4 answers
Ash
Student
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
1
Question
Asked
3008 views
Is being a Veterinarian worth the years of medical school?
I would love to work with animals but the medical school is at least 12 years and I am unsure that the pay would be worth all of the school bills putting me into dept.
4 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1464
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Ash!
It's so inspiring to hear about your passion for animals and your curiosity about becoming a veterinarian. The journey to becoming a veterinarian is definitely a long and challenging road, but whether it's worth it or not depends on what truly drives you.
Veterinary medicine is one of those careers where passion outweighs the paycheck. If you're someone who feels a deep connection to animals and finds joy in helping them, the years of schooling and the debt can feel more like an investment in your purpose rather than just a financial burden. So,
How Long Does It Take?
It’s typically 8 years — not 12 years — to become a veterinarian:
4 years of undergraduate study (Bachelor's degree in a science-related field like Biology or Animal Science)
4 years of veterinary school to earn your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree
If you want to specialize (like surgery, wildlife medicine, or internal medicine), you'll need 2-4 more years of residency — but you'll get paid during this time.
Is the Pay Worth It?
Veterinarians typically earn between $100,000 - $150,000+ per year, depending on where you work and what type of animals you treat. While that’s a solid income, it's true that the student debt-to-income ratio in veterinary medicine is higher than in some other careers.
However, there are ways to lighten the financial load:
Apply for scholarships and grants
Consider loan forgiveness programs for working in underserved areas
Join the military or government programs that help pay for school
Start with community college or affordable undergrad options
Is It Worth It?
If your heart is set on helping animals, absolutely yes. The joy of saving lives and making a difference can outweigh the financial burden — especially if you're smart with your spending and plan your finances carefully.
The truth is, veterinary medicine is more of a calling than just a career. If you're purely looking for a high paycheck, there are faster and easier ways to earn a six-figure salary. But if you're the type of person who lights up every time you're around animals and can't imagine doing anything else — then this path could be the most rewarding journey of your life.
Follow your heart, and the rest will fall into place, yep, one paw at a time 🤔! 🐾
Start volunteering at animal shelters or vet clinics
Research affordable schools with in-state tuition
Explore scholarships like the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF)
Talk to financial aid counselors at potential colleges
Shadow a veterinarian to see if the daily work aligns with what you're imagining
It's so inspiring to hear about your passion for animals and your curiosity about becoming a veterinarian. The journey to becoming a veterinarian is definitely a long and challenging road, but whether it's worth it or not depends on what truly drives you.
Veterinary medicine is one of those careers where passion outweighs the paycheck. If you're someone who feels a deep connection to animals and finds joy in helping them, the years of schooling and the debt can feel more like an investment in your purpose rather than just a financial burden. So,
How Long Does It Take?
It’s typically 8 years — not 12 years — to become a veterinarian:
4 years of undergraduate study (Bachelor's degree in a science-related field like Biology or Animal Science)
4 years of veterinary school to earn your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree
If you want to specialize (like surgery, wildlife medicine, or internal medicine), you'll need 2-4 more years of residency — but you'll get paid during this time.
Is the Pay Worth It?
Veterinarians typically earn between $100,000 - $150,000+ per year, depending on where you work and what type of animals you treat. While that’s a solid income, it's true that the student debt-to-income ratio in veterinary medicine is higher than in some other careers.
However, there are ways to lighten the financial load:
Apply for scholarships and grants
Consider loan forgiveness programs for working in underserved areas
Join the military or government programs that help pay for school
Start with community college or affordable undergrad options
Is It Worth It?
If your heart is set on helping animals, absolutely yes. The joy of saving lives and making a difference can outweigh the financial burden — especially if you're smart with your spending and plan your finances carefully.
The truth is, veterinary medicine is more of a calling than just a career. If you're purely looking for a high paycheck, there are faster and easier ways to earn a six-figure salary. But if you're the type of person who lights up every time you're around animals and can't imagine doing anything else — then this path could be the most rewarding journey of your life.
Follow your heart, and the rest will fall into place, yep, one paw at a time 🤔! 🐾
Dr recommends the following next steps:
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Ash !
What an awesome career interest you have !
The biggest thing about preparing for a career is not worrying about it, rather having experiences for it. It's never helpful to use the future as an excuse. You either have a passion for something or not. Is the worry about the future stronger than your drive to work with animals ? You are wondering if it is worth it but only you can determine that.
Some of your college costs are covered by Federal Student Financial Aid, Work Study, Scholarships and Grants. You can refuse loans if you want. Visit the college you'd be going to for your Bachelor's Degree to talk with an official financial aid counselor about your concerns.
In your state of Washington, you would need to go to college for 4 years for a Bachelors Degree and then 4 years of Veterinary School for your Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. That is 8 years of college, just to let you know. You will have to want to do it no matter what. Once you become more informed about how you can handle the cost of your undergraduate college attendance, you may feel better about it so that visit to a financial aid office is going to be helpful to make a definite decision.
I hope this is reassuring and I think both being a Veterinarian as well as never giving up your dream is well worth it !
What an awesome career interest you have !
The biggest thing about preparing for a career is not worrying about it, rather having experiences for it. It's never helpful to use the future as an excuse. You either have a passion for something or not. Is the worry about the future stronger than your drive to work with animals ? You are wondering if it is worth it but only you can determine that.
Some of your college costs are covered by Federal Student Financial Aid, Work Study, Scholarships and Grants. You can refuse loans if you want. Visit the college you'd be going to for your Bachelor's Degree to talk with an official financial aid counselor about your concerns.
