Does your Veterinary practice need to hire veterinarians? If patient demand is increasing, your existing doctors are carrying excessive workloads, or your practice has plans for growth, the answer may be yes. However, recognizing that you need another veterinarian is only the beginning of the challenge.
Finding and recruiting the right veterinarian can be difficult in a competitive employment marketplace. Veterinary practices are not simply looking for people with the appropriate degree and license. They need veterinarians whose clinical capabilities, communication skills, professional goals, schedule expectations, and personalities align with the practice and its patients, clients, and existing team.
Meanwhile, many qualified veterinarians already have jobs and may not be actively searching for another position. These professionals are unlikely to discover your opportunity simply because you posted it on a job board.
That is why practices that need to hire veterinarians should approach recruiting strategically and proactively.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 9% from 2025 through 2035, much faster than the 3% projected growth for all occupations. Approximately 3,100 veterinarian openings are projected annually during that period.
Practices that understand the marketplace, anticipate their staffing needs, and create a compelling employment opportunity will be better positioned to compete for the veterinarians they need.
How Do You Know When You Need to Hire Veterinarians?
Sometimes the need to hire veterinarians is obvious. A doctor resigns, retires, relocates, reduces their hours, or takes an extended leave, creating an immediate staffing need.
In other situations, the warning signs develop gradually.
One of the clearest indicators is consistently excessive workload among your existing veterinarians. Occasional busy periods are normal, but when doctors continually work longer hours, struggle to complete records, sacrifice breaks, or regularly stay late, the practice may have a capacity problem rather than a temporary scheduling problem.
Appointment availability can provide another important signal. If clients routinely wait longer than the practice considers acceptable, new clients are being turned away, or appointments are continually booked far in advance, additional veterinarian capacity could allow the practice to serve more patients while improving the client experience.
Revenue opportunities are also crucial. A practice might have sufficient patient demand to support another veterinarian but lack the clinical capacity to capture that business. In this situation, leaving the position unfilled has an opportunity cost.
Growth plans create another reason to recruit proactively. Practices preparing to add a location, extend operating hours, introduce additional services, or expand their patient base should begin considering staffing well before additional veterinarians are actually required.
Waiting until the need becomes urgent creates unnecessary risk.
When a practice desperately needs another doctor, leadership may feel pressure to accelerate a decision, compromise on important requirements, or hire someone primarily because that person is available. Beginning the search earlier provides more time to evaluate candidates carefully and pursue professionals who represent the strongest long-term fit.
Practice owners should also examine whether understaffing is affecting other employees. When there are not enough veterinarians to handle patient demand, the consequences can extend to Veterinary technicians, assistants, receptionists, managers, and other team members.
Persistent understaffing can contribute to excessive workloads, frustration, burnout, and eventually turnover, creating additional positions that must be filled.
For this reason, veterinarian staffing should be considered part of broader workforce planning rather than simply a reaction to vacancies.
Why Can It Be Difficult to Hire a Veterinarian?
Veterinary practices face recruiting challenges that many other employers do not.
The profession has a significant barrier to entry because veterinarians require extensive education, clinical training, and licensure. An employer cannot respond to a shortage of qualified candidates simply by considering people without the necessary professional credentials.
At the same time, demand for veterinarians remains strong.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects veterinarian employment to increase from approximately 91,100 jobs in 2025 to 99,600 in 2035. That represents thousands of additional positions requiring qualified professionals during the next decade, in addition to openings created when veterinarians retire or otherwise leave the profession.
Veterinary practices are also not the only organizations recruiting veterinarians.
Veterinarians can pursue opportunities in the Animal Health industry, academia, government, research, nonprofit organizations, public health, industry, and other areas. Consequently, a practice may be competing against organizations offering career paths considerably different from traditional clinical practice.
Competition also exists among Veterinary practices themselves.
A candidate considering your opportunity may simultaneously be evaluating positions offering different compensation packages, schedules, benefits, locations, workloads, mentorship programs, ownership possibilities, or advancement opportunities.
Geography can further restrict the candidate pool. A veterinarian might have exactly the experience your practice needs but have no interest in relocating. Another could be willing to move but have a spouse or family considerations that influence the decision.
In addition, the candidate you want may not be looking for a job at all.
This is one of the most important realities for practices trying to hire veterinarians.
Many experienced veterinarians are already employed. They may be reasonably satisfied with their current positions and therefore have little reason to visit job boards or submit applications.
