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Vet, Animal Doctor, Behaviourists, Critical Care Internists, Dermatologist, Doctor, Epidemiologist, Radiologist, Surgeon
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Veterinarians (vets) provide animal health and welfare services. The types of animals range from domesticated pets or livestock, to wildlife (whether they live on land, water, or air), or even certain types of ecologically important insects, such as bees. Vets are also involved in research, regulation, and management regarding food safety, public health, and environmental decisions. In general, they:
Diagnosing and treating diseases, injuries, and other conditions often involves:
Preventive medical services include:
Some veterinarians provide services for a wide range of animals. Others restrict their practices to specific types of animals. Areas of practice may include:
Some vets specialize in a specific medical discipline such as:
Veterinarians who work with large animals may focus their practice on herd health. In this area, herd management, monitoring, and regulatory medicine are important.
Vets are often small business owners who run their own private practice. They must manage human resources, finances, and inventory, and market the business.
Some vets become representatives for food or drug companies. They share information about products or practices and ensure product efficacy and food safety.
Veterinarians may provide a wide range of services in various other industries. These include wildlife conservation, public health, food safety, agriculture development, disease surveillance, or animal welfare services.
The work can be physically demanding. Some vets are on their feet all day while others may sit at a desk. Surgery can involve standing stationary for long periods of time. Some have mobile clinics for treating animals in barns or open fields.
The work can be emotionally draining and sometimes stressful.
Job hazards include:
Many types of veterinary practice require after-hours emergency work.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in co-ordinating information to diagnose and treat sick and injured animals, and to prescribe medications; may conduct veterinary research, co-ordinate the operations of animal hospitals, clinics and mobile services to farms, and may enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal and animal-based food inspection
Interest in precision working with scientific instruments and medical equipment to diagnose diseases and perform surgery
Interest in mentoring by treating sick and injured animals, by advising clients on proper care of animals and by providing euthanasia services
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Veterinarians need:
They should enjoy:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 91 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Oct 27, 2021 and Dec 20, 2024.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery | 65 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases | 63 |
| Tasks: Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia | 63 |
| Tasks: Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals | 62 |
| Tasks: Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests | 61 |
| Work Setting: Veterinary clinic | 60 |
| Tasks: Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations | 59 |
| Health benefits: Health care plan | 50 |
| Health benefits: Dental plan | 50 |
| Tasks: Supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers | 49 |
Prospective veterinarians must complete at least 2 years of university studies. This must be followed by a 4-year doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) program or equivalent. Students from universities accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) or American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) must then pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). (This includes all veterinary colleges in Canada.) The NAVLE is offered in the fourth year of the DVM program.
Most applicants for DVM programs have completed more than 2 years of university studies. They have most often studied in a related faculty such as science or agriculture. Suitable pre-veterinary medicine programs are offered by post-secondary schools throughout Alberta.
After graduating from veterinary medicine, vets may choose to specialize in an area. Each specialty area requires more schooling and qualifying exams.
The following schools offer programs and courses that meet this occupation’s educational requirements. Other eligible programs and courses may be available.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
The following post-secondary schools offer DVM degree programs in other parts of Canada. However, applicants must be residents of the province for at least 1 year before applying:
Post-secondary schools throughout Alberta offer university transfer programs. These allow students to apply up to 2 years of study toward university bachelor’s degree programs. It is the student’s job to ensure the courses they choose will be accepted for credit at the school to which they wish to transfer.
Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.
The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.
Veterinarians diagnose animal illnesses, treat diseased and injured animals, perform surgery and dentistry, provide preventive medical services, and provide advice regarding the care and breeding of animals, food safety and security, research, regulation, and public health.
Under Alberta’s Veterinary Profession Act [pdf] and Veterinary Profession General Regulation [pdf], registration with the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) is mandatory. Only registered members may practice as veterinarians or use the titles veterinarian or veterinary surgeon or the abbreviation DVM.
However, registered veterinary technologists may provide veterinary services under the supervision of a registered veterinarian.
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Veterinarian.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Some vets establish their own practices. Some find employment as associates or partners in established practices. Vets who do not choose private or clinical practice may work as:
Some vets work for government agencies, universities, and private companies. They may advance in grade and salary as they gain experience.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Veterinarians
2016 NOC: 3114
87.8% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2023-2025 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $24.29 | $254.75 | $59.22 | $43.27 |
| Overall | $25.64 | $269.73 | $74.72 | $55.38 |
| Top | $34.19 | $292.21 | $104.19 | $75.62 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $126,081 |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | $126,988 |
Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) website: www.abvma.ca
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) websites: www.canadianveterinarians.net
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2024. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
