Pay

Veterinarian Median annual wages, May 2012

Veterinarians   $84,460

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners   $73,410

Total, All Occupations   $34,750

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics

The median annual wage of veterinarians was $84,460 in May 2012. The median wage refers to the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,530, and the top 10 percent earned more than $144,100.

According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries for veterinary medical college graduates in 2011 in different private specialties were as follows:

The average annual wage for veterinarians in the federal government was $85,170 in May 2012.