Occupation information for

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.

Currently Employed: 61,400

Yearly Projected Openings: 3,420

Typical Hourly Wage: $31.47 - $51.16

Typical Annual Salary: $65,400 - $106,400

• Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
• Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
• Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds.
• Inoculate animals against various diseases such as rabies or distemper.
• Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
• Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
• Specialize in a particular type of treatment, such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine.
• Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
• Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
• Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.

• Animal husbandry equipment
• Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use
• Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessories
• Veterinary injection or suction units or accessories
• Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters

• Data base user interface and query software
• Medical software
• Office suite software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software