Veterinarian salary
From 706 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 29-1131: Veterinarians
- Also filed as: Associate Veterinarian, Emergency Veterinarian
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 45% of Veterinarian filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Vca. 46 filings (7% of the total), median $145,500.
- Median up 48% since FY2020. From $108,347 in FY2020 to $160,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Veterinarian H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 706 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Veterinarian jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 29-1131, Veterinarians). The median base salary is $150,000, 22% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $110,159 and $191,580. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 45% of filings. San Francisco, CA has the most filings (81), and Vca is the employer that files the most (46).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Veterinarian
North Carolina State University18 filings · 3%$70,000
Cornell University17 filings · 2%$51,000
A Caring Doctor (Minnesota), P.A.13 filings · 2%$190,000
Ocean Avenue Veterinary Hospital13 filings · 2%$200,000
Veterinary Emergency Group13 filings · 2%$137,862
University of Minnesota12 filings · 2%$54,116
A Caring Doctor (Texas), P.C.11 filings · 2%$167,000
University of Illinois11 filings · 2%$45,000
Employers with the most Veterinarian filings. Bar: share of all Veterinarian filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 28% of filings
Mid-level · 45% of filings
Senior · 13% of filings
Expert · 14% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $112,320 | 181 |
| Level II · Qualified | $150,000 | 287 |
| Level III · Experienced | $169,897 | 82 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $200,000 | 89 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Veterinarian pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 18 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $200,034 | 81 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $158,954 | 71 |
| New York, NY | $141,440 | 45 |
| Raleigh, NC | $144,612 | 31 |
| Washington, DC | $145,000 | 30 |
| San Jose, CA | $195,998 | 27 |
| Houston, TX | $164,715 | 24 |
| Dallas, TX | $170,000 | 21 |
| Riverside, CA | $180,000 | 19 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $122,500 | 18 |
| Sacramento, CA | $140,000 | 17 |
| Ithaca, NY | $51,000 | 15 |
| Miami, FL | $145,000 | 14 |
| Atlanta, GA | $140,000 | 12 |
| Champaign, IL | $45,000 | 10 |
| Seattle, WA | $145,000 | 10 |
| Stockton, CA | $158,200 | 10 |
| Vallejo, CA | $200,048 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Veterinarian does
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.
Typical tasks
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Veterinarians (29-1131.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Veterinarians), the median annual wage was $130,100 in May 2025, with 83,900 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $150,000, 15% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $69,430 | $73,920 |
| 25th percentile | $110,159 | $101,460 |
| Median | $150,000 | $130,100 |
| 75th percentile | $191,580 | $166,120 |
| 90th percentile | $225,000 | $215,700 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $69,430 |
| 25th | $110,159 |
| 50th (median) | $150,000 |
| 75th | $191,580 |
| 90th | $225,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,347 | $83,200 | $130,000 | 213 |
| FY2021 | $117,834 | $86,299 | $142,443 | 210 |
| FY2022 | $120,000 | $94,465 | $150,000 | 238 |
| FY2023 | $120,000 | $52,867 | $160,000 | 259 |
| FY2024 | $130,000 | $82,534 | $173,750 | 246 |
| FY2025 | $130,416 | $91,728 | $170,000 | 347 |
| FY2026 | $160,000 | $138,000 | $200,000 | 359 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Veterinarian make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Veterinarian jobs is $150,000 (706 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $110,159 and $191,580.
What does an entry-level Veterinarian earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $112,320. Level I accounts for 28% of Veterinarian filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Veterinarians?
Vca (46), Medical Management International (37) and North Carolina State University (18) filed the most Veterinarian LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Veterinarians earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($150,000) is 15% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($130,100, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.