Job Prospects

The landscape of employment for veterinarians is always changing. In recent years, competition for jobs has increased due to the increase in veterinary school graduates to about 3,000 per year. This is particularly true for companion animal care due to its popularity among vet school graduates.

Job opportunities in large animal practice and public health-related fields should be more available. Although jobs in farm animal care are not growing as quickly as those in companion animal care, opportunities will be better because fewer veterinarians compete to work with large animals. The US government is a large employer of veterinarians in fields such as food safety, food animal health, and public health. Overall, job seekers with prior experience and/or advanced or specialized training will have the best opportunities.

 

Employment projections data for veterinarians, 2012-2022

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Occupational Title: Veterinarians

Employment, 2012: 70,300

Projected Employment, 2022: 83,700

Change, 2012-22: 36%; 8,400 (numeric)

 

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