How much does a vet earn a year?

Question

I am fourteen years old, and I would like to become a vet. How many years do you study for that proffesion? Also, how much do they earn a year? Is it a proffesion with many drawbacks or perks? I LOVE animals, so being a vet would be a great experience. Currently, my friend and I have a business where we sell greeting cards and donate the money to animal shelters. We both want to be vets, and were wondering if it is a good idea to partener up and have a clinic together. Maybe in two different places in the U.S. What do you think? This is our website if you want to know more about us. (I draw the cards) Thank you for all your answers!!! www.sandrshelterhelpers.com

Answer 1

As far as I know, vets are not very well paid considering the cost of their education. The vet school near me requires a 4-year undergraduate degree in a science field in order to be considered for admission. Vet school itself takes at least another 4 years and is very, very expensive. But if being a vet is really what you want to do, don't let that stop you. Most of the vets I know seem very happy and satisfied with their line of work.
I currently work part-time as a vet assistant, and it is a very fun and rewarding job, although it can be difficult at times. For me, the best perk is being able to work around animals all day, and always have new, interesting things to do. The biggest drawback is you often see a lot of very sad things like abuse and neglect. It can also be rather hazardous - I get bitten and scratched nearly every day.
My best advice to you is to get a job as a vet tech when you are a little older, or volunteer at a shelter to see how you like it. Some clinics and shelters require you to be board certified, but there are some that will hire people without certification to help restrain animals and draw vaccines. If you like the work, go for it!

P.S. You have a really great website! Keep up the good work!

Answer 2

To become a vet you now have to get into University and take 2 years of a science program and take the MCAT before you can apply to Vet school which is then another 4-5 years depending on if you want to specialize or not.

Starting salary is usually around $60,000/year. You can make up to $200,000 if you have your own clinic but it's a lot of work.

Depending on what type of vet you would like to be, large animal, small animal, etc your hours can vary durastically which can be a drawback, especially if you would like to become an equine vet.

Having your own clinic is a huge responsibility. I personally would suggest working for other clinics and maybe becoming partners with people who have experience in running the clinic and dealing with things like the pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Hope this helps in your decision! Being a vet is a great profession and is very rewarding!

Answer 3

Hi. Vets make around $150,000 to $200,000 per year depending on what type of clinic they have and what specialty they pursue. Small animal clinics do wonderful with dogs, cats etc. Some specialize in horses etc...just depends on what you want for your future clinic. Get to know the vets in your neighborhood and maybe offer to volunteer a few weekends a month & you'll get a great idea of all that they do. It's a wonderful profession and I hope you & your friend keep pursuring your dreams. Good luck & many blessings, Patti

Answer 4

If becoming a veterinarian is what you want to do because you enjoy working with animals, then you should become a vet. However, if you want to become a vet because of the money, then you should look for a different type of work. Money should only be secondary when deciding to become a vet. If you do well as a vet, you will make more money. If you are not a good vet, you will make less.

Answer 5

I used to work for a vet-school and I can tell you that vets don't make what they are worth. They invest close to half a million dollars for their entire education and most come out of school making $60-80K a year. It takes them 30 years just to pay off their education. It's a shame modern society finds it ok to pay MDs over $100K and year and don't want to do the same for their animal doctors.