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Veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian

The differences between 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 a veterinarian and a small animal veterinarian. Additionally, a veterinarian has an average salary of $109,524, which is higher than the $65,546 average annual salary of a small animal veterinarian.

The top three skills for a veterinarian include PET, customer service and diagnostic tests. The most important skills for a small animal veterinarian are PET, excellent interpersonal, and patient care.

Veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian overview

VeterinarianSmall Animal Veterinarian
Yearly salary$109,524$65,546
Hourly rate$52.66$31.51
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs13,25514,844
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian salary

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

VeterinarianSmall Animal Veterinarian
Average salary$109,524$65,546
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $205,000Between $31,000 And $135,000
Highest paying CityPortland, ME-
Highest paying stateMaine-
Best paying companyPittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between veterinarian and small animal veterinarian education

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

VeterinarianSmall Animal 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 small animal veterinarian demographics

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

VeterinarianSmall Animal Veterinarian
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 37.1% Female, 62.9%Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
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, 1.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% Asian, 4.7% White, 83.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage15%15%

Differences between veterinarian and small animal 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

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.

Veterinarian vs small animal veterinarian skills

Common veterinarian skills
  • PET, 38%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 6%
  • Preventative Care, 5%
  • Blood Draws, 5%
  • Client Communication, 4%
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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Updated January 8, 2025

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