How Much Do Vets Earn?

Salaries for veterinarians range from less than $43,000 to over $133,000. Why is there this wide range? What are vets doing to earn an income at the top of the income range? Does their training at vet schools influence their salary? What are vets doing – or not doing – to earn an income at the bottom of the income range?

Highest and Lowest Vet Salaries

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) surveys the salaries of graduates of vet schools annually and reported the highest starting salary was $61,029. This salary was awarded to vets practicing exclusively on large animals. Next highest was $57,117 for vets practicing mainly on small animals. Vets in private practice earned $55,031. And unfortunately if you love horses, it's important to know that equine vets made only $40,130 and that was an average!

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual earnings of veterinarians in 2006 were $71,990. However, if vets chose to work for the federal government, their income was higher than many other vets, with an average of $84,335 in 2007.

Salary Breakdown for a Vet in Private Practice

Since most vets, in fact 75% of all vets, are in private practice, it's important to look at the breakdown of income from different procedures that are performed in the office. The most recent statistics were compiled from www.Costopedia.com/costs/veterinary-care-procedures/ and a few additional sources.

Table 1. Costs Related to Veterinary Services Performed on Cats

Procedure Performed on Cats Average Cost

From this table, it's easy to see how vet services add up pretty quickly.

The average cost of veterinary routine care for cats is $175 per year according to the Veterinary Medicine journal.

Now let's examine the income potential from procedures performed on dogs.

Table 2. Costs Related to Veterinary Services Performed on Dogs

Procedure Performed on Dogs Average Cost

The average cost of veterinary routine care for dogs is $219 per year according to the Veterinary Medicine Journal.

The services mentioned in Tables 1 and 2 are of course usually one-time charges. However, let's look at the cost of specific services that may be performed more often.

Table 3. Cost of Specific Services

Table 4. Cost of Parasite Treatments/Preventatives

Heartworm preventative

Interceptor, weight-based heartworm $33 to $51 for 6-month treatment
Sentinel, flea/heartworm $79 to $102 / 6 months
Revolution, topical flea and heartworm preventative, mange for dogs $89-$124

Flea Preventative

Advantage, flea and tapeworm preventative, dogs and cats $97 to $107
Frontline $100 to $108 / 6 months dogs and cats

Deworming treatments depends on parasite

Droncit for tapeworm tabs $7 per tablet; injectables are more
Pyrantel for roundworm $12.50 per dose
Panicure for Giardia, $17-35 per dose

Clearly, the income potential is based on the number of services and clinical procedures that are performed.

Although it's unethical to perform unnecessary services, a smart vet may offer packages of services to his clients so that they may benefit from routine work. For example, an annual physical combined with flea preventative and possible teeth cleaning may be attractive to a certain percentage of pet owners.

Veterinarians can also bring in additional income by selling therapeutic dog food. This is usually prescription dog food such as specific foods for dogs with diabetes, skin sensitivity, kidney stones, and obesity. The brands usually used are Hills, Iams, and Eukanuba. They run from $30-$80/bag of food.

Grooming may be an additional income revenue generator, with a percentage of grooming services taken from the groomer, or a flat monthly rate offered for rental of the room in the vet's practice.

Table 5. Grooming Services for Small Pets

To a large extent, vets in private practice do have control over their salaries. They can adjust rates to make them more affordable to fit the demographics in the area. They can also create package deals that are offered routinely.