Emergency veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian

The differences between emergency veterinarians and small animal veterinarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an emergency veterinarian and a small animal veterinarian. Additionally, an emergency veterinarian has an average salary of $94,518, which is higher than the $65,546 average annual salary of a small animal veterinarian.

The top three skills for an emergency veterinarian include PET, patients and emergency medicine. The most important skills for a small animal veterinarian are PET, excellent interpersonal, and patient care.

Emergency veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian overview

	Emergency Veterinarian	Small Animal Veterinarian
Yearly salary	$94,518	$65,546
Hourly rate	$45.44	$31.51
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	34,931	14,844
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Emergency veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian salary

Emergency veterinarians and small animal veterinarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Veterinarian	Small Animal Veterinarian
Average salary	$94,518	$65,546
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $188,000	Between $31,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	National Veterinary Associates	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between emergency veterinarian and small animal veterinarian education

There are a few differences between an emergency veterinarian and a small animal veterinarian in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Veterinarian	Small Animal Veterinarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Veterinary Medicine	Veterinary Medicine
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Emergency veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian demographics

Here are the differences between emergency veterinarians' and small animal veterinarians' demographics:

	Emergency Veterinarian	Small Animal Veterinarian
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 26.4% Female, 73.6%	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.9% Asian, 4.7% White, 83.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% Asian, 4.7% White, 83.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between emergency veterinarian and small animal veterinarian duties and responsibilities

Emergency veterinarian example responsibilities.

Receive emergency and referral cases, manage hospitalized surgical and internal medicine patients, and collaborate with general practitioners and specialists.
Train local first responders on the basics of pet CPR.
Examine, diagnose and treat a variety of ailments on pet animals, ranging from rabbits to reptiles.
Provide minor wind care including local anesthesia and suturing.
Monitor in-hospital patients and work with specialists to maintain patients' health post-procedure or during ongoing hospitalization.
Receive emergency and referral cases, manage hospitalized surgical and internal medicine patients, and collaborate with general practitioners and specialists.

Small animal veterinarian example responsibilities.

Manage wildlife rehabilitation program for native species, including state and federal rehabilitation licenses for the practice.
Gain valuable small animal and exotic pet surgical and medical experience.
Work at various small animal practices in Indiana after obtaining DVM degree
Perform healthy pet exams and administer preventative health care, including spays and neuters.
Manage wildlife rehabilitation program for native species, including state and federal rehabilitation licenses for the practice.
Supervise laboratory testing, reagent selection and flock management staff for in-house SPF poultry operation.f.

Emergency veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian skills

Common emergency veterinarian skills

PET, 35%
Patients, 26%
Emergency Medicine, 15%
DVM, 6%
Soft Tissue, 4%
Emergency Care, 3%

Common small animal veterinarian skills

PET, 35%
Excellent Interpersonal, 17%
Patient Care, 11%
Soft Tissue, 8%
DVM, 8%
Internal Medicine, 8%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Emergency Veterinarian
Emergency Veterinarian vs Small Animal Veterinarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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