The Salary of a Veterinary Surgeon

Job opportunities for veterinary surgeons are expected to increase between now and 2018.

Becoming a veterinary surgeon, on average, requires an undergraduate degree plus four years of graduate and doctoral work. Salaries are good and the employment outlook is positive due to a limited number of graduates in the field.

Salary

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not have a page for veterinary surgeons specifically, but lists the median annual wages of all veterinarians as $79,050 in May, 2008. Average salaries for veterinarians dealing exclusively with small animals was slightly higher ($64,744) in 2008 than those dealing exclusively with large animals ($62,424). Equine veterinarians had the lowest average salary at $41,636 annually.

Qualifications

Veterinary surgeons normally study for about four years after obtaining an undergraduate degree and are required to have graduated from a school of veterinary medicine. As of 2010, only 28 accredited schools of this kind exist in the United States, meaning there are only about 2,500 new graduates each year. Admission to these schools is competitive.

Employment & Prospects

Employment of all veterinarians, including veterinary surgeons, is expected to increase by 33 percent between 2008 and 2018, due to recent trends showing an increased interest in cats as pets and in nontraditional treatments for pets such as cancer treatments, hip replacements and dental care. Job opportunities are also excellent because there are so few new graduates in the field each year.

References

• BLS: Veterinarians