Veterinarians

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.

Median Annual Wage: $87,590

Education: Doctoral degree (75%); Professional degree (23%); Post-doctoral training (1%)

Projected Growth: Average (8% to 14%)

Related Job Titles: Veterinarian (Vet); Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM); Small Animal Veterinarian; Emergency Veterinarian; Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM); Staff Veterinarian; Veterinary Surgeon; Associate Veterinarian; Equine Vet (Equine Veterinarian); Mixed Animal Veterinarian

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Source: O*NET OnLine information for Veterinarians.

More Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Careers

  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
  • Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
  • Inoculate animals against various diseases such as rabies or distemper.
  • Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
  • Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
  • Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
  • Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
  • Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
  • 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.
  • Euthanize animals.
  • Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals.
  • Research diseases to which animals could be susceptible.
  • Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
  • Perform administrative or business management tasks, such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, budgeting, or maintaining business records.
  • Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Veterinarians.

  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Veterinarians.

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