Veterinarian.
Birmingham.
$109,000
median salary, 13% below the national average
$85,000 to $140,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Veterinarian in Birmingham earns a median of $109,000 in 2026. That is 13% below the national average. The range runs from $85,000 to $140,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Practice type is the primary differentiator, with emergency, specialty, and equine or large animal vets earning above companion animal general practitioners. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Veterinarian in Birmingham, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $106,890 for Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, based on 310 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$77,990
25th percentile
$102,580
Median
$106,890
75th percentile
$159,940
90th percentile
$176,330
Workers surveyed
310
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) rather than Veterinarian specifically. The Birmingham range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1131Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $98,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$71,000
to $87,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$93,000
to $114,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$120,000
to $142,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$136,000
to $169,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $22,000 to the total package.
Base
$109,000
Equity
$12,000
Bonus
$8,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $131,000
How Birmingham compares.
Birmingham, AL
$109,000
Cost of living: 16% below average
National Average
$126,000
Birmingham is $17,000 below
Veterinarian salary by city.
Salary by role in Birmingham.
What you should know.
The Veterinarian landscape in Birmingham is not what most salary sites will tell you. Birmingham is Alabama's largest metro, anchored by a major medical center, banking, and a growing innovation district. UAB is one of the state's largest employers and a driver of biomedical research jobs. The extremely low cost of living makes Birmingham a strong value for professionals in healthcare and finance. Practice type is the primary differentiator, with emergency, specialty, and equine or large animal vets earning above companion animal general practitioners. Board certification in specialties like surgery, internal medicine, or oncology adds 30 to 60% over general practice. Geographic areas with vet shortages offer signing bonuses and premium salaries.
New graduate vets start at $88,000 to $100,000 in general practice. Mid-career vets with strong client bases earn $115,000 to $140,000. Practice owners or board-certified specialists can reach $160,000 to $250,000 depending on specialty and practice revenue. In Birmingham, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 16% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Veterinarians commonly receive production bonuses of 18 to 22% of personal production above a base salary. Benefits include CE allowances of $2,500 to $5,000, DEA license reimbursement, professional liability coverage, and increasingly, student loan repayment assistance programs. And on the tax side: alabama's top state income tax rate is 5%. Birmingham has no city income tax. The low rate combined with very affordable housing creates excellent take home pay ratios. When someone quotes you $109,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage UAB and the medical corridor when negotiating. Healthcare and biotech roles command nationally competitive salaries even in this low cost market. The range for Veterinarians in Birmingham runs from $85,000 to $140,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An ML Engineer in Birmingham earns $108,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Birmingham is CTO at $249,000
Common questions.
Veterinarian salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Birmingham.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Veterinarian Salary in Birmingham, AL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/veterinarian/birmingham
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