Australian Veterinarian Salary Survey
Australia - Below |
Australia
January 2025 Update
Attracting, developing, and retaining top veterinary talent is more challenging than ever. While fair pay and benefits are still crucial, they’re just part of the picture. Today’s veterinary professionals – Veterinarians, Nurses, and Technicians – are looking for the whole package. This includes competitive salaries, of course, but also flexible schedules, a supportive team environment, and a real commitment to work-life balance. Getting this mix right is your key to building a strong, satisfied, and lasting veterinary team…
Explore our latest January 2025 Veterinarian Salary Survey for Australia…
Find your next Job or Team Member…the Fresh Way
[ Scroll to the end of the page to learn about our Methodology ]
Australia – January 2025
Six-Month Trend Analysis (July 2024 to January 2025):
- Low Range Median: Increased from $96,000 to $100,000, showing a 4.2% rise
- Mid Range Median: Slight increase from $142,000 to $143,000, representing a 0.7% growth
- High Range Median: Modest increase from $181,000 to $183,000, indicating a 1.1% rise
Annual Comparison (January 2024 to January 2025):
- Low Range Median: Strong growth from $90,000 to $100,000, an 11.1% increase
- Mid Range Median: Solid increase from $136,000 to $143,000, showing 5.1% growth
- High Range Median: Significant rise from $163,000 to $183,000, representing a 12.3% increase
Market Insights: The Australian veterinary job market continues to demonstrate robust growth, particularly at entry-level and senior positions. The breakthrough $100,000 mark for low-range salaries signals a significant milestone in the industry’s commitment to attracting new talent. The substantial 12.3% annual increase in high-range salaries indicates strong competition for experienced veterinarians.
Expectations for the Next 12 Months:
- Entry-level salaries will continue to strengthen, likely reaching $102,000-$105,000
- Mid-range compensation will see steady growth, potentially approaching $148,000
- High-range salaries will maintain their upward trajectory, possibly exceeding $185,000
The Australian veterinary sector enters 2025 with clear evidence of a strong but maturing job market. While salary growth rates have moderated from their previous highs, particularly in senior roles, this appears to reflect a market reaching a more sustainable equilibrium rather than any sector weakness. The consistent growth across all salary ranges, particularly the notable increases in both entry-level and senior positions, continues to create attractive opportunities for veterinary professionals at all career stages. Employers should view this moderation positively, as it suggests a market that can support long-term, sustainable compensation strategies while remaining competitive enough to attract and retain top talent.
Australia – January 2024
Trend Analysis – January 2023 to July 2024:
- Low Range Median: Increased from $82,250 (Jan ’23) to $96,000 (Jul ’24), a substantial 16.7% rise over 18 months.
- Mid Range Median: Grew from $134,742 (Jan ’23) to $142,000 (Jul ’24), a solid 5.4% increase.
- High Range Median: Increased from $168,117 (Jan ’23) to $181,000 (Jul ’24), a 7.7% growth.
Potential Expectations for the Next 12 Months:
- The low range will continue its strong upward trajectory, likely stabilizing around the $100,000 mark.
- Mid-range salaries will maintain steady growth, potentially reaching $145,000-$150,000.
- High-range compensation will likely see continued growth, potentially exceeding $185,000.
Conclusion:
The Australian veterinary job market demand demonstrates robust and consistent growth across all salary ranges. The significant increase in low-range salaries (16.7% over 18 months) indicates a strong focus on attracting new graduate talent. The steady growth in mid and high ranges suggests a healthy demand for experienced professionals. The most recent data shows an acceleration in growth across all ranges, indicating a continuing highly competitive market. This trend is expected to continue, making the Australian veterinary sector attractive for new graduates and experienced veterinarians from international as well as local sources. Employers will need to maintain competitive salaries and benefits packages to attract and retain top talent in this ongoing dynamic salary market.
