Back in 1997, I sat in a training session with a national trainer from one of the world’s largest executive search and recruiting firms. With complete confidence, she said to me, “There is no need for a Veterinary recruiter. Veterinary clinics are ‘mom and pop shops’, mostly owned by men, and their wives work as the practice managers.” I listened, stunned, as she dismissed my interest in recruiting for the Veterinary profession.
At the time, I had already started to see the early signs of a significant shift within the profession. Veterinary Medicine was undergoing corporatization and consolidation, and I had already secured two major corporate groups as my clients. But my manager didn’t see it. He handed me a book listing recruiting specialties and pointed out that Veterinary Medicine wasn’t on the list. “You can’t specialize in recruiting for Veterinary Medicine because it’s not a specialty,” he said. “No one is doing it and there’s no need for it.”
I was perplexed. I could see the demand growing right before my eyes. Veterinary clinics were evolving, large-scale acquisitions were happening, and the industry was ripe for specialized recruitment services. Still, my trainer had other ideas for me. “I think you should work in the cosmetics industry,” she suggested. “You’d be a good fit for that.”
But I didn’t want to work in cosmetics. My passion was Veterinary Medicine, and I was determined to carve out my niche in this field. I built my business from the ground up, and before long, I was helping one of my first corporate clients hire more than 300 veterinarians. The demand was so high that I had to build a team of recruiters to keep up with the volume of searches.
Fast forward to today, and in 2025, Veterinary Medicine is one of the hottest markets for recruitment. Indeed recently ranked veterinarians as #1 on their list of fastest-growing professions, with a 124% increase in job postings over the last three years. The very industry that was once dismissed as unnecessary for recruiters is now one of the most competitive and in-demand hiring landscapes. Veterinary recruiters are no longer a novelty, they are a necessity.
The Evolution of Veterinary Medicine
The skepticism I faced in the late ‘90s stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Veterinary profession was evolving. Back then, most Veterinary clinics were indeed privately owned and operated in a traditional, small-business model. But over the last two decades, several factors have dramatically reshaped the industry:
1. Corporate Consolidation
- The early 2000s saw a wave of corporate buyouts, with large groups acquiring independent Veterinary hospitals at an unprecedented rate. Today, Veterinary corporate groups like Mars Veterinary Health, VCA, Banfield, and NVA own thousands of hospitals across the country.
- This consolidation created a significant demand for veterinarians, Veterinary technicians, and practice managers, all of whom needed to be sourced, recruited, and placed in these growing networks.
2. A Shortage of Veterinarians
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported a national veterinarian shortage that has been growing for years. Many Veterinary practices have struggled to keep up with client demand due to a lack of qualified professionals.
- This shortage has placed immense pressure on hiring managers to find and secure top talent—a challenge that Veterinary recruiters are uniquely positioned to solve.
3. An Increase in Pet Ownership
- Pet ownership has increased in recent years.
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion of people going to their veterinarian.
- Veterinary clinics faced an overwhelming influx of new patients, pushing demand for veterinarians and support staff to all-time highs. (We do know visits are down, though, since then)
4. Workforce Burnout and Turnover
- Veterinarian burnout is a real issue, exacerbated by long hours, emotional stress, and a demanding workload. Many professionals leave the field early, further tightening the labor market.
- Retaining talent is now just as important as recruiting it, making experienced Veterinary recruiters critical partners in workforce planning and employee satisfaction.
Why Veterinary Recruiters Are Essential in 2025
Given these challenges, it’s clear why Veterinary recruiters are now in high demand. The profession has become more sophisticated and hiring the right talent requires specialized knowledge and expertise. Here’s why Veterinary recruiters are crucial in today’s job market:
1. Understanding the Veterinary Profession
- Generalist recruiters struggle to navigate the Veterinary world because it requires a deep understanding of medical specialties, licensing requirements, and practice structures.
- Veterinary recruiters know the difference between a general practice veterinarian, an emergency veterinarian, a specialist in internal medicine, and a board-certified surgeon—and they know how to place them in the right roles. Recently a generalist recruiter from another recruiting firm called and asked me if he could place a human pediatrician in a veterinarian position. He clearly didn’t understand the Veterinary profession. I felt badly for the Veterinary practice that hired him to recruit veterinarians for them.
2. Building Strong Industry Networks
- Over nearly three decades, I’ve built a network that spans thousands of Veterinary professionals, corporate groups, independent clinics, the Animal Health industry, and academic institutions.
- This insider access allows specialized recruiters like me to connect top talent with the best career opportunities, something general recruiters simply can’t replicate.
3. Speed and Efficiency
- With the high demand for veterinarians, top candidates are often off the market within days. Veterinary recruiters can quickly identify and place professionals in roles that align with their career goals and the needs of employers.
- Veterinary recruiters streamline the hiring process, reducing the time clinics and hospitals spend searching for talent and ensuring they get quality hires quickly.
4. Guidance on Salaries and Market Trends
- Compensation in the Veterinary profession has evolved rapidly, with salaries increasing due to the shortage of veterinarians.
- Veterinary recruiters provide critical market insights, helping Veterinary practices remain competitive in salary offers, benefits, and workplace culture.
5. Addressing Retention Challenges
- It’s not just about hiring—it’s about keeping talent. Veterinary recruiters work with employers to develop retention strategies, from mentorship programs to improved work-life integration
- Our goal isn’t just to fill vacancies, but to build sustainable, successful teams that will thrive long-term.
The Future of Veterinary Recruiting
As I embark upon my 28th year in this profession, I look back with pride at how far Veterinary recruitment has come. What started as a dismissed idea—something that “wasn’t needed”—has now become one of the most critical areas of talent acquisition.
In 2025 and beyond, the demand for Veterinary recruiters will only continue to rise. With ongoing shortages, corporate expansions, and shifts in the job market, recruiters specializing in Veterinary Medicine are essential. I’ve witnessed firsthand the evolution of this profession, and I’m more committed than ever to ensuring that Veterinary professionals find the right opportunities and that Veterinary practices secure the talent they need to thrive.
If you had told me back in 1997 that Indeed would rank veterinarians as the #1 most in-demand profession nearly three decades later, I probably would have smiled—because I saw it coming. And that’s the power of being ahead of the curve in a profession that was always destined for growth.
So Veterinary recruiters aren’t just filling jobs—we’re helping to shape the future of Veterinary Medicine, one person and one placement at a time.
We invite you to find out more about our Veterinary recruiting services for employers and also learn more about our recruiting process and how we can help you hire more veterinarians in 2025.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.