Job Description: Veterinarians provide healthcare for pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Most perform clinical work in private practices. Of those, the majority work with small animals while a few work with large animals, including food animals, only.
Employment Facts: Veterinarians held about 49,750 jobs in 2006.
Education: To become a veterinarian one must earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) from an accredited college of veterinary medicine. There is keen competition for entry into this four year program.
Other Requirements: All States and the District of Columbia require that veterinarians be licensed before they can practice.
Advancement: Most veterinarians begin as employees in established practices and when they become experienced, set up their own practice or purchase an established one.
Job Outlook: Employment of veterinarians is expected to increase as fast as the average for all occupations through 2014.
Earnings:
Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $71,990 (U.S., 2006*)
A Day in a Veterinarian's Life:
On a typical day a veterinarian working with small animals, for example dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles, in clinical practice will:
- diagnose animal health problems;
- vaccinate against diseases, such as distemper and rabies;
- medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses;
- treat and dress wounds;
- set fractures;
- perform surgery;
- advise owners about animal feeding, behavior, and breeding;
- euthanize animals when necessary;
On a typical day a veterinarian working with large animals, primarily horses and cows, will:
- provide preventive care to maintain the health of food animals;
- test for and vaccinate against diseases;
- consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on animal production, feeding, and housing issues;
- treat and dress wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery;
Information courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Veterinarians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos076.htm (visited February 21, 2006) and Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2006, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291131.htm (visited on August 3, 2007).