Australia – January 2024
Trend Analysis – January 2022 to January 2024:
- Low-end salary has seen a gradual increase from $69,000 in January 2022 to $87,000 by January 2024. This indicates a positive trend in the starting salaries for veterinarians, reflecting possibly a growing demand for veterinary professionals in Australia and New Zealand.
- Average Salary has also shown significant growth, from $99,000 in January 2022 to $136,000 by January 2024. This substantial increase suggests that the veterinary profession is becoming increasingly valued, with average compensation reflecting the importance of veterinary services.
- High-end salary shows a steady increase from $133,000 in January 2022 to $173,000 in January 2024, demonstrating that the market for experienced and specialized veterinarians remains strong, with top-tier salaries increasing to attract and retain the best talent.
Potential Expectations for the Next 12 Months:
- Given the steady growth in salaries across all tiers, we can expect this upward trend to continue into the next year. The increase in low and average salaries indicates a healthy market with a strong demand for veterinary professionals. The consistent rise in high-end salaries suggests that there is an ongoing need for specialized skills within the industry.
- The veterinary profession in Australia and New Zealand seems to be experiencing a period of growth and appreciation, which could be driven by an increased focus on pet care and animal health, as well as a recognition of the critical role veterinarians play in public health and safety.
- Employers may need to continue to adjust salary offerings to remain competitive and attract the necessary talent, especially given the global trends toward recognizing the value of veterinary professionals.
Conclusion:
The veterinarian salary trend in the Australia & New Zealand region from January 2020 to January 2024 showcases a positive and upward trajectory in compensation across all levels of experience. This trend reflects the growing recognition of the value of veterinary professionals and suggests a healthy, competitive market that is likely to continue to evolve. Veterinary practices and organizations should consider these trends in their recruitment and retention strategies to ensure they attract and maintain the skilled professionals necessary to meet the demand for veterinary services.
Australia – July 2023
Australia – January 2023
Australia – July 2022
Australia – January 2022
Australia – July 2021
Australia – January 2021
Australia – July 2020
Australia – January 2020
Methodology
About Our Australian Veterinarian Salary Survey
We compile this survey twice yearly, in January and July, to give you a snapshot of the veterinary job market. Our data comes from a mix of public sources and our own research, offering a broad view of salary trends for both employers and job seekers.
Keep in mind that these figures are averages and don’t account for individual factors like specific qualifications, years of experience, areas of expertise, or location. Think of it as a starting point for understanding the market rather than a definitive guide for any particular role.
Understanding the Salary Ranges
Our data focuses on General Practice, Small Animal Veterinarians in their early career stage (1-3 years of experience). For a more comprehensive picture, consider these adjustments for different roles and experience levels:
- More Experienced Vets (3+ years):Â Add 25%+ to the figures
- Surgery-Focused Roles:Â Increase by 35% or more
- Specialty Fields:Â For roles in Emergency, Referral, Surgical, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Ophthalmology, and other specialties, expect salaries to be 50% higher or more
About Veterinary Jobs Marketplace…
We connect veterinary talent with the best veterinary jobs. Explore our Job Campaigns for GP Veterinarians, Emergency Vets, Veterinary Nurses, Technicians, and more, enriched with video insights. Find new team members using our unique Reach, Frequency, and Story strategy, now including One-to-One Outreach.
For Job Seekers: Discover your ideal veterinary jobs in cities across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Register for custom Job Alerts, bringing the latest opportunities directly to your Inbox.
For Employers: Register to reach skilled veterinary professionals for your practice. From GP Veterinarians to Emergency Vets, our Job Campaigns help you find the perfect team members.
Worldwide Audience: Expand your reach internationally to the USA, Canada, UK and Europe. Our global reach will connect you to our global veterinary community.
Note: Glassdoor, Indeed, Payscale, Talent.com, and ERI – Economic Research Institute are business entities that publish publicly available information about salary data. We present these publicly available materials in fair use in a single location together with our own data as research to advance the understanding of the range of salary levels for Veterinarians in the United States. These business entities have not endorsed this Veterinarian Salary Survey nor any implication that may or may not be derived from the materials.
