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Animal Doctor, Associates, Behaviorists, Critical Care Internists, Dermatologists, Doctor, Epidemiologists, Radiologists, Surgeons
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. They are also involved in food safety, public health, and environmental management. 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. These may include:
Some vets specialize in a 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 with private practices are small business owners. They must manage human resources, finances, and inventory and market the business.
Some vets become representatives for food or drug companies. They promote certain products or practices.
Salaried veterinarians may provide a wide range of services. These include wildlife conservation, public health, food safety, agriculture development, disease surveillance, or animal welfare services. Salaried vets working in private practice are referred to as associates.
The work can be physically demanding. Veterinarians are on their feet all day. 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.
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 to possess:
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 74 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Oct 27, 2021 and Apr 13, 2024.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery | 49 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests | 48 |
| Work Setting: Veterinary clinic | 47 |
| Tasks: Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases | 47 |
| Tasks: Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals | 47 |
| Tasks: Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia | 47 |
| Tasks: Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations | 45 |
| Health benefits: Health care plan | 43 |
| Health benefits: Dental plan | 43 |
| Construction Specialization: Reliability | 39 |
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. They must then pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). It is administered 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 search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
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.
Alberta has an interprovincial quota system agreement with Saskatchewan. This requires the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to accept 20 Alberta students annually. Applicants must have completed at least 2 years of full-time post-secondary instruction at a recognized college or university. They must also complete an interview.
Elsewhere in Canada, the following post-secondary schools offer DVM degree programs. However, applicants must be residents of the province for at least 1 year prior to 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 responsibility 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 and public health.
Under Alberta's Veterinary Profession Act and General Regulation, only registered veterinary members of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) may call themselves or practice as Veterinarians. However, animal health 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: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Some vets establish their own practices. Most 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. 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.
In the 3114: Veterinarians occupational group, 87.8% of people work in:
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 3114: Veterinarians occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2.6% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 57 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
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 example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
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, 2018. 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.
