Veterinarian

A veterinarian diagnoses and treats animals, much like a physician does for humans. Veterinarians must go through extensive training to be able to identify and treat medical conditions in animals. Some vets specialize in work with specific animals, broken down into large animals (horses, donkeys), domestic animals (cats, dogs), exotic animals (monkeys, elephants), etc. Vets may work in their own practice, or they may find employment in research facilities, zoos, and educational institutions.

Salary:Annual salary, hourly wage: $93,250 a year, $40.61 an hour

Education:Veterinarians must complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) degree at an accredited college of veterinary medicine. There are currently 30 colleges with accredited programs in the United States. A veterinary medicine program generally takes 4 years to complete and includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical components.Although not required, most applicants to veterinary school have a bachelor’s degree. Veterinary medical colleges typically require applicants to have taken many science classes, including biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, zoology, microbiology, and animal science. Most programs also require math, humanities, and social science courses.