Veterinarian.
Los Angeles.
$153,000
median salary, 21% above the national average
$119,000 to $197,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Veterinarian pay in Los Angeles ranges from $119,000 to $197,000 in 2026. The median is $153,000, 21% above the national average. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 Los Angeles, 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 $160,080 for Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, based on 2,740 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$67,410
25th percentile
$121,590
Median
$160,080
75th percentile
$212,090
90th percentile
$284,050
Workers surveyed
2,740
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 Los Angeles 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 $138,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$99,000
to $122,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$130,000
to $161,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$168,000
to $199,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$191,000
to $237,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$153,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $184,000
How Los Angeles compares.
Los Angeles, CA
$153,000
Cost of living: 18% above average
National Average
$126,000
Los Angeles is $27,000 above
Veterinarian salary by city.
Salary by role in Los Angeles.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Veterinarian roles in Los Angeles, here is what you are walking into. Los Angeles blends a thriving entertainment industry with a growing tech and startup ecosystem, often called Silicon Beach. The city's diverse economy spans aerospace, healthcare, fashion, and gaming. LA offers strong salaries that, while below San Francisco levels, pair with a broader lifestyle appeal and lower housing costs relative to the Bay Area. 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 Los Angeles, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 18% 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: california's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states. When someone quotes you $153,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight cross industry skills. LA employers value candidates who bridge entertainment and tech, so framing your experience across verticals can unlock higher offers. The range for Veterinarians in Los Angeles runs from $119,000 to $197,000. 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
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Common questions.
Veterinarian salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Los Angeles.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Veterinarians in Los Angeles.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Veterinarian Salary in Los Angeles, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/veterinarian/los-angeles
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