Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$80,770
To
$114,540
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$148,730
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$114,540
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$196,430
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$162,730
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected estimate
Intermediate range for Veterinarian in Chicago
$114,540 to $196,430
This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$148,730
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$114,540
To
$196,430
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$196,430
To
$289,310
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare veterinarian offers in Chicago against $80,770 to $114,540.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare veterinarian offers in Chicago against $114,540 to $196,430.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare veterinarian offers in Chicago against $196,430 to $289,310.
How Chicago Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Chicago is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Veterinarians, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$195,160
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$169,950
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$166,290
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$164,460
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$163,670
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$162,730
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$160,220
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$150,070
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$144,580
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$144,100
How Veterinarian Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares veterinarian pay in Chicago with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$192,460
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Controller
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Finance Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$187,420
Veterinarian
Veterinarians, SOC 29-1131
$162,730
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for veterinarians in Chicago is $148,730. The middle market range runs from $114,540 at the 25th percentile to $196,430 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $80,770to $289,310.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $80,770 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $114,540 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $148,730 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $196,430 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $289,310 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Veterinarian to BLS occupation Veterinarians, SOC 29-1131. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Veterinarians, SOC 29-1131, as the public wage source for Veterinarian.
- BLS area
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Employment estimate
- 1,530
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median veterinarian salary in Chicago?
The median annual salary for veterinarians in Chicago is $148,730, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Veterinarians.
How much can fresher veterinarian candidates expect in Chicago?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For veterinarians in Chicago, that range is $80,770 to $114,540. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate veterinarian salary range in Chicago?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For veterinarians in Chicago, that range is $114,540 to $196,430.
What do senior veterinarian candidates earn in Chicago?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For veterinarians in Chicago, that range is $196,430 to $289,310.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Veterinarians instead of only Veterinarian?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Veterinarian to Veterinarians, SOC 29-1131, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Chicago mean city limits or a metro area?
Chicago is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 16 Apr 2026|Last updated: 9 Jul 2026
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