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What is a small animal veterinarian and how to become one
What general advice would you give to a small animal veterinarian?
Jamie Rauscher RVT
Medical Manager, Animal Hospital of Towne Lake and Cat Clinic of Woodstock
Avg. Salary $65,546
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 19%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%
Asian 4.69%
Black or African American 1.38%
Hispanic or Latino 5.78%
Unknown 4.27%
White 83.62%
Genderfemale 68.48%
male 31.52%
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 small animal veterinarian
Explore small animal veterinarian education requirements
Start to develop specific small animal veterinarian skills
Skills Percentages PET 34.62% Excellent Interpersonal 16.87% Patient Care 10.75% Soft Tissue 8.37% DVM 7.74% Complete relevant small animal veterinarian training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New small animal 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 small animal veterinarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real small animal veterinarian resumes.Research small animal veterinarian duties and 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.
Apply for small animal veterinarian jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a small animal 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 small animal veterinarian job
Are you a small animal veterinarian?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average small animal veterinarian salary
The average small animal veterinarian salary in the United States is $65,546 per year or $32 per hour. Small animal veterinarian salaries range between $31,000 and $135,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do small animal veterinarians rate their job?
Small animal veterinarian reviews
The pros are something new everyday, meeting and helping new animals. and doing somethig i love.
Cons: losing a animal.
Working with animals
Low wages for the amount of work we put in Angry / disrespectful clients Long and unpredictable hours of work
I love how I get to do the two things I love, working in the lab, (which includes solving mysteries and helping animals) and working with my hands and still being able to come in contact with the Wildlife.
Updated January 8, 2025
