If you’re an animal lover and you want to get the most out of your career, keep reading our list of the best states for veterinarians.
A vet is a person who is qualified to treat diseased or injured animals. It takes many years of schooling and a valid license to work as a veterinarian, as they are medical professionals for animals. They also consult and teach people how to care for their animals. If you’ve ever had a pet get sick, you know the importance of having a knowledgeable vet who can work under pressure and make good decisions to treat your pet.
Veterinarians are needed everywhere because people always have pets that need care. If you are a vet or thinking about becoming one, there are factors for your quality of life that you’ll need to consider. As long as you’re well-educated you can likely get a job anywhere. You can check out our list of the 7 Most Affordable Veterinary Schools in the US to see where it is cost-efficient to study. If you’re educated and dedicated, you’ll have a solid client base and people will trust you to care for the most precious members of their family.
While deciding on the field you’re going to enter to continue your education, other than your love for animals you’ll need to consider how much money you can make. Of course, you’re going to want to make a good amount if you’re spending a lot of time and money in school to become qualified. According to Money US News, the average salary range is anywhere from $53,210 to $158,260. This list will help you find out what states will pay you closer to the high end of that range.
In order to create this list, we took a look at a few criteria. The Bureau of Labor Statistics helped us find the average salary per state and how many vets are in each state, which we used as a starting point. We then used MERIC to find the cost of living in each state. Those three points were then averaged, as they’re all equally important. We ranked them based off of the average figure.
Pack your bags and your stethoscope and get moving to the best states for veterinarians.
25. Tennessee
Cost of living index: 89.8
Average annual wage: $84,500
Hourly wage: $40.62
You may find it interesting that more than 1,300 veterinarians are already working in Tennessee.