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Morgan
Student
Shorter, Alabama
1
Question
Updated
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What are the biggest challenges of becoming a wildlife veterinarian that people don’t talk about, and is it realistically sustainable as a long-term career? #Spring26
I am currently a high school senior planning to pursue a B.S. in animal science at Auburn University in Fall 2026, with the goal of becoming a wildlife veterinarian. Wildlife careers aren’t often mentioned in my community, especially the path needed to achieve them. I have also heard that careers in wildlife don’t always make enough money to live comfortably. How true is that?
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1 answer
Gurpreet Lally
CareerVillage.org TeamSr. Community Manager at CareerVillage
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Austin, Texas
Updated
Gurpreet’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hi Morgan,
While I'm not a vet, I did some research that may help!
This link (https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/wildlife-veterinarian/education-and-training-requirements/) walks you through what will be required of you in order to do down this path. Basically, you still need to get your Bachelor's and head to vet school to get your DMV but it will be super important to try to get opportunities (like fellowships, residency, or anything of that nature) that involves wildlife. This will give you experience and also help you build connections that will be important in helping your secure a job in the future!
From my reading, it looks like a job focusing purely on wildlife can be hard to come by and the pay may be lower than just being a general vet. To find the exact salary, I'd recommend looking at job openings for wildlife positions to see how much they typically offer. I'm in Texas and from my search, its a big range! It can be anywhere from 45k to over 6 figures (some of these jobs do not work require a vet degree which might be why they are so low). Because wildlife jobs are hard to come by, many people suggest the following:
1. Look for vet schools that have wildlife connections so you can set yourself up from the jump
2. Consider moving to a more rural area as these places typically rely on local vets to help with wildlife as well
3. Find general vet clinics that partner with local wildlife organizations . While it wouldn't be the majority of your job, it would still allow you to work directly with wildlife/exotics.
I'd recommend looking at this Reddit thread more info: https://www.reddit.com/r/veterinarians/comments/la9cab/is_a_wildlife_veterinary_career_a_viable_option/
While I'm not a vet, I did some research that may help!
This link (https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/wildlife-veterinarian/education-and-training-requirements/) walks you through what will be required of you in order to do down this path. Basically, you still need to get your Bachelor's and head to vet school to get your DMV but it will be super important to try to get opportunities (like fellowships, residency, or anything of that nature) that involves wildlife. This will give you experience and also help you build connections that will be important in helping your secure a job in the future!
From my reading, it looks like a job focusing purely on wildlife can be hard to come by and the pay may be lower than just being a general vet. To find the exact salary, I'd recommend looking at job openings for wildlife positions to see how much they typically offer. I'm in Texas and from my search, its a big range! It can be anywhere from 45k to over 6 figures (some of these jobs do not work require a vet degree which might be why they are so low). Because wildlife jobs are hard to come by, many people suggest the following:
1. Look for vet schools that have wildlife connections so you can set yourself up from the jump
2. Consider moving to a more rural area as these places typically rely on local vets to help with wildlife as well
3. Find general vet clinics that partner with local wildlife organizations . While it wouldn't be the majority of your job, it would still allow you to work directly with wildlife/exotics.
I'd recommend looking at this Reddit thread more info: https://www.reddit.com/r/veterinarians/comments/la9cab/is_a_wildlife_veterinary_career_a_viable_option/