Veterinarian.
San Diego.
$147,000
median salary, 17% above the national average
$115,000 to $190,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Veterinarian offer in San Diego, CA, here is the reality: $115,000 to $190,000, with $147,000 as the midpoint. 17% 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 San Diego, 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 $159,750 for Veterinarians (SOC 29-1131) in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, based on 1,080 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$67,540
25th percentile
$124,530
Median
$159,750
75th percentile
$199,580
90th percentile
$276,230
Workers surveyed
1,080
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 San Diego 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 $132,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$96,000
to $118,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$125,000
to $154,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$162,000
to $191,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$184,000
to $228,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$147,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $177,000
How San Diego compares.
San Diego, CA
$147,000
Cost of living: 17% above average
National Average
$126,000
San Diego is $21,000 above
Veterinarian salary by city.
Salary by role in San Diego.
What you should know.
The Veterinarian landscape in San Diego is not what most salary sites will tell you. San Diego's economy thrives on defense, biotech, and a growing tech startup scene. The city's proximity to major military installations drives strong aerospace and cybersecurity demand. Biotech companies along the Torrey Pines corridor compete aggressively for scientific and engineering talent, pushing specialized salaries close to Bay Area levels. 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 San Diego, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 17% 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 top 13.3% state tax applies here. While San Diego has no city income tax, the state burden means you should negotiate gross pay higher than you might expect for the cost of living. When someone quotes you $147,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage defense and biotech sector demand. Candidates with security clearances or specialized science backgrounds can command 15 to 20% premiums in San Diego. The range for Veterinarians in San Diego runs from $115,000 to $190,000. 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 San Diego.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Veterinarians in San Diego.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Veterinarian Salary in San Diego, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/veterinarian/san-diego
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