Small animal veterinarian vs veterinary pathologist

The differences between small animal veterinarians and veterinary pathologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a small animal veterinarian and a veterinary pathologist. Additionally, a small animal veterinarian has an average salary of $65,546, which is higher than the $53,066 average annual salary of a veterinary pathologist.

The top three skills for a small animal veterinarian include PET, excellent interpersonal and patient care. The most important skills for a veterinary pathologist are FDA, experimental design, and clinical pathology.

Small animal veterinarian vs veterinary pathologist overview

	Small Animal Veterinarian	Veterinary Pathologist
Yearly salary	$65,546	$53,066
Hourly rate	$31.51	$25.51
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	14,844	26,403
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Small animal veterinarian vs veterinary pathologist salary

Small animal veterinarians and veterinary pathologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Small Animal Veterinarian	Veterinary Pathologist
Average salary	$65,546	$53,066
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $135,000	Between $24,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Emory Healthcare
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between small animal veterinarian and veterinary pathologist education

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

	Small Animal Veterinarian	Veterinary Pathologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Veterinary Medicine	Veterinary Medicine
Most common college	University of Georgia	Cornell University

Small animal veterinarian vs veterinary pathologist demographics

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

	Small Animal Veterinarian	Veterinary Pathologist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 1.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 4.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 86.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between small animal veterinarian and veterinary pathologist duties and responsibilities

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.

Veterinary pathologist example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratory.
Assist histology and necropsy laboratories attending client's needs by investigating and establishing new techniques and improving current ones.
Plan, direct and conduct rehabilitation treatment programs.

Small animal veterinarian vs veterinary pathologist skills

Common small animal veterinarian skills

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

Common veterinary pathologist skills

FDA, 19%
Experimental Design, 17%
Clinical Pathology, 16%
GLP, 15%
Biotechnology, 14%
Peer Review, 13%

Small Animal Veterinarian vs. similar jobs

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Small Animal Veterinarian
Small Animal Veterinarian vs Veterinary Pathologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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