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What is a public health veterinarian and how to become one
Public health veterinarians focus on health issues related to the interaction between animal and human populations. They practice veterinary medicine paying special attention to preventing diseases caused by animal-related sources, such as viruses passed on to humans from certain species.
You will be in regular contact with health agencies, discussing the risks of diseases and potential outbreaks. You will collect and analyze data about risk factors related to infectious diseases. You will work on investigating, controlling, and preventing outbreaks of diseases by examining food production or agricultural practices. You will be responsible for educating the population about risks and preventive measures and the correct course of action in emergencies.
You will need a master's degree in public health with a focus on veterinary practice. You might acquire a doctor of medicine or veterinary medicine degree or get licensure or certification as a public health practitioner. This position will earn you an average annual salary of $76,368.
What general advice would you give to a public health veterinarian?
Jamie Rauscher RVT
Medical Manager, Animal Hospital of Towne Lake and Cat Clinic of Woodstock
Avg. Salary $62,550
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 19%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%
Asian 3.93%
Black or African American 1.25%
Hispanic or Latino 4.18%
Unknown 4.09%
White 86.29%
Genderfemale 60.47%
male 39.53%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Key steps to become a public health veterinarian
Explore public health veterinarian education requirements
Start to develop specific public health veterinarian skills
Skills Percentages Plant Management 32.43% EEO 24.89% HACCP 23.83% Public Health Professionals 10.57% Animal Handling 2.12% Complete relevant public health veterinarian training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public health veterinarians 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 public health veterinarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public health veterinarian resumes.Research public health veterinarian duties and responsibilities
- Manage wildlife rehabilitation program for native species, including state and federal rehabilitation licenses for the practice.
- Plan, coordinate and conduct USDA inspections at various plants.
- Guide new facilities transitioning to USDA inspection in developing programs that comply with federal regulatory requirements.
- Manage wildlife rehabilitation program for native species, including state and federal rehabilitation licenses for the practice.
Apply for public health veterinarian jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a public health veterinarian job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first public health veterinarian job
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Average public health veterinarian salary
The average public health veterinarian salary in the United States is $62,550 per year or $30 per hour. Public health veterinarian salaries range between $28,000 and $137,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
