Veterinarian

What does a veterinarian do?

• Examine animals, diagnose illness and injury, and decide on treatment.
• Perform surgery, from routine neutering to complex operations.
• Vaccinate animals and advise owners on nutrition, behaviour and preventive care.
• Take and interpret X-rays, scans and laboratory tests.
• Visit farms to treat livestock and help farmers keep herds healthy.
• Carry out euthanasia when it is the kindest option, and support owners through the loss.
• Inspect animals and food products to protect public health and animal welfare.

Where do they work?

Most veterinarians work in private practices that treat pets, farm animals, horses or a mix of species. Others work in animal hospitals, government veterinary and food safety services, research laboratories, universities, zoos, wildlife organisations, the armed forces or the pharmaceutical and food industries. Practice work often includes evenings, weekends and emergency on-call duty, and farm work means travel and time outdoors in all weather. The emotional strain of the job, including euthanasia and difficult conversations with owners, is widely recognised.

What skills do you need?

• Knowledge of anatomy and disease across many species
• Diagnostic and surgical skills
• Calm and safe handling of animals
• Clear, compassionate communication with owners
• Decision-making under pressure
• Physical stamina
• Ethics and animal welfare
• Business awareness

Official skills profile (ESCO)

Essential skills listed for this occupation in ESCO, the European Commission's multilingual classification of skills and occupations.

• collect samples from animals for diagnostic purposes
• implant microchips in animals
• develop an animal handling strategy
• perform euthanasia on animals
• manage pain for veterinary patients
• manage the use of vaccines
• provide sedation to animals
• advise on animal welfare
• manage licensed animal medications
• provide first aid to animals
• apply veterinary epidemiology
• perform laboratory testing on samples of animals

Essential knowledge: fundamental veterinary sciences · safe work practices in a veterinary setting · animal welfare · animal behaviour · environmental enrichment for animals · physiology of animals · anatomy of animals · signs of animal illness

How do you become a veterinarian?

In most countries you study veterinary medicine as a first degree straight after secondary school, which typically takes five to six years. In the United States and Canada, you complete pre-veterinary university courses, usually as part of a bachelor's degree, before a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme. Entry is very competitive and usually needs top grades in chemistry and biology, plus practical experience with animals, for example on farms or in veterinary practices. After graduating, you register with the national or state veterinary regulator and, in some countries, pass a licensing exam. A few countries offer shorter graduate-entry programmes for science graduates.

1. Veterinary degree after school. Most countries, including the UK, most of Europe, India and much of Latin America, offer veterinary degrees that start after secondary school and last five to six years. Courses cover animal science, disease, surgery and public health, with a lot of practical training in clinics and on farms. Places are limited, so strong grades and animal experience are essential.
2. Graduate-entry veterinary medicine. In the United States and Canada, veterinary medicine is a four-year professional programme taken after university study. Most students complete a bachelor's degree in biology, animal science or a similar subject first. Some universities in the UK and Australia also offer graduate-entry programmes for science graduates, typically around four years long.
3. Specialisation. After some years in practice, veterinarians can specialise in areas such as surgery, internal medicine, pathology or exotic animals through internships, residencies and specialist exams. Others take master's or doctoral degrees in public health, epidemiology or research. Specialist training is long, and places are limited in most countries.

Degrees that lead to this career

• Veterinary science

  A veterinary science degree trains you to diagnose, treat and prevent disease in animals, from pets and farm animals to horses and wildlife.

  3 linked careers

• Biology

  A biology degree teaches how living things work, from molecules and cells to whole organisms and ecosystems.

  6 linked careers

• Agriculture

  An agriculture degree teaches the science and business of producing food and other products from crops and animals, from soil and plant science to farm management and sustainability.

  5 linked careers

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Do you need a licence to work as a veterinarian?

Veterinary medicine is a licensed profession in almost every country. You must graduate from an approved programme and register with the national or state veterinary regulator before you can treat animals. The United States and Canada use a shared national licensing exam, and each state or province issues the licence. Within the European Union, veterinary qualifications that meet shared training standards are generally recognised between member states. Vets trained elsewhere often need to pass extra exams, so check the regulator where you want to work.

How much does a veterinarian earn?

Pay in the United States

• $130,100Median annual wage, May 2025
• $73,920–$215,700Range from the lowest-paid 10% to the highest-paid 10%
• 83.9KPeople employed in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1131, May 2025. National estimates across all industries; excludes the self-employed.

Earnings of Professionals around the world

Most countries do not publish pay for single job titles. The International Labour Organization collects median monthly earnings for broad occupation groups instead. This career belongs to ISCO-08 major group 2, "Professionals". The table covers the whole group, which includes veterinarian and many other occupations.

Source: ILOSTAT, median monthly earnings of employees, latest year available. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries so figures can be compared. "vs all employees" compares the group's median with the median for all occupations in the same country.

Career progression

1. Newly qualified or graduate vet
2. Veterinarian
3. Senior veterinarian or practice partner
4. Specialist or clinical director
5. Practice owner, chief veterinary officer or professor

Job outlook

Demand for veterinarians is supported by pet ownership, food safety and the control of animal diseases that can spread to people. Many countries report difficulty recruiting vets, especially for farm animal and rural practice. Stress and burnout are well-known problems in the profession, linked to long hours, emotional strain and, in some countries, debt from long training. Large companies now own many practices in some countries, which is changing working conditions and career paths.

Questions about becoming a veterinarian

How long does it take to become a vet?

In most countries, a veterinary degree takes five to six years after secondary school. In the United States and Canada, you usually complete a bachelor's degree and then a four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, so around eight years in total. Specialising in areas such as surgery or cardiology adds several more years of internships and residency training.

What subjects do you need to become a vet?

Veterinary schools usually ask for high grades in chemistry and biology, and often mathematics or physics. Most also expect practical experience with animals, such as time in veterinary practices, on farms or with animal charities. In the United States and Canada, you need set science courses during your university study. Competition is strong, so check each school's requirements early.

Can vets work in other countries?

Often, yes, but you need to register with the veterinary regulator in the new country. Some regulators accept degrees from approved foreign programmes, while others require you to pass their own exams. Within the European Union, veterinary qualifications meeting shared standards are generally recognised between member states. Language requirements and practical assessments are also common.

Do vets only work with pets?

No. Many vets treat pets, but others work with farm animals, horses, zoo animals or wildlife. Some work in government services that control animal disease and check food safety, in research on vaccines and medicines, or in teaching. A veterinary degree also leads to roles in public health, where vets help prevent diseases that pass from animals to people.

Related careers

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Sources

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — SOC 29-1131, national estimates, May 2025
2. ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation — ISCO-08 major groups, latest year per country
3. European Commission — ESCO occupation profile — ESCO code 2250.3

How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). How to become a veterinarian: degrees, skills and salary. https://coursetojob.com/careers/veterinarian/ (accessed September 26, 2026)

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