Veterinarians
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Job description
These individuals prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and infections in animals. They provide customers with information on animal husbandry, feeding, hygiene, and care. They are self-employed or work:
- In private practice
- In laboratories
- In veterinary clinics
- On farms
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Biological agents
- Odours
Main tasks
- Diagnose diseases or abnormalities in animals by means of laboratory examinations or tests.
- Prescribe and administer, as appropriate, medications, emergency care, treatments, and vaccines.
- Carry out routine or emergency examinations and autopsies.
- Advise clients on feeding, behaviour, husbandry, hygiene, and care of animals.
- Provide a range of veterinary services (obstetrics, dental care, surgery, euthanasia, etc.).
- Supervise animal health technicians and care attendants as required.
- Manage activities for the establishment or mobile veterinary services.
- Conduct research, if required.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $25.00
- Median
- $63.10
- Maximum
- $70.00
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
3,500
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 67.8% Female
- 32.2% Male
Not available.
- 67.8% Female
- 32.2% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$88,000
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for men
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 5418, 541984% of jobs
-
NAICS 918% of jobs
-
NAICS 613% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54172% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6231% of jobs
-
Others2% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 5418, 541984% of jobs
-
NAICS 918% of jobs
-
NAICS 613% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54172% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6231% of jobs
-
Others2% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Veterinary medicine
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 88%
8% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 50%
28.6% of graduates pursue further studies
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ [Quebec Order of Veterinarians]) to use the professional designation veterinary doctor.
- Practice permit.
Sometimes required
- A Master’s or Doctorate degree may be required to work in research.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Science
- Reading comprehension
- Oral expression
- Critical thought
- Solving complex problems
- Active listening
- Judgment and decision-making
- Information processing
- Active learning
- Result evaluation
- Time management
- Service oriented
- Written expression
- Social perception
- Coordination
- Teaching
- Human resource management
- Learning strategies
Abilities
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Verbal skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Near vision
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Speech clarity
- Information organization
- Written expression
- Hand-arm stability
- Selective attention
- Digital dexterity
- Classification
- Idea generation
- Originality
- Manual dexterity
- Time sharing
- Colour perception and distinction
- Processing flexibility
Knowledge and attributes
- Autonomy
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of customer and personalized services
- Capacity to work in a team
- Versatility
- Sense of initiative
- Vitality
- Respect standards and regulations
- Knowledge of biology
- Knowledge of medicine or dentistry
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Self-employment
- Work in contact with nature and animals
- Work outdoors
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Official name of the NOC 31103
Veterinarians
Job titles
- Doctor of veterinary medicine (dvm)
- Veterinary microbiologist
- Animal pathologist
- Veterinary anatomist
- Veterinary surgeon
- Veterinary anesthesiologist
- Veterinary dentist
- Veterinary dermatologist
- Veterinary laboratory diagnostician
- Veterinary epidemiologist
- Veterinary inspector
- Veterinary internist
- Animal behavior veterinarian
- Small animal veterinary internist
- Large animal veterinary internist
- Veterinary neurologist
- Veterinary oncologist
- Veterinary ophthalmologist
- Veterinary parasitologist
- Veterinary pharmacologist
- Veterinary physiologist
- Veterinary radiologist
- Veterinary theriogenologist
- Avian veterinarian
- Veterinary bacteriologist
- Zoo veterinarian
- Preventive medicine veterinarian
- Research veterinarian
- Emergency and intensive care veterinarian
- Companion animal veterinarian
- Farm veterinarian
- Laboratory animal veterinarian
- Food animal veterinarian
- Equine veterinarian
- Small animal veterinarian
- Poultry veterinarian
- Veterinarian practitioner
- Small animal veterinary specialist
- Veterinary virologist
Skill type
Health
Last update: January 29, 2026
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