The median annual wage of veterinarians was $82,040 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $49,910, and the top 10 percent earned more than $145,230.
According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries for veterinary medical college graduates in 2011 in different private specialties were as follows:
| Food animal exclusive | $71,096 |
| Companion animal exclusive | 69,789 |
| Companion animal predominant | 69,654 |
| Food animal predominant | 67,338 |
| Mixed animal | 62,655 |
| Equine | 43,405 |
The average annual wage for veterinarians in the federal government was $88,340 in May 2010.
Veterinarians often work long hours. Some work nights or weekends, and they may have to respond to emergencies outside of scheduled work hours. About 1 in 4 veterinarians worked more than 50 hours per week in 2010.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition