United States: The 11 States with the Highest Salaries for Veterinarians

Whether you’re a recent graduate or have recently sold your practice to move abroad, the latest employment statistics for the veterinary profession in the United States may help guide your choice of the best destination to practice. The Insider Monkey* website has just published a list of the 11 U.S. states that pay veterinarians the highest salaries, based on an analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Hawaii offers by far the highest annual income, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington, D.C. California ranks seventh, followed by Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Virginia ranks last, with an annual salary of $107,820.   Being a veterinarian in the United States offers an average annual income of about $99,000 (€90,900). If this sounds appealing to you, here is a selection of the 11 best states to practice in, published on October 3, 2016.

1. Hawaii Average annual salary: $198,600 (€182,870) Average hourly wage: $95.48 (€88/hour) Hawaii tops the list by a wide margin. Practitioners working in this state are by far the highest-paid, with an annual income nearly $70,000 (€64,307) higher than in the state ranked second.

2. New Jersey Average annual salary: $127,130 (€116,740) Average hourly wage: $61.12 (€56/hour) In New Jersey, a densely populated state, the approximately 1,500 registered veterinarians enjoy a comfortable average income.
3. Connecticut Average annual salary: $125,630 (€115,728) Average hourly wage: $60.40 (€55.63/h) Despite its small size, this state is home to 780 well-paid veterinarians.

4. Rhode Island Average annual salary: $125,200 (€115,187) Average hourly wage: $60.19 (€55.37/h) This state is one of the smallest on the list, yet the average annual income for veterinarians remains high. Given its small population, only 210 veterinary practitioners are based there.
5. New York Average annual salary: $123,650 (€113,608) Average hourly wage: $59.45 (€54.62/hour) More than 3,000 veterinarians work in New York State.

6. District of Columbia Average annual salary: $118,580 (€108,946) Average hourly wage: $57.01 (€52.37/h) The capital offers a striking contrast to the rest of the country: only 100 veterinarians earn a living in Washington, D.C., although it is true that the federal district is much smaller than many states.

7. California Average annual salary: $114,870 (€105,478) Average hourly wage: $55.22 (€50.70/h) California is the third-largest and most populous state in the United States. Some 6,010 veterinarians practice in the veterinary profession there.

8. Maryland Average annual salary: $113,130 (€103,901) Average hourly wage: $54.39 (€49.95/hour) Like Massachusetts, which ranks 10th, “Little America” is a relatively small but densely populated state, home to 1,330 veterinarians.

9. Pennsylvania Average annual salary: $112,950 (€103,765) Average hourly wage: $54.31 (€49.89/hr) This founding state ranks 9th. There are 2,750 veterinarians living there. Their income, however, is hardly affected by the large number of practitioners and remains quite high.

10. Massachusetts Average annual salary: $112,040 (€102,906) Average hourly wage: $53.86 (€49.46/hr) Despite its relatively small size, 1,630 veterinarians practice in this state, which ranks third in terms of population density.

11. Virginia Average annual salary: $107,820 (€98,998) Average hourly wage: $51.84 (€47.60/hr) Although Virginia ranks last on the list, it still offers an average annual income that exceeds the national average by $8,000 (€7,346). Approximately 2,500 veterinarians are registered there.

  * http://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/11-highest-paying-states-for-veterinarians-474929/