In your state of Washington, you would need to go to college for 4 years for a Bachelors Degree and then 4 years of Veterinary School for your Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. That is 8 years of college, just to let you know. You will have to want to do it no matter what. Once you become more informed about how you can handle the cost of your undergraduate college attendance, you may feel better about it so that visit to a financial aid office is going to be helpful to make a definite decision.
I hope this is reassuring and I think both being a Veterinarian as well as never giving up your dream is well worth it !
Nirah Shomer, DVM PhD DACLAM
Senior leader in laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance
76
Answers
Updated
Nirah’s Answer
That's an important question, and one that the AVMA has been looking at very closely for the past several years. There are numerous publications and studies addressing this very question. The cost of higher education has skyrocketed, while salaries have not.
As to whether investing in a Vet school education is worth it for the eventual salary, I'm afraid that the answer is "it depends. If you choose an inexpensive undergraduate institution, or are able to get scholarships, and then go to your state vet school and get in-state tuition which is more affordable, you can end up with a very reasonable balance of education debt to income.
In addition, you can potentially get your school paid for by the military if you agree to serve after you have your degree, or you can sometimes get loan forgiveness for setting up a practice in an underserved area.
On the other hand, it is very easy to come out of undergraduate and Vet school with $400,000 in debt, reflecting tuition of $50,000 per year for the eight years required. ( It's not 12 years of education. To become a specialist such as a board certified surgeon, you'll often need an additional 2 to 4 years of special training, but that is as a resident. You do not pay tuition, they pay you, although not as much as if you were a fully qualified veterinarian. )
On top of that, if you want to enter an exciting but less well paid area in veterinary medicine, such as a wildlife veterinarian, your salary might be quite low. These days, most new graduates can command a salary in six figures, but that's for normal jobs in private practice in urban areas.
You can make a very comfortable living as a veterinarian, and if you're wise about how much you spend on school and you structure your student debt, you should be OK, although those first few years can be challenging. However, there are certainly much easier routes to a high salary with a much lower investment in terms of your time and your money. Licensed plumbers and electricians can make very high salaries after serving an apprenticeship, without spending many years and much tuition.
People don't go to vet school to get high salaries. If you can get into vet school, you can get into medical school and have options with much higher salaries than a veterinarian could command.
There are some excellent sources online where you can research your specific situation. I suggest bls.gov, the bureau of labor statistics. It has detailed information about salaries of every job you've ever heard of, broken down by city and state. You can find out what salaries vets command in the state where you want to live. I also recommend avma.org for more information on Veterinary careers.
Below is the most recent study on the important question of veterinary debt to income ratio. In case the link doesn't work, just google "Veterinary debt to income" and you should be able to find it.
https://www.avma.org/news/gap-shrinks-between-new-graduate-overall-veterinary-salaries#:~:text=The%20mean%20debt%2Dto%2Dincome,to%20change%20a%20little%20bit.%E2%80%9D
As to whether investing in a Vet school education is worth it for the eventual salary, I'm afraid that the answer is "it depends. If you choose an inexpensive undergraduate institution, or are able to get scholarships, and then go to your state vet school and get in-state tuition which is more affordable, you can end up with a very reasonable balance of education debt to income.
In addition, you can potentially get your school paid for by the military if you agree to serve after you have your degree, or you can sometimes get loan forgiveness for setting up a practice in an underserved area.
On the other hand, it is very easy to come out of undergraduate and Vet school with $400,000 in debt, reflecting tuition of $50,000 per year for the eight years required. ( It's not 12 years of education. To become a specialist such as a board certified surgeon, you'll often need an additional 2 to 4 years of special training, but that is as a resident. You do not pay tuition, they pay you, although not as much as if you were a fully qualified veterinarian. )
On top of that, if you want to enter an exciting but less well paid area in veterinary medicine, such as a wildlife veterinarian, your salary might be quite low. These days, most new graduates can command a salary in six figures, but that's for normal jobs in private practice in urban areas.
You can make a very comfortable living as a veterinarian, and if you're wise about how much you spend on school and you structure your student debt, you should be OK, although those first few years can be challenging. However, there are certainly much easier routes to a high salary with a much lower investment in terms of your time and your money. Licensed plumbers and electricians can make very high salaries after serving an apprenticeship, without spending many years and much tuition.
People don't go to vet school to get high salaries. If you can get into vet school, you can get into medical school and have options with much higher salaries than a veterinarian could command.
There are some excellent sources online where you can research your specific situation. I suggest bls.gov, the bureau of labor statistics. It has detailed information about salaries of every job you've ever heard of, broken down by city and state. You can find out what salaries vets command in the state where you want to live. I also recommend avma.org for more information on Veterinary careers.
Below is the most recent study on the important question of veterinary debt to income ratio. In case the link doesn't work, just google "Veterinary debt to income" and you should be able to find it.
Nirah recommends the following next steps:
Amelia Reed
Licensed Veterinary Technicans
8
Answers
Kellogg, Idaho
Updated
Amelia’s Answer
Hello, first it is wonderful to hear about your love of animals and considering a career in veterinary medicine. I have worked in veterinary medicine for the last 6 years and I am currently working on becoming a veterinarian. I find what I do incredibly rewarding, fun, and full of endless opportunities. In regards to the money, it really just depends on what you consider good money and a reasonable lifestyle. In another post a Dr. said "for most veterinary medicine is not just a career it is a calling". I agree with this 100% because I get a great deal of joy out of helping people and their animals.
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