -10.6% | 390 |
| 32 | Indiana | $127,060 | $124,530 | $61 | -10.9% | 1,500 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $126,280 | $122,130 | $61 | -11.5% | 1,380 |
| 34 | Missouri | $125,720 | $114,660 | $60 | -11.9% | 1,920 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $125,270 | $124,370 | $60 | -12.2% | 950 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $123,820 | $98,090 | $60 | -13.2% | 1,150 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $123,810 | $103,500 | $60 | -13.2% | 780 |
| 38 | Iowa | $122,200 | $124,610 | $59 | -14.4% | 1,000 |
| 39 | Alabama | $120,170 | $105,630 | $58 | -15.8% | 1,020 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $118,890 | $108,780 | $57 | -16.7% | 1,830 |
| 41 | Idaho | $118,000 | $116,170 | $57 | -17.3% | 540 |
| 42 | Kansas | $117,620 | $107,080 | $57 | -17.6% | 1,000 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $114,370 | $105,370 | $55 | -19.8% | 480 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $112,730 | $104,100 | $54 | -21% | 1,190 |
| 45 | Montana | $112,730 | $99,390 | $54 | -21% | 510 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $108,300 | $102,180 | $52 | -24.1% | 270 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $108,100 | $107,710 | $52 | -24.2% | 540 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $105,200 | $97,240 | $51 | -26.3% | 140 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $93,990 | $88,650 | $45 | -34.1% | 280 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 409 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $208,080 | $195,160 | 1,350 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $192,160 | $192,030 | 350 |
| 3 | Napa, CA | $172,600 | $168,500 | 30 |
| 4 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $165,260 | $177,250 | 830 |
| 5 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $164,820 | $170,430 | 130 |
| 6 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $164,620 | $165,500 | 60 |
| 7 | Barnstable Town, MA | $164,060 | $166,670 | 100 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $163,810 | $169,950 | 1,330 |
| 9 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $163,630 | $154,830 | 60 |
| 10 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $163,520 | $162,480 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing veterinarianss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $185,480 | $173,630 | 140 |
| 2 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $168,520 | $173,560 | 290 |
| 3 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $168,520 | $173,840 | 270 |
| 4 | Chemical Manufacturing | $164,750 | $164,160 | 80 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $164,750 | $164,160 | 80 |
| 6 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $164,470 | $160,400 | 450 |
| 7 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $164,470 | $160,400 | 450 |
| 8 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $160,570 | $141,840 | 490 |
| 9 | Temporary Help Services | $152,190 | $148,480 | — |
| 10 | Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $150,920 | $152,710 | 640 |
| 11 | Other Miscellaneous Retailers | $150,920 | $152,710 | 640 |
| 12 | Sectors 44 and 45 - Retail Trade | $150,920 | $152,710 | 640 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do veterinarians make in the U.S.?
The median veterinarians salary in the United States is $130,100 per year (mean $142,680), and about 80% earn between $73,920 and $215,700.
How much do veterinarians make per hour?
Roughly $69 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $142,680 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays veterinarians the most?
Arizona has the highest average pay for veterinarians at $187,410 per year (median $152,020).
What is the job outlook for veterinarians?
Employment is projected to change +9.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 3,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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