Veterinarian.
Honolulu.
$167,000
median salary, 33% above the national average
$130,000 to $215,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Veterinarian offer in Honolulu, HI, here is the reality: $130,000 to $215,000, with $167,000 as the midpoint. 33% above the national average. Practice type is the primary differentiator, with emergency, specialty, and equine or large animal vets earning above companion animal general practitioners. Do not accept the first number. 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 Honolulu, 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 $130,830 for Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) in the Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan area, based on 270 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$81,360
25th percentile
$128,430
Median
$130,830
75th percentile
$134,000
90th percentile
$191,890
Workers surveyed
270
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $167,000 is 28% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Veterinarians covers a different population than the Veterinarian title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
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 Honolulu 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 $150,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$109,000
to $134,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$142,000
to $175,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$184,000
to $217,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$209,000
to $259,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$167,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $201,000
How Honolulu compares.
Honolulu, HI
$167,000
Cost of living: 30% above average
National Average
$126,000
Honolulu is $41,000 above
Veterinarian salary by city.
Salary by role in Honolulu.
What you should know.
The Veterinarian landscape in Honolulu is not what most salary sites will tell you. Honolulu's economy is driven by military spending, tourism, and healthcare. The extremely high cost of living means employers must pay significant premiums. Federal and defense contractor roles offer the highest salaries, while the growing renewable energy sector is creating new technology positions. 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 Honolulu, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 30% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: hawaii has the highest top state income tax rate in the nation at 11%. Honolulu has no city income tax, but the state burden combined with high living costs requires careful salary planning. When someone quotes you $167,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate housing allowances alongside salary. Honolulu employers, especially federal contractors, often provide COLA adjustments and housing stipends that significantly increase total compensation. The range for Veterinarians in Honolulu runs from $130,000 to $215,000. 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 Honolulu earns $166,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Honolulu is CTO at $398,000
Common questions.
Veterinarian salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Honolulu.
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 Honolulu, HI." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/veterinarian/honolulu
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