Which fields have good job offers?

[Dra. Cula]

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Hi everyone! I've been trying to find accurate data about which fields in the veterinary medicine still have good job offers and salary. I know the veterinary medicine is going through some hard times right now. This is one of the reasons why it has been difficult for me to decide on what I want to do after I graduate from vet school. My main interests are in neurology, working with as many species species as possible and research. However, I am open to try different things if it means a more stable future.

 

[VIN-Foundation]

Hi everyone! I've been trying to find accurate data about which fields in the veterinary medicine still have good job offers and salary. I know the veterinary medicine is going through some hard times right now. This is one of the reasons why it has been difficult for me to decide on what I want to do after I graduate from vet school. My main interests are in neurology, working with as many species species as possible and research. However, I am open to try different things if it means a more stable future.

Since you mentioned neurology, which is my specialty, the job market right now is excellent. My residents are not having any trouble findings well-paying jobs in either private practice or academia. Of course salaries are much higher in private practice. With a few exceptions, it's the same for many clinical specialties, such as surgery, ophthalmology, and radiology.

Regarding data, the AVMA Economic Summit data, shows overall low unemployment (0.5-1.5%). Salaries are increasing but real income (inflation adjusted) is still below 2010 levels. Talking with our graduates as well as practice owners, my sense is there are plenty of small animal jobs. Corporations in particular are hiring. Equine is improving but is still not what it was before the crash. Food animal depends on the region.

William Thomas

 

[allieh8607]

Since you mentioned neurology, which is my specialty, the job market right now is excellent. My residents are not having any trouble findings well-paying jobs in either private practice or academia. Of course salaries are much higher in private practice. With a few exceptions, it's the same for many clinical specialties, such as surgery, ophthalmology, and radiology.

Regarding data, the AVMA Economic Summit data, shows overall low employment (0.5-1.5%). Salaries are increasing but real income (inflation adjusted) is still below 2010 levels. Talking with our graduates as well as practice owners, my sense is there are plenty of small animal jobs. Corporations in particular are hiring. Equine is improving but is still not what it was before the crash. Food animal depends on the region.

William Thomas

Do you mean low unemployment? 🙂

 

[that redhead]

It depends what you mean by “good”. I’m in a metro area and there are always small animal GP places hiring, a lot of ads for specialists, etc. Pay for SAGP is good where I am (in my opinion.)

 

[VIN-Foundation]

Do you mean low unemployment? 🙂

Yes, thanks! I edited it for correction.

 

[Dra. Cula]

Since you mentioned neurology, which is my specialty, the job market right now is excellent. My residents are not having any trouble findings well-paying jobs in either private practice or academia. Of course salaries are much higher in private practice. With a few exceptions, it's the same for many clinical specialties, such as surgery, ophthalmology, and radiology.

Regarding data, the AVMA Economic Summit data, shows overall low unemployment (0.5-1.5%). Salaries are increasing but real income (inflation adjusted) is still below 2010 levels. Talking with our graduates as well as practice owners, my sense is there are plenty of small animal jobs. Corporations in particular are hiring. Equine is improving but is still not what it was before the crash. Food animal depends on the region.

William Thomas

Oh good!! That gives me hope. I know in ophtalmology you have the freedom to work with different species (small, large, exotics and wildlife), is it the same with neurology?

 

[VIN-Foundation]

Yes, depending on where you work. We see quite a few exotics, especially big cats. And some equine and food animal. You have equine/food animal neurology on boards.

 

[Dra. Cula]

Yes, depending on where you work. We see quite a few exotics, especially big cats. And some equine and food animal. You have equine/food animal neurology on boards.

Thank you so much for all of the helpul information!! 🙂

 

[cowgirla]

On the "work with as many species as possible" side, mixed animal jobs tend to be on the lower paying side. I do well as mixed-animal goes, and have some nice benefits, but it's certainly not on par pay-wise with most small animal only places in this area. But I get to see any species I choose - dog/cat/horse/cow/sheep/goat/alpaca are my main ones, other vets in our practice will see chickens/ducks/turkeys/peacocks, etc, rats, rabbits, pigs, etc. I haven't job hunted in four years, but there were always a scattering of mixed animal jobs out there especially if you are location flexible.

 

[KCgophervet]

Lab animal medicine is a good one for the research and the "many species" aspect. So far at the various places I've been in the lab animal medicine world I've worked with: marmosets, 3 species of macaques, baboons, owl monkeys, owls, bats, naked mole rats, hairy mole rats (yes it's a thing), ground squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, mini pigs, regular farm pigs, sheep, dogs, cats, cows, zebrafish, turtles, frogs, lamprey, salamanders, mice, rats, and probably something else I'm forgetting.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Same with path (although, of course, in the necropsy/biopsy sense). Dog, cat, sheep, goat, cow, horse, camels, llamas, alpacas, pigs, turtles, armadillos, lions, giraffes, capybaras, bearcats, mice, rats, rabbits, snow leopards, birds of prey, lemurs, and a water buffalo once.