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How much money do u make as a vet?
How much hours do u make as a vet?
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Nirah Shomer, DVM PhD DACLAM
Senior leader in laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance
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Nirah’s Answer
The most common question I see on this forum about veterinary medicine is “what is the salary”? Median salary is about $95,000, but the range is huge- about $60,000 to $500,000. Salary depends on a number of features, principal among them your location, your field of specialty, and your years of experience. The United States bureau of labor statistics website (see link below) provides veterinary salary in great detail, breaking it down by specialty and by geographic location. However, I want to urge everyone to realize that you do not go into veterinary medicine because of the salary. It is an incredibly demanding field, and if you don’t have a great love for animals and also a great appreciation for science and biology, you will not be happy no matter how high your salary is. Right now, graduating vet students can expect to command a salary of at least $100,000 if they are working in companion animal medicine in an urban area. However, realize that those students are generally leaving with mind-boggling student debt from the eight years in college plus veterinary school that we have to attend. (According to AVMA, 82% of the class of 2022 left with debt which averaged $179,000). Also, to earn those really high salaries, 300,000+, we generally have 10+ years of experience in a specialty field such as surgery, which requires an additional 3+ years as a Veterinary resident. Resident pay is very low, and those years when you are not earning a full salary greatly affect your total lifetime earnings. There are always trade-offs. If you live in an expensive area like New York City or Hawaii, you can expect a much higher salary than a vet in rural Missouri, but you would also have a vastly higher cost of living. My advice is that you first think about whether you are motivated to be a veterinarian, and then think about what kind of veterinarian you want to be and where you want to live, and decide whether you can afford it. If you’re smart enough to get into vet school, you’re also smart enough to do something easier and more lucrative, like medical school.
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Amy’s Answer
Hi there! I'm not actually a veterinarian, but I'm a Registered Veterinary Technician, which is like a nurse for pets. Veterinarians can make anywhere from $60,000 to $160,000 pet year. The amount you make varies based on what type of medicine you want to do. General practice vets make less than a board certified surgeon, as an example. Also, when you first graduate from vet school, you generally make less and can increase your yearly pay as you get more experience.