Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students FAQs
What is the AVMA Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students?
A: The estimator is a predictive tool for veterinary students that can help you address a wide range of decisions regarding your career path. It provides possible salary ranges for various full-time employment scenarios for current students seeking or considering their first job as veterinarian, based on historical data. Because salary estimates are based on historical data, they are not an indication of what should be but, rather, what has been.
Final-year veterinary students can use the estimator along with other information sources to guide their first salary negotiations. Second- and third-year students can use this tool to get an idea of possible salary ranges as they consider budgeting after graduation.
Q: Who should use the AVMA Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students?
A: This estimator is specifically designed for veterinary students, especially final-year students. If you already have graduated from veterinary school, use instead the new veterinarian salary estimator or the salary tool for early-career veterinarians.
Q: How should the AVMA Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students be used?
A: Veterinary students (no years of experience in the workforce as a veterinarian) can use this estimator as one source of information in an overall strategy for career management and salary negotiation. The estimator is designed to encourage you to think about the choices and factors that impact possible salary ranges, based on data collected from previous final-year veterinary students. We encourage you to run multiple scenarios to see how various factors have historically influenced possible salary ranges. Rather than accepting the results of any scenario at face value, use the estimator as part of your individual strategy to advocate for yourself during salary negotiations or to help guide your career decisions.
Q: Am I guaranteed to get a salary that is within the range shown?
A: No. This estimator is a predictive tool that provides possible salary ranges (95% confidence intervals on each estimate) based on historical trends. The results can be used as a reference, but are not to be interpreted as recommendations or suggestions for a specific individual’s salary. Actual salaries must be negotiated between the employer and the veterinarian, in light of all relevant factors. A salary may be more or less, given the facts of the particular situation.
Q: What’s the source of the data used to develop the AVMA Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students?
A: The estimator is based on data gathered from the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 AVMA Graduating Senior Surveys. This annual survey collects information on demographics, postgraduate plans, and other variables from final-year students at U.S. veterinary colleges, as well as those at two Caribbean schools (not included in the estimator tool). A statistical model was developed to predict salary based on several of those variables. The following statistically significant factors are included in the salary estimator: graduation year, practice type, geographic location of the practice, number of offers received, and workplace community (rural, suburban, or urban).
Q: What is included in the “salary” figure that is generated?
A: Respondents to the Graduating Senior Survey are asked to provide their expected annual salary, or their guaranteed base salary plus anticipated production bonus. It is these data on which the salary estimates are based. Note that estimates do not include ancillary benefits like health or dental insurance.
Q: Why isn’t the veterinary school attended included as a variable?
A: Veterinary school is not a statistically significant variable in predicting possible salary ranges, so it was excluded from the estimator.
Q: Why do you ask about geographic location?
A: Regardless of your profession, the area of the country in which you work may have an effect on your possible salary range. A primary factor influencing this variable is the cost of living in that geographical area.
Q: Why does species focus affect salary results?
A: Data from the AVMA Graduating Senior Survey indicate that possibly salary ranges are impacted by the species focus of clinical practices. By including this variable in the estimator, the AVMA is not passing judgment on the suitability, future career opportunities, or earning potential for any given species focus.
Q: Why are some practice or employment types not available to choose from?
A: The estimator draws on data from the AVMA Graduating Senior Survey. However, not all practice or employment types had a large enough sample size to provide reliable estimates. For practice/employment types that don’t appear in the estimator, additional information may be available in the 2024 AVMA Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession.
Q: Why did I get a result that I didn’t expect?
A: The estimator draws on five years of data from the AVMA Graduating Senior Survey, which include an exceptional time period: the COVID-19 pandemic. The salary estimator is a tool to help provide guidance on salary ranges, rather than a definitive answer as to what your salary should or will be. For additional information on compensation and benefits, check out the 2024 AVMA Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession.