Indeed names veterinarians as top job for 2025
Veterinarians topped the list on Indeed's “Best Jobs for 2025,” which highlighted health care and engineering as this year’s dominant sectors.
The annual list was compiled via Indeed's analysis using three criteria: a minimum $75,000 salary, remote or hybrid availability for at least 5% of postings, and at least 20% growth in number of postings in the past three years.
Veterinarians topped Indeed’s list with a median annual salary of $139,999 and 1,065 job postings per 1 million total jobs, reflecting a 124% growth in job share from 2021, followed by sales representatives then physicians.
Veterinarians shot to the spot this year after not appearing in either 2024 or 2023’s top 25 lists, which Indeed’s career trends expert Jennifer Herrity acknowledged.
“This year, veterinarian climbed the ranks as the No.1 top job of 2025 for a few reasons,” she said, noting the 124% year-on-year surge. “Some other trends we are seeing that may shed light on why veterinarian is such a popular job is likely due to the rising demand for pet care, driven by increasing pet ownership and a greater focus on animal health.”
This comes as the number of veterinary establishments has increased 18.5%, from 28,691 in 2009 to 34,000 in 2022, according to the AVMA's 2025 Economic State of the Veterinary Profession report.
“The field of veterinary medicine has also seen substantial advancements, increasing the life expectancy of pets and furthering the need for this care,” Herrity added.
Still, even as the pet population continues to increase, pet spending—including on veterinary care—has overall decreased in recent years, amid ongoing inflation and economic uncertainty following a brief post-pandemic boom in pet spending trends.
Industry analysis shows that with a dozen veterinary schools currently proposed to become accredited, in addition to the 34 U.S. veterinary colleges recognized by the AVMA Council on Education, the population of small animal veterinarians could likely outpace the number of pet-owning households in coming years.
That said, with a majority of U.S. households owning a pet, “the love for furry companions is multi-generational, suggesting likely stability in the veterinarian sector for years to come,” according to Indeed.
The AVMA Career Center houses the largest aggregate of veterinary jobs in the profession and is the go-to resource for employers to find veterinary candidates. The recent career center upgrade provides veterinary professionals resources and tools to help navigate career decision making.