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  5. Veterinarians

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Veterinarians

On this page

  • Job description
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

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 2020 to 2022.
Minimum
$24.00
Median
$49.21
Maximum
$67.00

Job prospects for 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

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 2022-2026

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 2021

All of Québec

2,500

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
67.5% Female
32.5% Male

Not available.
  • 67.5% Female
  • 32.5% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2015

All of Québec

$80,000

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.
  1. Advertising, Public Relations and Related Services and Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
    NAICS 5418, 5419
    79% of jobs
  2. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    11% of jobs
  3. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    3% of jobs
  4. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    2% of jobs
  5. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    4% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Advertising, Public Relations and Related Services and Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
    NAICS 5418, 5419
    79% of jobs
  2. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    11% of jobs
  3. Educational Services
    NAICS 61
    3% of jobs
  4. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    2% of jobs
  5. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    4% 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

More on graduates’ employment situation
Master’s degree

Placement rate: 50%

28.6% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
  • Université de Montréal

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
More Less skills

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
More Less abilities

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.
Additional information

Note about CNP

Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.

Official name of the NOC 3114 (31103)

Veterinarians

Job titles

  • Veterinarian
  • Veterinary microbiologist
  • Veterinary pathologist
  • Veterinary anatomist
  • Veterinary surgeon
  • Veterinary dentist
  • Veterinary laboratory diagnostician
  • Veterinary epidemiologist
  • Veterinary inspector
  • Veterinary internist
  • Veterinary parasitologist
  • Veterinary pharmacologist
  • Veterinary physiologist
  • Veterinary radiologist
  • Avian veterinarian
  • Veterinary bacteriologist
  • Zoo veterinarian
  • Preventive medicine veterinarian
  • Equine veterinarian
  • Companion animal veterinarian
  • Farm veterinarian
  • Laboratory animal veterinarian
  • Food animal veterinarian
  • Small animal veterinarian
  • Poultry veterinarian
  • Veterinarian practitioner
  • Small animal veterinary specialist
  • Veterinary virologist
More Less job titles

Skill type

Health

Related occupations

  • Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
  • Biologists and related scientists

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Last update: April 28, 2023

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