What state do veterinarians make the most money

What Is the Outlook for Veterinarians?

The BLS projects 16,800 new jobs will open in the field by 2031. Veterinarian jobs are set to grow by 19%.

Find a Job

Best-Paying Cities for Veterinarians

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salary in the veterinarian profession are Houston, Bridgeport, Akron, Ogden, and Modesto.

Houston, Texas

$169,220

Bridgeport, Connecticut

$150,370

Akron, Ohio

$150,330

Ogden, Utah

$150,310

Modesto, California

$149,460

The 5 Best-Paying Cities for Veterinarians

View All 5 Slides

Best-Paying States for Veterinarians

The states and districts that pay Veterinarians the highest mean salary are New Jersey ($128,430), Maryland ($128,120), District of Columbia ($127,310), Rhode Island ($126,630), and Oregon ($122,840).

As of May 2020, there were 73,710 veterinarians employed in the US, with an average annual salary of $108,350 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). 

In a recent study by business.org, they found that veterinarians earned more than the average salary in every single state. Their goal was to figure out which state pays veterinarians the best based on just how much more they get paid over the average occupations’ salary in their state. 

Impacts of the Pandemic

During COVID-19, while many industries suffered, the veterinary industry remained stronger than ever:

• Veterinary care and pet product sales increased by 7.2% from 2019, totaling $31.4B 

• 85 million households in the US own a pet 

• Insured pets in the US and Canada grew at an average rate of 22.1% in the past 5 years

• 30% of pet owners said they spent more on their pet/pet supplies in the past year

The Top 5 States Ranked

Business.org compared the salary averages of veterinarians with those of all occupations in each state. Despite California employing the most veterinarians in the country (a total of 7,380 to be exact), coming in at the number 1 best state for veterinarians was South Carolina, with a salary average of $112,580; this is 154% more than the average salary of all occupations within this state. 

• South Carolina - $112,580 (153.7% more than all occupations)

• Texas - $125,280 (148.10% more than all occupations)

• North Carolina - $112,930 (132.60% more than all occupations)

• Arkansas - $98,050 (129.70% more than all occupations)

• Idaho - $103, 080 (129.60% more than all occupations)

The Bottom 5 States Ranked

Finding that a state is in the bottom ranking in this study is not saying much, as the average pay for a veterinarian still exceeds that of the average of all occupations. Washington DC veterinarians make an average of $113,790 a year (27% more than other jobs). This salary is actually one of the highest in the country, but has the lowest increase over other occupations in the state. 

• Washington DC - $113,790 (26.70% more than all occupations)

• Washington - $97,340 (56.90% more than all occupations)

• Colorado - $91,760 (59.190% more than all occupations)

• Alaska - $94,990 (60.20% more than all occupations)

• Minnesota - $91,030 (62.90% more than all occupations)

States Where Veterinarians Have to Work Both the Least and Longest to Afford Rent

In order to measure affordability, this study “compared veterinarian salary to the median contract rent in each state. This includes all the renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent.”

What they found was that, on average, veterinarians have to work an average of 18.7 hours to afford rent. While West Virginia ranked as the 6th best-paying state, it came in at #1 for how little you have to work to afford rent, totalling 11.7 hours. The state where you have to work the most came down to Hawaii, with a total of 32.5 hours (which is still less than an average work week of around 40 hours). 

Where are veterinarians paid highest?

What type of vet gets paid the most?

What is the highest paying state for veterinarians 2022?

What country has the highest demand for veterinarians?