The 8 Best Cities for Veterinary School Graduates
June 6, 2024According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)’s 2023 Graduating Senior Survey, the mean debt for new veterinary school graduates was $154,451, with one-third of grads carrying over $200,000 in debt. The mean full-time starting salary was $124,295.
As you leave college to start your veterinary career, it’s important to consider where to take your skills and either join a practice or start your own. To help you decide, we looked at data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to help you find the eight best cities for veterinary jobs.
Which city is best for veterinary jobs?
Getting into a career in veterinary medicine is smart if it’s something you’re passionate about. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the veterinary profession is expected to grow by 20% from 2022 to 2032, a significantly higher rate than the average of 3% across all professions.
The best places to work as a veterinarian will make it easy to get by on a salary based on the average wages and cost of living. It’ll also be an area with a decent population with plenty of available opportunities. Choosing the right location can help you repay your student loans more quickly.
Here are our top picks for the best cities for veterinary jobs.
8. Atlanta, Georgia
This capital city in the South may be the right place for you, with 1,590 veterinary jobs in total. For veterinarians who work there, the average salary is $126,460, which is the lowest on our list.
That said, the city’s cost of living is 98% of the national average, so your salary will stretch a little further here than it would in higher cost-of-living areas. The city has nearly 499,000 residents .
7. Chicago, Illinois
The Windy City metropolitan area has only 1,910 veterinarians, but over 2.7 million people live there, so it’s unlikely demand for professionals will wane anytime soon.
According to the BLS, the average salary for a veterinarian in Chicago is $128,900, and the cost of living in the city is 113.4% of the national average. Despite a lower average salary than some other major cities on our list, you may still do better in terms of how far your money will go in more expensive cities.
6. Houston, Texas
Houston and the surrounding metropolitan area have the ninth-highest number of jobs in veterinary medicine, at 1,260. The average salary for veterinarians there is $132,240.
Houston’s cost of living is 95.3% of the national average so that high salary will go a little further than it would in many other cities. Also, Houston is home to over 2.3 million people, so it’s safe to say that there will always be business.
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia’s metropolitan area also encompasses Camden, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware, so you don’t necessarily have to settle down in the City of Brotherly Love. The average veterinarian salary in the area is $135,310, which is on the higher end of our list.
Also, the cost of living in the city is just 102.7% of the national average. Among the current population of over 1.6 million, there are 1,550 veterinarians, so the demand is there, and it could be an excellent place to grow into your career.
4. Dallas, Texas
Our other pick in the Lone Star State, Dallas-Ft. Worth is a growing hub for jobs of all kinds. According to BLS, the city and its surrounding area have 1,450 veterinarians, making it one of the best cities for veterinary school graduates.
The average salary is $136,260, but Dallas’s cost of living is relatively affordable — just 102.2% of the national average. So if you want job security but also more real value from your salary, Dallas should be on your radar. The city has nearly 1.3 million people, so there will always be room for more veterinary professionals.
3. Los Angeles, California
The West Coast city could be a welcome destination for veterinary school graduates who prefer a warmer climate. Los Angeles has almost 3.9 million residents, 2,380 of which are veterinarians. While that’s low relative to the population, especially compared with some of the other cities we’ve covered, it also means the demand is high.
Just keep in mind that the city’s cost of living is very high at 147.3% of the national average, which means the average veterinarian salary of $156,780 may feel like a lot less. But with such a large population and need for veterinary medicine, you likely won’t struggle to find and keep a job.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston metropolitan area has around 1,340 veterinarians, but the city itself has fewer than half the population at 653,833. The average salary for a veterinarian there is $161,110, which is high, but with a cost of living that’s 148% of the national average, it may be more challenging to get by on that income.
That said, job security is an important aspect of a long and happy career, and Boston can be an excellent place for that.
1. New York City, New York
Our best place to work as a veterinarian is New York City, where there are a whopping 3,280 veterinarians, far more than any other city in the country. Of course, the city’s population is 8.8 million, so the demand is much higher than anywhere else.
Veterinarians in New York City can expect to earn an average salary of $161,270. But New York also has a high cost of living at 151.25% of the national average. That said, city lovers can’t beat the atmosphere in the Big Apple, and there will always be a high demand for veterinary services in such a large radius.
Are there remote jobs for veterinary graduates?
Note that if you’re seeking remote veterinary jobs, you’ll likely have fewer opportunities than you would if you were looking for in-person roles. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find any remote opportunities.
In Boston, Massachusetts, for instance, over 100 non-remote opportunities were available compared with around 25 remote veterinary jobs. The same is true for opportunities in New York.
How to Choose Where to Begin Your Career as a Veterinarian
Deciding where to live after you graduate from veterinary school can feel daunting, and it’s important to consider all aspects of each option before you choose. Consider salaries, population, cost of living, and the number of available opportunities to help guide your decision.
The best cities for veterinary school graduates offer many opportunities and room for growth, but if you have a large amount of student loan debt, you’ll also want to consider your prospects for veterinary student loan repayment. Refinancing your loans could be an option to help you secure a lower rate or consolidate existing loans to simplify your monthly payments.