Veterinarians
What they do
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About veterinarians
Other titles
Companion Animal Practitioner, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Emergency Veterinarian (Emergency Vet), Large Animal Veterinarian (Large Animal Vet), Mixed Animal Veterinarian (Mixed Animal Vet), Small Animal Veterinarian (Small Animal Vet), Veterinary Medicine Doctor (DVM), Veterinary Surgeon (Vet Surgeon), Veterinary Surgical Specialist (Vet Surgical Specialist), Zoo Veterinarian (Zoo Vet)
Tasks they perform
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requirement to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- No exam required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Background check required
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- Both state and third-party exams required
- Education
- Degree required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Specific type of conviction prohibited
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as veterinarians.
Physicians, Pathologists
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about veterinarians with these helpful sites.
- American Animal Hospital Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Bovine Practitioners (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Equine Practitioners (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Feline Practitioners (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Swine Veterinarians (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (external link opens new tab)
- American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (external link opens new tab)
- American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (external link opens new tab)
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons (external link opens new tab)
- American Heartworm Society (external link opens new tab)