Online Degrees

Veterinary Medicine Degrees

Salaries For Degrees in Veterinary Medicine

People with a degree in Veterinary Medicine can be employed in a variety of jobs. While no one can say with certainty what you personally will do with a degree in Veterinary Medicine, our survey panel picked the following jobs as likely options:

• Veterinarians (Best salary!)
• Veterinary technologists and technicians

The median salary for people with a degree in Veterinary Medicine is $47,089.13. The lifetime value of this degree is approximately $1,209,678.00.

The employment outlook for veterinarians is expected to be better than average and grow much faster than other careers. Part of this is due to the retirement of older veterinarians and the tendency for new graduates to seek employment in urban areas rather than rural locations. There has been a great increase in the pet population as well. Pet insurance has prompted better care, and more care. Veterinary medicine is now on the same level as human medicine for treatment of cancer, preventative dental work, joint replacements, transplants, and blood transfusions. There also has been an increased demand for veterinarians in government research facilities and agencies. The small number of colleges offering accredited Veterinary Medicine degrees has also limited the number of graduates yearly. Average salaries range from about $43,000 to $94,000.

Salaries are highly dependent on how skilled one is at negotiation, seniority in the field, policies at your employer, location, and more besides. The estimates we show on these pages are just that: estimates. Your individual experience will likely vary.

Where does this come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the US government, classifies all workers into some 800-odd occupational categories. We paid a team of freelancers to get their opinion on what type of degree a holder of each type of job would likely have majored in. For pairs which had a high degree of consensus, we created a link between the degree and the job.

From this, we calculated the average salary for Veterinary Medicine degrees and converted it into a lifetime value. We then compared it against other degrees at the same level of schooling (such as associate's, bachelor's, or master's), so that you can make informed educational and employment decisions.

What do Veterinary Students Learn?

Students who are studying to earn Veterinary Medicine degrees will discover they have many specialty options from which to choose. This career is a branch of science that deal primarily with animals, but can also greatly benefit humans.

The animal life a veterinarian will work with may include wildlife and domesticated animals such as livestock, companion animals and working animals. Research studies within the realm of veterinary medicine not only study animal life, but human life. The use of animal research for development and study of human remedies for disease and disability is widely known. Veterinary scientists are highly qualified professionals who work with animals to discover cures for human diseases, help fight the spread of infectious diseases, and certain care procedures for human ailments including joint replacements, dental and medical problems. Animals have led the way to perfection of root canals, cataract extractions, insulin treatment, pacemaker installations and hip replacements.

Veterinarians help monitor zoonotic disease and work with epidemiologists to combat the spread of infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans. In this career, students will work with principles of medicine, surgery, public heath, dentistry, and diagnostic and therapeutic treatments. They may work directly with animals, or in research laboratories. Specialties within veterinary medicine are similar to those in human medicine. Over 20 special areas of interest include emergency care, behavior, anesthesiology, dermatology, internal medicine, oncology, critical care, cardiology neurology, radiology, ophthalmology and surgery.

Many animals suffer from the same illnesses and complaints as humans. A veterinarian may find they are working with locomotor and orthopedic problems of large animals like horses. Animals suffer from digestive tract disorders that can be fatal if not treated properly. Wild animals and zoo animals also require veterinary care of the highest quality. Veterinary jobs that are industry related include positions in pharmaceutical research, zoology medicine, biological, food, chemical and agricultural careers.

Training for Veterinary Medicine Degrees

A veterinarian is a highly educated specialist, and similar to a medical doctor, they need to first graduate from veterinary school and then follow up with an internship and residency. A rigorous examination is the last step in this education process. At least 26 states have excellent schools for veterinary medicine that are approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Students should have either an existing degree or a major amount of coursework in the field of science and mathematics to get accepted into an accredited veterinary school. Preliminary courses should include science courses in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, animal biology, nutrition genetics, cellular biology, zoology, microbiology, and physiology. Mathematics courses should include algebra, trigonometry and statistics or calculus. The general studies courses should include social studies, English and humanities. Business administration or management courses are also advised.

