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Provide primary veterinary care for all USDA research species and agricultural animals housed at the Veterinary School * Develop and implement animal care and use protocols that comply with federal ...

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How much do usda veterinary jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 3, 2026, the average hourly pay for usda veterinary in the United States is $21.70, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.79 and $24.76 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a USDA Veterinary, and why are they important?

To thrive as a USDA Veterinary, you need a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, state licensure, and knowledge of animal health regulations and disease control. Familiarity with diagnostic laboratory systems, epidemiological software, and regulatory compliance tools is commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills are vital for working with diverse stakeholders and making critical decisions. These competencies ensure effective disease prevention, public health protection, and compliance with federal animal health standards.

Does the USDA hire veterinarians?

Yes, the USDA hires veterinarians for roles such as veterinary medical officers who work in animal health, food safety, and disease control. These positions often require a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, relevant licensing, and experience in public health or animal sciences.

How much do USDA veterinarians make?

USDA veterinarians typically earn a salary ranging from $70,000 to over $100,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and level of responsibility. They often work in government facilities, conducting inspections, disease control, and animal health assessments, with opportunities for advancement and specialized certifications.

Can a vet make 300k a year?

Veterinarians can potentially earn $300,000 or more annually, especially those in specialized fields such as large animal or exotic animal practice, or those in leadership roles or with extensive experience. However, typical salaries for general practice veterinarians are usually lower, often ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 per year, depending on location, employer, and credentials.

What are USDA veterinarians and what do they do?

USDA veterinarians are licensed veterinarians employed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). They play a crucial role in protecting animal health, public health, and the nation’s food supply by inspecting livestock, overseeing animal disease control, and enforcing animal welfare regulations. Their duties can include inspecting meat processing plants, responding to animal disease outbreaks, and ensuring compliance with federal animal health laws. USDA veterinarians may also be involved in research, policy development, and international trade negotiations related to animal health.

What is the highest paying job in animal welfare?

In animal welfare, veterinary specialists such as veterinary surgeons or veterinary pathologists tend to have the highest salaries, often earning six-figure incomes. These roles require advanced degrees, certifications, and experience, and they typically work in clinical, research, or diagnostic settings.

What is the difference between Usda Veterinary vs USDA Veterinary Technician?

AspectUSDA VeterinaryUSDA Veterinary Technician
Required CredentialsDVM or VMD, USDA accreditation, state veterinary licenseAssociate's or Bachelor's degree in veterinary technology, USDA accreditation
Work EnvironmentInspecting livestock, disease control, regulatory complianceAssisting veterinarians, sample collection, animal care
Employer & Industry UsageUSDA, government agencies, livestock industryUSDA, veterinary clinics, laboratories

USDA Veterinarians typically hold DVM degrees and perform advanced inspections and disease control tasks, while USDA Veterinary Technicians assist veterinarians with sample collection and animal care. Both roles are essential in USDA operations but differ in credentials and responsibilities.

What are some common challenges USDA veterinarians face when working with both animal health and public safety regulations?

USDA veterinarians often balance animal health concerns with public safety regulations, which can be challenging when responding to disease outbreaks or enforcing compliance at farms and processing facilities. They must stay current with evolving federal guidelines, adapt to varied field conditions, and communicate effectively with producers, inspectors, and other agencies. Navigating these responsibilities requires strong analytical skills, diplomacy, and a commitment to both animal welfare and food safety standards.
More about Usda Veterinary jobs
What cities are hiring for Usda Veterinary jobs? Cities with the most Usda Veterinary job openings:
What states have the most Usda Veterinary jobs? States with the most job openings for Usda Veterinary jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Usda Veterinary jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Usda Veterinary jobs are:
Usda Veterinary jobs near you
Infographic showing various Usda Veterinary job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% Locum Tenens, 4% Internship, 76% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 4% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $45,144 per year, or $21.7 per hour.

Interdisciplinary Supervisory Biologist or Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer

USDA APHIS | APHIS Careers

Ames, IA • On-site

$107K/yr

Other

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

This position will help implement USDA's Veterinary Biologics Program under the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, will lead efforts that uphold scientific integrity, regulatory compliance, and laboratory standards. This work will strengthen animal health systems, support disease control and eradication, and safeguard public confidence in veterinary biologics.Qualifications:Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below.
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
0701 - Veterinary Medical Officer: see Education section
0401 - Biologist
Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of education and experience: post high school education with courses equivalent to a major, which is defined as 24 semester/36 quarter hours, in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position, PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.
In addition to the basic requirement above, applicants must also meet the following:
FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
  • Experience in managing multiple projects and priorities and/or communicating scientific decisions and recommendations to colleagues and management.
  • Instructing and guiding others regarding conduct of diagnostic tests, vaccine quality control or potency tests or molecular biology tests including trouble-shooting, improving methods, and facilitating collaboration.
  • Developing, evaluating, and/or improving diagnostic methods and processes, such as molecular (PCR/NGS) or serological assays (ELISA/Western Blot).
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-13 GRADE LEVEL: Successful completion of a PhD degree in an area of specialization including, but not limited to: animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or other sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.
OR
RESIDENCY/POST GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE GS-13 GRADE LEVEL. Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. Applicants should provide a certificate or letter documenting the completion of this program.
OR
BOARD CERTIFICATION FOR THE GS-13 GRADE LEVEL-Specialty boards that are recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) certify eligible candidates as specialists in specific veterinary medical fields. Veterinarians who successfully complete all requirements for Diplomate status in an ABVS-recognized veterinary specialty organization may qualify for the GS-13 grade level. Applicants should provide a certificate or letter documenting their diplomate status.
TRANSCRIPTS are required. This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. this education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college or university.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education:BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR 0701:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. AVMA website: https://www.avma.org
OR Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements:
a) Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG);
b) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT); OR
c) Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. An AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college must have accepted the final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program).
In addition, graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
a) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE.
b) Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR
c) Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.
Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard.
Waiver Provision: English language proficiency assessments may be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e., the official or common language of an individuals country of birth is English) who submit a diploma or other official documentation as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs were taught in the English language for the entire 3 or 4 years of full-time attendance.Employment Type: OTHER

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