However, being employed does not necessarily mean being unavailable.
A veterinarian who is not actively searching could still consider an opportunity offering better leadership, compensation, flexibility, professional development, mentorship, advancement, location, culture, or quality of life.
Reaching these professionals requires proactive recruiting.
What Should You Offer When Recruiting Veterinarians?
Before asking what candidates can offer your Veterinary practice, consider what your practice can offer candidates.
The recruiting and hiring process is a two-way evaluation.
Employers evaluate education, experience, clinical ability, communication skills, professionalism, and cultural alignment. Candidates simultaneously evaluate leadership, compensation, workload, schedule, benefits, workplace culture, advancement opportunities, and quality of life.
As a result, simply having a veterinarian job opening is not enough.
Your practice needs an employee value proposition that answers a fundamental question: Why should a veterinarian choose your organization instead of another one?
Compensation is naturally part of that equation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for veterinarians was $130,100 in May 2025. However, compensation can vary significantly according to geography, experience, practice type, responsibilities, production structure, schedule, and other factors.
Employers should evaluate current marketplace conditions instead of relying exclusively upon what they paid the previous person in the position.
Benefits also influence decisions. Health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, continuing education allowances, professional dues, licensing expenses, relocation assistance, and other benefits can contribute to the overall attractiveness of an offer.
However, money is not the only consideration.
Schedule flexibility has become increasingly important for many professionals. Veterinarians may evaluate the number of days worked, weekend requirements, emergency responsibilities, appointment structure, vacation flexibility, and whether the schedule provides sufficient time outside of work.
Workload deserves equal attention.
A high salary may initially attract candidates, but an unsustainable workload can undermine retention. Veterinarians want to understand how many appointments they will handle, what support staff will be available, how emergencies are managed, and whether they will have sufficient time to complete their responsibilities effectively.
Culture and leadership can also become important differentiators.
Candidates may ask themselves whether employees are respected, whether managers communicate effectively, whether concerns are addressed, and whether people generally enjoy working for the practice.
The strongest recruiting message therefore goes beyond compensation.
It communicates the overall professional experience a veterinarian can expect after accepting the position.
How Can Your Practice Recruit Veterinarians More Effectively?
Effective veterinarian recruiting begins before the job advertisement is written.
First, determine what the practice actually needs.
Create a clear profile of the ideal candidate, but distinguish between essential qualifications and preferences. Overly restrictive requirements can unnecessarily reduce an already limited candidate pool.
For example, several years of experience might be preferable, but would a strong newer graduate succeed with appropriate mentorship? A particular clinical skill might be desirable, but could a veterinarian develop that capability after joining the practice?
Flexibility can expand the talent pool without requiring the practice to lower its standards.
Next, develop a recruiting message from the candidate’s perspective.
A job description typically explains what the employer expects. A recruiting message should also explain why the opportunity is worth considering.
What distinguishes the practice? What opportunities exist for professional growth? What is the leadership philosophy? What resources support veterinarians? What makes the community attractive? What does the practice offer that candidates may not receive elsewhere?
The answers should become part of your recruiting communication.
Practices should also use multiple candidate sources rather than relying exclusively upon job boards.
Job advertisements can generate applicants, but they primarily reach professionals who are actively searching. Networking, referrals, professional associations, social media, database recruiting, direct outreach, and Veterinary recruiting firms can help employers reach professionals who are not actively applying.
Speed is also important. When a strong candidate expresses interest, unnecessary delays can reduce the likelihood of making the hire. Practices should establish the interview process before recruiting begins and determine who has authority to make decisions.
Candidates should know what happens next and when they can expect communication.
Being thorough does not require being slow.
The Candidate Experience When You Hire Veterinarians
Every interaction during the recruiting process teaches a veterinarian something about your practice.
If communication is prompt, organized, respectful, and transparent, candidates may reasonably conclude that the practice operates similarly after people are hired.
If interviews are repeatedly rescheduled, communication disappears for weeks, or candidates receive conflicting information, they may draw a different conclusion.
This is why candidate experience is critical. Begin with clear communication about the opportunity. Explain the position, expectations, compensation structure, schedule, and hiring process as early as reasonably possible.
During interviews, create opportunities for candidates to ask meaningful questions. Remember that the objective is not simply to determine whether you want to hire the veterinarian. You must also provide enough information for that veterinarian to determine whether they want to join your practice.
