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Veterinarian vs public health veterinarian

The differences between veterinarians and public health veterinarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a veterinarian and a public health veterinarian. Additionally, a veterinarian has an average salary of $109,524, which is higher than the $62,550 average annual salary of a public health veterinarian.

The top three skills for a veterinarian include PET, customer service and diagnostic tests. The most important skills for a public health veterinarian are plant management, EEO, and HACCP.

Veterinarian vs public health veterinarian overview

VeterinarianPublic Health Veterinarian
Yearly salary$109,524$62,550
Hourly rate$52.66$30.07
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs13,25563,067
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a veterinarian do?

Veterinarians are responsible for diagnosing the injuries and illnesses of animals through a variety of procedures. Veterinarians often perform vaccinations to protect animals from diseases, but they can also be involved with an animal's dental health as well. Some other duties include prescribing medication, performing surgical procedures, and dressing wounds. Veterinarians are concerned with all aspects of an animal's well-being, which inclues emergency procedures as well as long-term preventative healthcare. Veterinarians are also known as "vets," and most conduct their work in private clinics.

What does a public health veterinarian do?

Public Health Veterinarians require participation in a public health program that leads to a master's degree in public health with a focus on veterinarian medicine, should this be their career choice. Earning an average of $76K per year, it is a position that requires a great deal of compassion, as well as manual dexterity, and decision-making, interpersonal, problem-solving, and management skills. They are often needed to consulting with physicians, emergency rooms, legislators, local officials, schools, health departments, and the public on disease control and preventative measures of diseases spread by animals.

Veterinarian vs public health veterinarian salary

Veterinarians and public health veterinarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

VeterinarianPublic Health Veterinarian
Average salary$109,524$62,550
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $205,000Between $28,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CityPortland, ME-
Highest paying stateMaine-
Best paying companyPittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between veterinarian and public health veterinarian education

There are a few differences between a veterinarian and a public health veterinarian in terms of educational background:

VeterinarianPublic Health Veterinarian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorVeterinary MedicineVeterinary Medicine
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Veterinarian vs public health veterinarian demographics

Here are the differences between veterinarians' and public health veterinarians' demographics:

VeterinarianPublic Health Veterinarian
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 37.1% Female, 62.9%Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.1% Asian, 4.8% White, 83.1% 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 Percentage15%15%

Differences between veterinarian and public health veterinarian duties and responsibilities

Veterinarian example responsibilities.

  • Manage wildlife rehabilitation program for native species, including state and federal rehabilitation licenses for the practice.
  • Advise researchers on animal surgery protocols for NIH and NSF grant proposals
  • Support community organizations/humane society organizations in their rabies, immunization, spay and neuter and pet adoption programs.
  • Work as a general DVM.
  • Full service hospital, USDA accreditation
  • Perform surgery using CO2 laser.
  • Show more

Public health veterinarian example 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.
  • Advance services include enucleation, fracture fixation, Ultrasonography, chemotherapy and others.

Veterinarian vs public health veterinarian skills

Common veterinarian skills
  • PET, 38%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 6%
  • Preventative Care, 5%
  • Blood Draws, 5%
  • Client Communication, 4%
Common public health veterinarian skills
  • Plant Management, 32%
  • EEO, 25%
  • HACCP, 24%
  • Public Health Professionals, 11%
  • Animal Handling, 2%
  • Disease Control, 2%

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