Veterinarians
Also called: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet), Small Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet), Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM)Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 92% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $105,630 | $95,310 to $136,690 | 1,020 |
| Alaska | not published | not published | 160 |
| Arizona | $152,020 | $125,210 to $205,030 | 2,080 |
| Arkansas | $107,710 | $97,930 to $122,140 | 540 |
| California | $163,920 | $125,460 to $211,840 | 9,170 |
| Colorado | $130,840 | $102,090 to $162,110 | 2,340 |
| Connecticut | $126,190 | $104,780 to $167,390 | 950 |
| Delaware | not published | not published | 230 |
| District of Columbia | $134,530 | $132,520 to $193,860 | 190 |
| Florida | $131,660 | $83,790 to $166,370 | 5,360 |
| Georgia | $126,590 | $103,080 to $155,270 | 2,670 |
| Hawaii | $130,120 | $103,760 to $134,000 | 370 |
| Idaho | $116,170 | $101,510 to $137,010 | 540 |
| Illinois | $133,580 | $102,630 to $168,050 | 2,330 |
| Indiana | $124,530 | $99,800 to $155,980 | 1,500 |
| Iowa | $124,610 | $94,640 to $152,140 | 1,000 |
| Kansas | $107,080 | $86,250 to $129,870 | 1,000 |
| Kentucky | $104,100 | $73,920 to $136,550 | 1,190 |
| Louisiana | $124,370 | $78,660 to $141,140 | 950 |
| Maine | $130,600 | $104,620 to $155,000 | 600 |
| Maryland | $163,170 | $133,040 to $189,450 | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $140,260 | $121,670 to $175,250 | 1,920 |
| Michigan | $125,390 | $100,950 to $162,030 | 2,030 |
| Minnesota | $133,110 | $109,260 to $164,690 | 2,140 |
| Mississippi | $105,370 | $85,780 to $129,370 | 480 |
| Missouri | $114,660 | $97,280 to $149,250 | 1,920 |
| Montana | $99,390 | $66,830 to $130,870 | 510 |
| Nebraska | $103,500 | $85,660 to $138,170 | 780 |
| Nevada | $125,550 | $119,500 to $159,900 | 680 |
| New Hampshire | $128,190 | $97,620 to $161,180 | 650 |
| New Jersey | $160,140 | $126,480 to $202,930 | 1,910 |
| New Mexico | $129,390 | $96,980 to $171,140 | 460 |
| New York | $131,830 | $105,750 to $173,720 | 3,390 |
| North Carolina | $129,240 | $98,240 to $165,430 | 2,940 |
| North Dakota | $102,180 | $88,610 to $115,210 | 270 |
| Ohio | $125,060 | $88,750 to $156,330 | 3,430 |
| Oklahoma | $98,090 | $71,560 to $129,300 | 1,150 |
| Oregon | $128,880 | $98,570 to $154,410 | 1,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,520 | $107,810 to $166,230 | 3,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $89,810 | $64,230 to $131,410 | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $126,570 | $108,820 to $139,730 | 430 |
| South Carolina | $122,130 | $96,920 to $157,220 | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $88,650 | $74,860 to $114,400 | 280 |
| Tennessee | $124,350 | $104,890 to $151,770 | 1,730 |
| Texas | $131,330 | $107,880 to $164,000 | 6,270 |
| Utah | $123,990 | $99,560 to $168,690 | 640 |
| Vermont | $131,820 | $110,410 to $170,570 | 280 |
| Virginia | $126,730 | $98,630 to $177,650 | 2,700 |
| Washington | $160,510 | $124,990 to $197,370 | 2,390 |
| West Virginia | $128,990 | $82,770 to $161,940 | 390 |
| Wisconsin | $108,780 | $98,950 to $132,880 | 1,830 |
| Wyoming | $97,240 | $80,230 to $132,890 | 140 |
Nationally: $130,100. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries. | Not published |
| Not much | Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis. | Not published |
| AI + software | Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans. | Not published |
| AI + software | Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| AI + software | Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets. | Not published |
| Not much | Euthanize animals. | Not published |
| AI + software | Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses. | Not published |
| Not much | Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Perform administrative or business management tasks, such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, budgeting, or maintaining business records. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Direct the overall operations of animal hospitals, clinics, or mobile services to farms. | Not published |
| AI alone | Establish or conduct quarantine or testing procedures that prevent the spread of diseases to other animals or to humans and that comply with applicable government regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect and test horses, sheep, poultry, or other animals to detect the presence of communicable diseases. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research diseases to which animals could be susceptible. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
- #26 Research healthcare issues
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Research healthcare issues | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases | |||
| Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics | |||
| Provide information or assistance to the public | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures |
Show all 21 activities
| Care for plants or animals | |||
| Counsel others about personal matters | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Develop patient or client care or treatment plans | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Prescribe medical treatments or devices |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation54%
- An explanation or answer33%
- A document or report2%
- An email or message2%
- A plan or strategy1%
How they worked with Claude
5% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for veterinarians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,860 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 11%
- 2 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators High -2.9% 9%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 4 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,765 moves in
- 1 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators High -2.9% 13%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 8%
- 3 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 7%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Moderate +9.1% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 9% professional doctorate
- 79% research doctorate
- 12% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% master's
- 70% professional degree
- 28% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,259 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
13 programs, such as Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences, General and Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine.
See all
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences, General
- Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine
- Large Animal/Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine
- Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine
- Veterinary Anatomy
- Veterinary Infectious Diseases
- Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology
- Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology
- Veterinary Physiology
- Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health
- Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology
- Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | >99.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 22.3% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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