Veterinarians
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Examines animals to find disease or injury, then treats them with medicine, wound care, bone setting, surgery, or vaccines such as those for rabies and distemper. Diagnostic work includes collecting blood, urine, tissue, or other samples and reading images from X-ray or ultrasound equipment. Owners are advised on feeding, sanitation, general care, and treatment choices, and the job also includes talking through euthanasia or the death of a pet. Some of the work is research on animal disease, livestock inspection, or explaining how animal illnesses can spread to people. It suits people who like scientific problem-solving, hands-on medical work with animals, and clear, careful conversations with owners.
Typical education: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$130'100
Median Wage Market Position
$130'100
What you might do
- Examine animals to pinpoint disease or injury
- Treat sick animals with medicine, surgery, or wound care
- Vaccinate animals against rabies, distemper, and similar diseases
- Collect blood, urine, feces, or tissue for lab tests
- Operate X-ray or ultrasound equipment and read the images
- Advise owners on feeding, sanitation, and treatment options
Skills that matter
- Examining animals to identify disease or injury
- Reading x-rays and ultrasound images
- Setting bones, dressing wounds, or operating
- Collecting blood, urine, and tissue samples
- Advising owners on feeding and sanitation
- Counseling clients through euthanasia decisions
AI & the future of this role
Examining animals, performing procedures, and owning treatment decisions involve physical skill and legal responsibility that software alone cannot cover. Imaging review or differential suggestions might speed parts of the visit, yet hands-on care and steady animal-care demand tend to protect the role.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details