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Veterinary Careers

Small animal, equine, wildlife, lab, public health — the breadth of veterinary practice.

Veterinarians work with everything from companion animals to livestock, zoo populations, and wildlife. Specialties like surgery, dentistry, behaviour, and exotic medicine each carry distinct training and patient profiles.

9 careers in this collection

Browse veterinary career paths by practice setting and species focus. Salary, on-call burden, and emotional load all vary considerably — small-animal companion work looks very different from large-animal mixed practice or research.
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Veterinary Surgeon (Specialist)

Growing

Perform specialty veterinary surgery

Up to $400k
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Equine Veterinarian

Growing

Provide veterinary care for horses

Up to $250k
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Exotic Animal Veterinarian

Growing

Reptile, bird, small mammal vet

Up to $225k
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Veterinarian

Growing

Protect animal health and welfare through medical and surgical care

Up to $180k✨ Bright Outlook
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Zoo Veterinarian

Growing

Provide veterinary care for zoo and aquarium animals

Up to $180k
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Military Veterinarian

Growing

Serve as a US Army veterinarian

Up to $160k
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Wildlife Veterinarian

Growing

Provide vet care to wildlife in research and rehab settings

Up to $150k
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Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Growing

Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals.

Up to $59k
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Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Growing

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics.

Up to $47k

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