Following the interview, communicate quickly.
Even when a final decision has not been made, an update is better than silence.
Once the practice identifies the preferred candidate, prepare the offer promptly and communicate the complete value of the opportunity.
If the candidate declines, attempt to understand why. That information can help improve future recruiting efforts.
What Happens After You Hire a Veterinarian?
Successful veterinarian recruiting does not end when the offer is accepted.
The period between acceptance and the veterinarian’s first day provides an opportunity to maintain engagement, answer questions, assist with relocation or licensing issues when applicable, and prepare the organization for the new employee’s arrival.
Onboarding then becomes critical.
A veterinarian joining a new practice must learn more than clinical procedures. They need to understand workflows, technology, communication expectations, team responsibilities, organizational norms, client service standards, and how decisions are made.
An organized onboarding process can make this transition easier.
Mentorship may be particularly important for newer graduates, but experienced veterinarians can also benefit from having someone available to answer questions and help them navigate the organization.
Practice leaders should establish expectations early while providing regular opportunities for feedback.
The objective is not simply to hire veterinarians. It is to hire veterinarians who can become successful, productive, and satisfied members of the organization.
Retention should therefore be part of the recruiting strategy from the beginning.
How Can a Veterinary Recruiter Help You Hire Veterinarians?
Practices that need to hire veterinarians may benefit from working with a recruiter who specializes in the Veterinary profession.
One of the primary advantages is access.
Job advertisements reach veterinarians who see them and choose to respond. A Veterinary recruiter can proactively identify professionals whose backgrounds align with the opportunity, including veterinarians who are currently employed and not actively applying for positions.
The recruiter can confidentially approach those professionals, introduce the opportunity, explore their career goals, and determine whether there is enough mutual interest to continue the conversation.
This approach can expand the candidate pool beyond active job seekers.
A specialized Veterinary recruiter also develops knowledge of the employment marketplace through continual conversations with candidates and employers. That perspective can help practices understand candidate expectations, compensation considerations, recruiting obstacles, and how their opportunity compares with alternatives available in the marketplace.
Recruiters can also help maintain momentum during the hiring process by facilitating communication between employers and candidates, identifying potential concerns, and helping both sides understand what may be necessary to reach a successful conclusion.
The VET Recruiter has specialized in recruiting professionals throughout the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession since 1997.
Our experience allows us to identify and recruit veterinarians throughout the United States, including qualified professionals who may not be actively looking for another position.
When your Veterinary practice needs to hire a veterinarian, access to this passive candidate population can make a significant difference.
Build a Long-Term Strategy to Hire Veterinarians
The most effective time to think about recruiting veterinarians is not necessarily when you have an urgent vacancy.
Veterinary practices should make workforce planning part of their business strategy.
Consider where your practice expects to be during the next one, three, and five years. Will patient volume increase? Are you planning additional locations? Could a veterinarian retire? Do you want to add specialty services? Will existing doctors reduce their schedules? Does your growth strategy require additional clinical capacity?
Answers to these questions can help determine future hiring requirements.
Practices should also build relationships with prospective candidates before openings occur. Maintain professional networks, develop relationships with Veterinary schools, encourage employee referrals, stay visible within the profession, and cultivate a reputation as an employer where veterinarians can build rewarding careers.
Retention should remain part of this strategy.
Every veterinarian who leaves creates another recruiting need, so practices should regularly evaluate compensation, workloads, leadership, communication, professional development, recognition, and workplace culture.
Not every departure can or should be prevented. However, reducing avoidable turnover can make workforce planning considerably easier.
Ultimately, the question is not simply whether your Veterinary practice needs to hire veterinarians today.
The more important question is whether your practice has the people necessary to accomplish what it wants to achieve tomorrow.
If the answer is uncertain, now is the time to begin planning.
The veterinarian employment marketplace remains competitive, and the strongest candidates may never submit an application to your job posting. Practices that anticipate their needs, communicate compelling opportunities, recruit proactively, move efficiently, and provide an excellent candidate experience can put themselves in a stronger position to attract the professionals they need.
Does your Veterinary practice need to hire veterinarians? The VET Recruiter can help you identify and recruit qualified Veterinary professionals, including candidates who are not actively searching for a new position. Contact The VET Recruiter to learn more about our Veterinary recruiting and search services.