10 Fulfilling Jobs in the Veterinary Field

Veterinary Medical Director

• Annual Average Salary (August 2022): $125,480
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: Veterinarian licensure

Acting as head veterinarians in practice groups, veterinary medical directors oversee associate veterinarians, provide consultation on medical and surgical cases, review cases to find ways of improving the quality of patient care, and ensure regulations and protocols are closely followed.

Depending on the size of the clinic, some veterinary medical directors may also oversee administrative aspects such as budgets, staffing, operations, and financial management.

Veterinary Technician

• Annual Median Salary (May 2021): $36,850
• Job Outlook (2020-2030): 15%
• Licenses/Certifications: Varies by state, but most require vet techs to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination

Veterinary technicians typically possess an associate degree in veterinary technician practices and spend their days supporting licensed veterinarians by completing a variety of tasks. These vary from clinic to clinic, but typically include providing nursing care to injured or recovering animals, cleaning and bathing animals, collecting specimens to perform laboratory tests, and administering medications and treatments as directed by a veterinarian.

These professionals may specialize in small or large animals, or even specific disciplines such as emergency care, dentistry, or anesthesia.

Veterinary Assistant

• Annual Average Salary (July 2022): $30,130
• Job Outlook (2020-2030): 14%

Veterinary assistants typically possess a high school diploma or GED certificate and help veterinarians and vet techs care for the animals in their charge. They frequently clean cages and kennels, prepare operating rooms for procedures, sterilize equipment used during examinations and operations, and monitor animals recovering after a surgery.

Other responsibilities include feeding animals regularly, bathing them as needed, and offering opportunities for exercise. They do not hold as much responsibility as vet techs and therefore do not need to hold licensure or certification.

Animal Nutritionist

• Annual Average Salary (January 2022): $71,790
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: Licensure depends on qualifications, but typically follow those of vet techs or veterinarians

Like human nutritionists, most animal nutritionists hold a bachelor's degree — common options include animal health and behavior or animal science. They may work in several different specialty areas, including:

• Livestock nutrition, including farm animals
• Equine nutrition, including high-performance horses
• Pet nutrition, including mostly domesticated animals

These professionals get to know the animals in their charge by analyzing their diets, exercise regimes, living areas, and other factors that can affect nutrition. They create recommendations and diet plans based on their findings.

Veterinary Cardiologist

• Annual Average Salary (May 2019): $145,000
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: Licensure as a registered veterinarian in state of practice and board certification

Veterinary cardiologists possess specialized knowledge of how to support animals with cardiac and/or circulatory issues. Whether addressing congenital or acquired heart conditions, these specialized veterinarians work with their owners to diagnose and treat ailments.

Common responsibilities include conducting echocardiography with a color flow doppler, introducing heart monitoring devices, monitoring blood pressure, taking X-rays, and installing pacemakers to help keep pets' hearts at the correct rhythm.

Associate Veterinarian

• Annual Average Salary (July 2022): $85,070
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: State licensure as a veterinarian

Associate veterinarians perform all the same clinical and diagnostic duties as veterinarians, but unlike veterinary practice owners, associate veterinarians typically work at clinics. In these roles, they usually have fewer administrative responsibilities and typically maintain more normalized hours. That said, they also earn less, as they do not usually share in profits and losses from the business.

As with other veterinarians, associate vets can specialize in areas such as:

• Livestock
• Small Animals
• Large Animals
• Exotic Animals

Veterinary Criticalist

• Annual Average Salary (August 2022): $117,500
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: State licensure as a veterinarian

Also known as emergency room veterinarians, these professionals work in high-stress situations, in which owners are seeking emergency care for their pets. Whether addressing a medical trauma, acute illness, or other conditions, veterinary criticalists must spring into action quickly to assess the animal and determine a course of action.

Most emergency veterinarian practices offer hours outside the standard operating hours, meaning many professionals work on rotating schedules across nights, early mornings, and weekends. They may also be on call during these times and over holidays.

Animal Chiropractor

• Annual Average Salary (August 2020): $80,000
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: State licensure as a veterinarian

These professionals work with large and small animals, domestic and wild, to treat illnesses and traumas related to the musculoskeletal system. Whether adjusting vertebrae or massaging muscles to help improve performance, these individuals develop individualized treatments for each animal patient.

Animal chiropractors can find work in veterinary clinics and hospitals, zoos, or working for large farms or barns that house livestock, racehorses, or other animals who commonly face chiropractic issues. Others decide to open their own practices and seek out clients.

Military Veterinarian

• Annual Average Salary (July 2022): $88,900
• Job Outlook: N/A
• Licenses/Certifications: Licensure as a veterinarian

Military veterinarians provide services to working animals employed by the military as well as the pets of military members. Working as a military vet requires individuals to join the military, but they typically enlist as officers rather than soldiers. These professionals can always be called into combat settings if necessary.

They may work at domestic or overseas military bases, and their assignments can change over time. Those who want to make a career out of being in the military can often get their specialized education paid for, making it an attractive option for some.

Veterinary Practice Manager

• Average Annual Salary (July 2022): $51,740
• Job Outlook: N/A

Veterinary practice managers oversee the day-to-day operations of individual practices and clinics, ensuring everything runs smoothly. In addition to interacting directly with clients, handling billing, and managing front-of-office staff, practice managers also order supplies as needed, set practice policies and guidelines, and ensure the practice complies with all state and federal regulations.

In smaller practices, veterinary practice managers may also perform some vet technician services. In this case, they must comply with individual state licensure requirements.