Average Income

• The latest occupational employment and wages survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2009, concluded that the mean annual salary for a veterinarian, including those who work in zoos, was $90,110, or roughly $43.32 per hour. The top 10 percent of earners in the profession achieved salary levels averaging $142,910, while those in the bottom 10 percent bracket received $47,670. Indeed.com lists an average salary for a zoo veterinarian specifically as $45,00 as of February 2011. A zoo vet may also receive additional payments besides her basic salary, such as pension contributions, depending on the terms of her contract. Zoo veterinarians would appear to be among the lowest paid specialists in the veterinary field. A zoo vet interviewed by USA Today simply stated, "If you go into zoo and wildlife fields, it's not for the money".
  
  

Income by State

• The location of the zoo can significantly impact the zoo vet's salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that for veterinarians of all specialties, New Jersey and Connecticut are the most lucrative states in which to work, offering average yearly wages of $117,170 and $116,150 respectively. Indeed.com lists the average salaries for zoo vets in these states as $46,000 and $47,000. California and South Carolina offer comparable pay levels -- $99,940 and $99,630 respectively ($47,000 and $41,000 in the Indeed.com survey) -- as do Wisconsin and Colorado --$74,680 and $74,670 ($38,000 and $40,000 in the Indeed.com zoo vet survey). Montana was among the lowest-paying states as of 2009, averaging $60,430 -- Montana was listed at $44,000 in Indeed.com's statistics specifically detailing zoo veterinarian salaries.
  
  

Salary by Area

• SalaryExpert.com conducted a survey of zoo veterinarian salaries in some of the major cities across the country. It found that Miami, Fla., paid the highest average salary -- $141,644 -- followed by Dallas -- $103,806 -- and New York -- $99,361. In contrast, Atlanta, Ga., paid an average salary to zoo veterinarians of $69,302, Phoenix, Ariz., was listed at $64, 701, while Orlando, Fla., offered just $63,450.
  
  

Prospects

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment market for veterinarians of all kinds, including zoo vets, to grow by around 33 percent in the years from 2008 to 2018. This compares very favorably with the national growth rate across all occupations in America, predicted to be between seven and 13 percent for the same period. The increased adaptability of medical procedures to animals --- which were previously only available to humans, such as blood transfusions and transplants --- is a major factor cited for this growth.