The middle half of veterinarians in the United States earned between $101,460 (the 25th percentile) and $166,120 (the 75th percentile). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $73,920, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $215,700.
Veterinarian wages in the United States, 2025
| Annual wage | United States |
|---|---|
| Median (50th percentile) | $130,100 |
| Mean (average) | $142,680 |
| 10th percentile | $73,920 |
| 25th percentile | $101,460 |
| 75th percentile | $166,120 |
| 90th percentile | $215,700 |
| Employment (jobs) | 83,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation "Veterinarians" (SOC 29-1131). See the BLS occupation profile and the OEWS data tables.
States with the highest median veterinarian wage
| State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $163,920 | $169,860 | 9,170 |
| Maryland | $163,170 | $163,830 | 1,430 |
| Washington | $160,510 | $163,010 | 2,390 |
| New Jersey | $160,140 | $166,170 | 1,910 |
| Arizona | $152,020 | $187,410 | 2,080 |
| Massachusetts | $140,260 | $157,520 | 1,920 |
| District of Columbia | $134,530 | $160,520 | 190 |
| Illinois | $133,580 | $153,810 | 2,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,520 | $154,440 | 3,490 |
| Minnesota | $133,110 | $146,230 | 2,140 |
States that employ the most veterinarians
| State | Employment | Median |
|---|---|---|
| California | 9,170 | $163,920 |
| Texas | 6,270 | $131,330 |
| Florida | 5,360 | $131,660 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,490 | $133,520 |
| Ohio | 3,430 | $125,060 |
| New York | 3,390 | $131,830 |
| North Carolina | 2,940 | $129,240 |
| Virginia | 2,700 | $126,730 |
| Georgia | 2,670 | $126,590 |
| Washington | 2,390 | $160,510 |
Veterinary technician pay in the United States
The same BLS release puts the median annual wage for veterinary technicians in the United States at $47,380, with employment of 129,140. See the veterinary technician salary page for the United States.
How to read these figures
These are estimates from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for May 2025. OEWS is an employer survey of wage and salary jobs. It does not include the self-employed, so practice owners who are not on a payroll are not counted. It reports one distribution per occupation and area, and does not separate pay by years of experience, practice type, specialty or ownership. A percentile is the wage below which that share of workers falls: 10% of workers earn less than the 10th percentile wage. Where BLS did not release an estimate, this page says so and leaves the figure out.
We display the figures as BLS published them and retrieved them on November 9, 2026. The only number calculated here is the percent difference from the national figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median veterinarian salary in the United States?
The median annual wage for veterinarians in the United States was $130,100 in May 2025, according to BLS OEWS estimates. The mean annual wage was $142,680.
How many veterinarians work in the United States?
BLS estimates that 83,900 veterinarians were employed in the United States in May 2025. The estimate covers wage and salary jobs and does not include the self-employed.
What do the highest-paid and lowest-paid veterinarians in the United States earn?
In May 2025, the 10th percentile annual wage was $73,920 and the 90th percentile was $215,700. The 25th percentile was $101,460 and the 75th percentile was $166,120.
How does veterinarian pay compare with veterinary technician pay?
Nationally, the median annual wage in May 2025 was $130,100 for veterinarians and $47,380 for veterinary technicians, according to BLS OEWS estimates.
Where do these figures come from?
Every figure on this page is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 estimates, for the occupation BLS titles "Veterinarians" (SOC 29-1131). OEWS is an employer survey of wage and salary jobs. It does not include the self-employed, so practice owners who are not on a payroll are not counted, and it does not break pay out by years of experience, practice type or ownership.
Related reading
- Associate veterinarian compensation and pay structures
- Careers and CE: guides and news
- All veterinary salary pages
Veterinarian salary by state
- Alabama $105,630
- Arizona $152,020
- Arkansas $107,710
- California $163,920
- Colorado $130,840
- Connecticut $126,190
- District of Columbia $134,530
- Florida $131,660
- Georgia $126,590
- Hawaii $130,120
- Idaho $116,170
- Illinois $133,580
- Indiana $124,530
- Iowa $124,610
- Kansas $107,080
- Kentucky $104,100
- Louisiana $124,370
- Maine $130,600
- Maryland $163,170
- Massachusetts $140,260
- Michigan $125,390
- Minnesota $133,110
- Mississippi $105,370
- Missouri $114,660
- Montana $99,390
- Nebraska $103,500
- Nevada $125,550
- New Hampshire $128,190
- New Jersey $160,140
- New Mexico $129,390
- New York $131,830
- North Carolina $129,240
- North Dakota $102,180
- Ohio $125,060
- Oklahoma $98,090
- Oregon $128,880
- Pennsylvania $133,520
- Rhode Island $126,570
- South Carolina $122,130
- South Dakota $88,650
- Tennessee $124,350
- Texas $131,330
- Utah $123,990
- Vermont $131,820
- Virginia $126,730
- Washington $160,510
- West Virginia $128,990
- Wisconsin $108,780
- Wyoming $97,240
Veterinarian salary by metro area
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $128,980
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $138,900
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $148,730
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $133,550
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $135,090
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $129,730
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $132,280
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $160,080
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $129,890
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $158,200
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $156,150
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $132,440
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $139,810
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $161,060
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $165,260
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $159,750
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $208,080
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $192,160
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $163,810
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $131,190
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $154,350
Metro pages cover 21 large metropolitan areas, not every area BLS publishes. The full set is in the OEWS data tables.