NATIONAL REPORT — Where are the jobs in veterinary medicine?
The answer: They're everywhere. It's not a sixth sense. State employment agencies, Occupational Employment Statistics surveys,
employment demographers and the Bureau of Labor Statistics studies show veterinary medicine will grow about 25 percent during
the next five years, making it the 91st fastest growing profession through 2012, according to Career InfoNet.
Table 1. Top 10 states with the highest average annual veterinary job openings
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Numbers of veterinarians are expected to grow at least 11 percent in 42 states through 2012, with the highest increases in
New Jersey, Nevada, Virginia, Kentucky and Wyoming (see Table 3).
Currently, California has the most veterinarians with 6,861, followed by Texas (5,123) and Florida (4,189), according
to the American Veterinary Medical Association (see Table 2). These three states might be the best places to be for employment
opportunities, too, with estimates of at least 150 job openings each year between now and 2012 (see Table 1).
Table 2. 2004 numbers of veterinarians by state
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Employment of veterinarians is expected to rise 10 to 17 percent for all occupations during the 2004-2014 projection period,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor. "Despite this average growth, very good job opportunities are expected because
the 28 schools of veterinary medicine, even at full capacity, result in a limited number of graduates each year," reports
the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
"As pets are increasingly viewed as a member of the family, pet owners will be more willing to spend on advanced veterinary
medical care, creating further demand for veterinarians," the book adds.
Inside, outside the beltway
Although roughly 90 percent of graduating veterinarians enter private practice, Washington, Atlanta and cities that house
state public health agencies promise to welcome new employees as the job outlook for veterinarians remains robust in emerging
public health and food production sectors, according to Dr. Andrew Maccabe, associate executive director of the Association
of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.
Table 3. Percentage increase in available veterinary jobs, 2002-2012
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports an expected 13,000 annual openings for new graduates, while only
12,700 possible qualified individuals enter the job market each year.
"The work force that is in public health is starting to retire at pretty high rates, so we need to ensure students who are
in veterinary school and younger are turned on to other things that veterinarians do (besides private practice)," says Nina
Marano, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM, associate director of veterinary public health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Disease. "The shortages that are projected over the coming years are not only to fill current
spots, but because of the growth in the need for public health positions, too."
While avian flu, SARS, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and West Nile virus continue to make worldwide headlines, veterinary
positions in infectious disease and food production will continue to grow, experts say.
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