Veterinarian salary by state
Veterinarians in the U.S. earned a median of $130,100 a year in May 2025, about $62.55 an hour (BLS). Eight in ten earned between $73,920 and $215,700. Pay depends heavily on the state: the highest medians were California ($163,920), Maryland ($163,170), Washington ($160,510).
Veterinarian pay in every state
Sorted by median pay. Open a state for its percentiles, rank, the other veterinary roles there and what clinics are posting now. BLS did not publish a veterinarian median for Alaska, Delaware.
| State | Median a year | Median an hour | 10th to 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $163,920 | $78.81 | $74,850 to $286,330 |
| Maryland | $163,170 | $78.45 | $104,030 to $214,960 |
| Washington | $160,510 | $77.17 | $97,140 to $265,600 |
| New Jersey | $160,140 | $76.99 | $103,720 to $274,850 |
| Arizona | $152,020 | $73.09 | $81,990 to $262,990 |
| Massachusetts | $140,260 | $67.43 | $96,320 to $260,010 |
| District of Columbia | $134,530 | $64.68 | $69,990 to $294,160 |
| Illinois | $133,580 | $64.22 | $74,840 to $280,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,520 | $64.19 | $79,780 to $268,870 |
| Minnesota | $133,110 | $64.00 | $83,280 to $217,580 |
| New York | $131,830 | $63.38 | $89,130 to $251,000 |
| Vermont | $131,820 | $63.38 | $91,290 to $213,060 |
| Florida | $131,660 | $63.30 | $62,430 to $209,520 |
| Texas | $131,330 | $63.14 | $76,510 to $203,920 |
| Colorado | $130,840 | $62.90 | $77,710 to $211,930 |
| Maine | $130,600 | $62.79 | $81,780 to $194,680 |
| Hawaii | $130,120 | $62.56 | $62,460 to $188,130 |
| New Mexico | $129,390 | $62.21 | $79,450 to $212,850 |
| North Carolina | $129,240 | $62.13 | $77,650 to $209,340 |
| West Virginia | $128,990 | $62.01 | $54,830 to $201,910 |
| Oregon | $128,880 | $61.96 | $78,420 to $205,850 |
| New Hampshire | $128,190 | $61.63 | $74,780 to $283,460 |
| Virginia | $126,730 | $60.93 | $63,350 to $220,170 |
| Georgia | $126,590 | $60.86 | $66,710 to $167,620 |
| Rhode Island | $126,570 | $60.85 | $106,730 to $196,300 |
| Connecticut | $126,190 | $60.67 | $46,960 to $218,720 |
| Nevada | $125,550 | $60.36 | $98,860 to $189,620 |
| Michigan | $125,390 | $60.28 | $75,900 to $192,800 |
| Ohio | $125,060 | $60.12 | $54,050 to $207,190 |
| Iowa | $124,610 | $59.91 | $72,800 to $168,950 |
| Indiana | $124,530 | $59.87 | $63,630 to $173,810 |
| Louisiana | $124,370 | $59.79 | $64,690 to $165,560 |
| Tennessee | $124,350 | $59.78 | $98,500 to $167,900 |
| Utah | $123,990 | $59.61 | $75,970 to $215,720 |
| South Carolina | $122,130 | $58.72 | $48,140 to $200,860 |
| Idaho | $116,170 | $55.85 | $43,290 to $168,840 |
| Missouri | $114,660 | $55.12 | $61,270 to $193,860 |
| Wisconsin | $108,780 | $52.30 | $79,350 to $159,940 |
| Arkansas | $107,710 | $51.78 | $38,870 to $153,370 |
| Kansas | $107,080 | $51.48 | $71,200 to $177,110 |
| Alabama | $105,630 | $50.78 | $65,430 to $172,290 |
| Mississippi | $105,370 | $50.66 | $70,050 to $163,040 |
| Kentucky | $104,100 | $50.05 | $44,200 to $169,220 |
| Nebraska | $103,500 | $49.76 | $60,630 to $165,660 |
| North Dakota | $102,180 | $49.12 | $81,420 to $153,720 |
| Montana | $99,390 | $47.78 | $51,390 to $183,190 |
| Oklahoma | $98,090 | $47.16 | $51,710 to $208,000 |
| Wyoming | $97,240 | $46.75 | $55,420 to $149,070 |
| South Dakota | $88,650 | $42.62 | $61,640 to $128,920 |
What clinics are posting now
Posted pay: 22 of these 197 listings, from 2 employers, state a yearly range. Ranges run from $126,000 to $275,000 a year; the middle listing's midpoint is $167,500 a year. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey data.
See all 197 open veterinarian jobs.
What the numbers mean
BLS counts employed veterinarians; practice owners who are self-employed are not in these figures. Figures are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest release, for wage and salary workers (the self-employed are not included). The median is the middle wage: half earned more, half earned less. Hourly figures are the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours, the way BLS converts between the two. Retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on November 5, 2026.
Other roles: vet tech salary ยท vet assistant salary. Career guides: how to become a vet tech, vet tech vs vet assistant.
FAQ
How much does a veterinarian make?
The U.S. median was $130,100 a year in May 2025, about $62.55 an hour (BLS).
How much does a veterinarian make an hour?
About $62.55 an hour at the U.S. median; the 10th percentile was about $35.54 and the 90th about $103.70.
Which state pays veterinarians the most?
By BLS median pay for May 2025: California ($163,920), Maryland ($163,170), Washington ($160,510).
Which state pays veterinarians the least?
The lowest medians were Oklahoma ($98,090), Wyoming ($97,240), South Dakota ($88,650).
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, veterinarians
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS state estimates (Public Data API)
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