A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses disease by examining tissues, cells and body fluids, for diagnostic labs, drug companies, zoos and wildlife agencies. BLS does not publish separate figures for veterinarians; it counts them within veterinarian (SOC 29-1131), whose median pay is $130,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 29-1131
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Veterinary Pathologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $130,100a year, or $62.55/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $74KTop 10% $216K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +9.4%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+9.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +9.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,10091,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202591.1K
- Projected 203599.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 91.1K Projected 2035 99.6K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Professional degree9.1%
- Doctorate79.2%
- Post-doctoral training11.7%
Highest education held by veterinarians Segment Value Professional degree 9.1% Doctorate 79.2% Post-doctoral training 11.7%
Also advertised as: Veterinary Anatomic Pathologist, Veterinary Clinical Pathologist, Diplomate ACVP, Toxicologic Pathologist.
Pay
How much do Veterinarians make?
Every veterinary pathologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$130,100
Middle half earn $101,460 to $166,120
- 10th
- $73,920
- 25th
- $101,460
- 75th
- $166,120
- 90th
- $215,700
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $73,920 |
| 25th | $101,460 |
| Median | $130,100 |
| 75th | $166,120 |
| 90th | $215,700 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $130,100
- Median hourly wage
- $62.55/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $142,680
- People employed
- 83,900
Versus all US occupations
At $130,100, Veterinarians earn 155% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $79,120 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $215,700 or more while the bottom 10% earn $73,920, a gap of 2.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 87% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($163,920), but once local prices are taken into account Maryland leads at $155,461 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Veterinarians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $163,920 | $148,049 | 9,170 |
| 2Maryland | $163,170 | $155,461 | 1,430 |
| 3Washington | $160,510 | $149,991 | 2,390 |
| 4New Jersey | $160,140 | $147,181 | 1,910 |
| 5Arizona | $152,020 | $150,998 | 2,080 |
| 6Massachusetts | $140,260 | $132,625 | 1,920 |
| 7District of Columbia | $134,530 | $122,410 | 190 |
| 8Illinois | $133,580 | $133,636 | 2,330 |
| 9Pennsylvania | $133,520 | $136,843 | 3,490 |
| 10Minnesota | $133,110 | $134,971 | 2,140 |
Job outlook
Is Veterinary Pathologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +9.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Veterinarians | +9.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Veterinarians to change 9.4% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.7× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 8,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,100 openings are projected each year, 3.4% of the 91,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Veterinary Pathologist
The path begins with a DVM or VMD from an AVMA-accredited college. Graduates then enter a pathology residency, usually three years and often combined with a PhD at a university, in either anatomic or clinical pathology. Certification comes from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), whose board examination is known for its difficulty.
Some pathologists go directly from veterinary school into residency, since a long internship is less often required than in clinical specialties. Industry employers value additional training in toxicologic pathology and good laboratory practice standards. Externships at diagnostic labs, research institutions or the Armed Forces programs give students early exposure.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as veterinarians.
- Doctoral Degree79.2%
- Post-Doctoral Training11.7%
- First Professional Degree9.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 79.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 11.7% |
| First Professional Degree | 9.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Veterinary Pathologist do?
Veterinary pathologists are the diagnosticians behind the scenes. Anatomic pathologists perform necropsies and read biopsy slides under the microscope to identify tumors, infections and toxic injuries. Clinical pathologists interpret blood work, bone marrow, cytology and fluid samples to help clinicians diagnose living patients.
The settings shape the work. In diagnostic laboratories, pathologists read hundreds of biopsies from general practices. In pharmaceutical and biotech companies, toxicologic pathologists evaluate tissues from safety studies that support new drug approvals. Others investigate disease outbreaks in livestock, wildlife die-offs, or deaths of zoo animals, and some testify in animal cruelty cases. The common thread is turning tissue findings into clear written diagnoses.
Day-to-day tasks
- Perform necropsies to determine cause of death
- Examine biopsy and tissue slides under the microscope
- Interpret blood smears, bone marrow and cytology samples
- Write diagnostic reports for clinicians and clients
- Evaluate tissues from preclinical drug safety studies
- Investigate disease outbreaks in livestock, wildlife or zoo collections
- Provide pathology findings for animal cruelty investigations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Pathologists work mainly in laboratories and offices, at microscopes and computer screens, with necropsy rooms for postmortem work. Employers include commercial and state diagnostic laboratories, universities, pharmaceutical and contract research companies, government agencies and zoos. Hours are usually regular, and some digital pathology roles allow remote slide reading.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Science3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.5
- Monitoring3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Service Orientation3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Coordination3.1
- Instructing3.0
- Systems Evaluation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Veterinary Pathologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Veterinarian profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Veterinary Pathologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Investigative6.0
- Realistic6.0
- Conventional3.9
- Social3.5
- Enterprising1.7
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Veterinary Pathologist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Support
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker
$38,150median a year
Most earn $30K to $49K
+9.1%High school - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with veterinarians highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Veterinary Pathologist$130,100
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Veterinary Pathologist | $130,100 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Veterinary Pathologist appears on
Questions
Veterinary Pathologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Veterinarians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for veterinarians. It counts them within veterinarian, whose median pay is $130,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $101,460 and $166,120, and the top 10% earn $215,700 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Veterinary Pathologist?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Veterinarians. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 79.2% hold doctoral degree.
Is Veterinary Pathologist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 9.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Veterinary Pathologist do?
Veterinary pathologists are the diagnosticians behind the scenes. A typical task: perform necropsies to determine cause of death. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Veterinarians the most?
The highest state medians for Veterinarians are California ($163,920), Maryland ($163,170), Washington ($160,510) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Maryland moves to the top at $155,461.
What personality type suits a Veterinary Pathologist?
O*NET scores Veterinarians highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.