What is a veterinary surgeon and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a veterinary surgeon. For example, did you know that they make an average of $173.39 an hour? That's $360,645 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 19% and produce 16,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreVeterinary SurgeonUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $360,645

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 19%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 4.78%

Black or African American 1.39%

Hispanic or Latino 5.95%

Unknown 4.29%

White 83.33%

Gender

female 45.45%

male 54.55%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a veterinary surgeon

  1. Explore veterinary surgeon education requirements

    Most common veterinary surgeon degrees

    Bachelor's

    40.0 %

    Doctorate

    34.3 %

    Master's

    20.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific veterinary surgeon skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    PET92.31%
    Animal Hospital4.66%
    Diagnostic Tools1.04%
    Physical Exams1.01%
    Clinical Procedures0.97%
  3. Complete relevant veterinary surgeon training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New veterinary surgeons learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a veterinary surgeon based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real veterinary surgeon resumes.
  4. Research veterinary surgeon duties and responsibilities

    • Attain proficiency in high volume spay/neuter surgeries in order to support the mission of fighting pet overpopulation.
    • Perform dental procedures like fabrication of complete dentures, removable partial dentures, crowns, root canal treatment etc.
    • Practice include investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of most dental relate problems.
    • Perform general dentistry services, including the diagnosis, treatment of diseases and injuries.
  5. Apply for veterinary surgeon jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a veterinary surgeon job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Veterinary Surgeon Job

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Average veterinary surgeon salary

The average Veterinary Surgeon salary in the United States is $360,645 per year or $173 per hour. Veterinary surgeon salaries range between $187,000 and $694,000 per year.

Average Veterinary Surgeon Salary
$360,645 Yearly
$173.39 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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