29
Veterinarians is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Veterinarians against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 29-1131 |
| title | Veterinarians |
| onet code | 29-1131.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 80,630 |
| a mean | 140,270 |
| a median | 125,510 |
| a pct10 | 70,350 |
| a pct25 | 98,420 |
| a pct75 | 161,610 |
| a pct90 | 212,890 |
| h mean | 67 |
| h median | 60 |
The day-to-day work of a veterinarians typically centers on treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Active Learning. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.85 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working veterinarians, the most common entry qualification is a Doctoral Degree (79.2%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 100% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $158,950 and lowest in Montana at $82,340 — a 1.9× spread. The top five states (California, Washington, District of Columbia, New Jersey, West Virginia) average $150,010. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $158,950 | $168,280 | $79,710 | — | 8,510 |
| Washington | $155,060 | $154,770 | $99,060 | $215,660 | 1,940 |
| District of Columbia | $153,200 | $165,020 | $81,850 | — | 100 |
| New Jersey | $148,550 | $158,100 | $82,300 | — | 1,750 |
| West Virginia | $134,290 | $135,660 | $80,560 | $202,790 | 390 |
| Vermont | $134,240 | $155,130 | $84,970 | $208,050 | 340 |
| Arizona | $132,810 | $190,600 | $75,090 | $221,170 | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $131,500 | $161,170 | $103,710 | — | 1,820 |
| New York | $131,330 | $149,360 | $80,010 | — | 3,200 |
| Florida | $131,170 | $142,040 | $58,460 | $213,190 | 5,480 |
| Connecticut | $130,700 | $142,320 | $62,990 | $224,770 | 890 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,510 | $140,390 | $71,160 | $212,320 | 3,220 |
| New Hampshire | $128,890 | $143,510 | $69,530 | — | 630 |
| Illinois | $128,290 | $157,950 | $64,760 | — | 2,950 |
| Rhode Island | $126,860 | $139,830 | $88,150 | — | 310 |
| South Carolina | $126,720 | $127,710 | $56,760 | $207,050 | 1,330 |
| New Mexico | $126,710 | $131,560 | $77,140 | $174,720 | 350 |
| Tennessee | $125,420 | $129,370 | $83,730 | $169,400 | 1,590 |
| Virginia | $124,110 | $133,020 | $55,870 | $195,620 | 2,560 |
| Maine | $124,070 | $136,960 | $80,630 | $207,990 | 540 |
| North Carolina | $123,430 | $129,440 | $75,610 | $200,420 | 2,950 |
| Ohio | $123,140 | $130,370 | $58,830 | $205,540 | 2,880 |
| Colorado | $122,980 | $123,010 | $71,440 | $192,450 | 2,380 |
| Utah | $121,850 | $140,180 | $62,150 | $219,820 | 620 |
| Nevada | $121,720 | $134,010 | $54,630 | $205,340 | 700 |
| Texas | $121,220 | $130,770 | $73,180 | $209,720 | 5,940 |
| Louisiana | $120,630 | $144,490 | $75,490 | — | 890 |
| Missouri | $119,640 | $128,310 | $62,400 | $190,800 | 2,020 |
| Indiana | $119,230 | $123,960 | $62,380 | $174,990 | 1,560 |
| Minnesota | $117,340 | $121,270 | $78,690 | $173,400 | 2,060 |
| Georgia | $115,220 | $124,960 | $70,280 | $203,370 | 2,430 |
| Michigan | $112,320 | $121,640 | $78,330 | $168,760 | 2,320 |
| Idaho | $106,080 | $117,810 | $80,800 | $166,600 | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $104,440 | $118,030 | $76,340 | $162,600 | 1,760 |
| Oregon | $102,910 | $121,000 | $77,130 | $164,690 | 1,640 |
| Hawaii | $102,730 | $120,300 | $50,170 | $189,390 | 360 |
| Kansas | $102,510 | $110,250 | $63,760 | $160,570 | 940 |
| Mississippi | $101,300 | $108,120 | $62,210 | $158,330 | 520 |
| Iowa | $100,910 | $109,110 | $58,560 | $161,090 | 1,180 |
| Arkansas | $100,820 | $105,850 | $59,300 | $150,840 | 600 |
| North Dakota | $99,490 | $107,060 | $82,340 | $138,440 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $98,210 | $107,690 | $50,700 | $178,520 | 1,250 |
| Alabama | $98,060 | $112,070 | $59,570 | $160,460 | 1,150 |
| Oklahoma | $96,360 | $122,640 | $55,150 | $208,000 | 980 |
| Wyoming | $95,400 | $104,850 | $56,460 | $149,800 | 180 |
| South Dakota | $89,970 | $97,090 | $60,560 | $138,840 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $83,710 | $87,250 | $37,410 | $128,650 | 750 |
| Montana | $82,340 | $94,250 | $46,150 | $154,200 | 510 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for veterinarians. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Animal Anatomist or Animal Chiropractor frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Veterinarians compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Veterinarians
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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