Certain test scores are important, including the Graduate Record Examination, Veterinary College Admission Test, or the Medical College Admission Test. Most schools at least require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission to their veterinary school.

Online Veterinary Medicine Degree Programs

It is possible to study veterinary medicine online, through those schools that are accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. Some schools are only available to their own state residents. Some that are AVMA accredited include the following:

Blue Ridge Community College
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program—VA Residents Only
540-234-9261
http://community.brcc.edu/vettech/

Cedar Valley College
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
972-860-8127 FAX 972-860-8057
www.devtp.org

Jefferson State Community College
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
205-856-8519
www.jeffstateonline.com/VetTech/index.aspx

Moraine Park Technical College
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
920-922-8611
www.morainepark.edu

Northern Virginia Community College
703-450-2525
www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/scidiv/VTech/

Penn Foster College
Veterinary Technician Distance Education Program
800-275-4410
www.pennfostercollege.edu

Purdue University
School of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
765-494-7619
www.vet.purdue.edu/vettech/index.html

St. Petersburg College
Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
727-341-3652
http://www.spcollege.edu/hec/vt/index.htm

Campus-based Colleges & Universities With Famous for Veterinary Medicine Degrees

One of the most famous is Michigan State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary medicine courses have been taught here since the University’s founding in 1855. The College of Veterinary Medicine was started in 1910, offering a four year degree programs. Faculty includes many national and internationally famous leaders in veterinary medicine.

Michigan State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
G-100 Veterinary Medical Center
East Lansing, MI 48824-1314
(517) 355-6509
http://cvm.msu.edu

Other states that have Veterinary Medicine schools include the following:

ALABAMA
Auburn University
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu

Tuskegee University
http://tuskegee.edu

CALIFORNIA
University of California
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu

Western University of Health Sciences
http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/veterinary/about.xml

COLORADO
Colorado State University
http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu

FLORIDA
University of Florida
http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu

GEORGIA
University of Georgia
http://www.vet.uga.edu

ILLINOIS
University of Illinois
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu

INDIANA
Purdue University
http://www.vet.purdue.edu

IOWA
Iowa State University
http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu

KANSAS
Kansas State University
http://www.vet.ksu.edu

LOUISIANA
Louisiana State University
http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu

MASSACHUSETTS
Tufts University
http://www.tufts.edu/vet

MINNESOTA
The University of Minnesota
http://www.cvm.umn.edu

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi State University
http://www.cvm.msstate.edu

MISSOURI
University of Missouri-Columbia
http://www.cvm.missouri.edu

NEW YORK
Cornell University
http://www.vet.cornell.edu

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina State University
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/

OHIO
The Ohio State University
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma State University
http://www.cvm.okstate.edu

OREGON
Oregon State University
http://www.vet.orst.edu

PENNSYLVANIA
University of Pennsylvania
http://www.vet.upenn.edu

TENNESSEE
University of Tennessee
http://www.vet.utk.edu

TEXAS
Texas A&M University
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu

VIRGINIA
Virginia Tech
http://www.vetmed.vt.edu

WASHINGTON
Washington State University
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu

WISCONSIN

University of Wisconsin-Madison
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu

Famous Veterinarians

• James Herriot – the pen name of James Alfred Wight. Scotsman who wrote “All Creatures Great and Small” that made Dr. Doolittle a famous fictional veterinarian.
• Baxter Black – Cowboy poet, radio commentator and veterinarian. 
• Debbie Turner – Miss America, black veterinarian.
• Dr. Daniel E. Salmon – discovered a disease now named after him, Salmonella. (Pictured right).
• Dr. Kriyaan Singh, Trinidad – only practicing veterinarian in a wheelchair.
• Dr. Law – founded one of the first veterinarian schools.
• Dr. Martin J. Fetman – first veterinarian in outer space.

Students entering school to obtain veterinary medicine degrees will enjoy an interesting, lucrative career helping animals and humans. It is as important as human medicine and offers a wide range of opportunities for the new graduate.