Pay for Wisconsin Veterinarians Has Increased Significantly in Recent Years

Monday, June 19th, 2023 -- 1:00 PM

(By Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) New federal data shows pay for veterinarians in Wisconsin has increased significantly in recent years.

According to the Wisconsin Ag Connection, Veterinarians.org, an online industry publication, compared salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for all 50 states from 2020 to 2022. The report found the average veterinarian salary in Wisconsin increased by 49 percent, going from $99,860 in 2020 to $148,680 in 2022.

That's four times the increase in the national average during that time and the second-highest increase in the country behind Hawaii. Wisconsin was also the second-highest paying state in the country for veterinarians in 2022.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Madison was the second-highest paying metropolitan area in the country, with Appleton ranking fifth in the United States. The wage growth comes as Wisconsin and the rest of the country continues to face a shortage of veterinarians.

A 2021 study found that open veterinarian positions in the U.S. exceeded the number of qualified candidates by over 2,000 back in 2019. Experts say that gap has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic, with many doctors choosing to cut back or even leave the profession because of burnout.

Jo-ell Carson, executive director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, said the shortage has likely led to an increase in average wages. She said many clinics and hospitals have reported paying higher sign-on bonuses to attract new doctors.

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