Veterinary Hiring & Staffing
How many US veterinary practices are actively hiring, broken down by state — drawn from practice-level hiring signals and open-role listings updated weekly.
As of October 2026, approximately 3,907 of the 34,832 US veterinary practices tracked by VetPulse (11.0% on average) are actively hiring, with 43,848 open veterinary roles across 51 states.
National snapshot
Open roles (US)
43,848
Veterinarian roles
17,343
Technician roles
19,878
Support roles
6,627
Hiring rate by state
Share of practices actively hiring, sorted highest to lowest. Updated October 2026.
| State | Hiring rate | Practices hiring |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 21.1% | 8 |
| Delaware | 16.1% | 14 |
| Nevada | 15.3% | 38 |
| New Jersey | 14.3% | 104 |
| North Dakota | 13.8% | 13 |
| New Mexico | 13.6% | 29 |
| Virginia | 13.5% | 138 |
| Utah | 13.5% | 36 |
| Massachusetts | 13.5% | 88 |
| Oregon | 13.4% | 78 |
| Arizona | 13.0% | 99 |
| New Hampshire | 12.9% | 28 |
| Hawaii | 12.9% | 16 |
| Indiana | 12.9% | 87 |
| Washington | 12.9% | 114 |
| Maryland | 12.6% | 74 |
| Connecticut | 12.2% | 46 |
| Pennsylvania | 12.1% | 156 |
| Colorado | 12.1% | 115 |
| Illinois | 12.1% | 140 |
| Minnesota | 12.1% | 76 |
| Rhode Island | 12.1% | 12 |
| Texas | 12.0% | 341 |
| Georgia | 11.9% | 133 |
| California | 11.6% | 381 |
| South Carolina | 11.4% | 70 |
| Florida | 11.4% | 297 |
| North Carolina | 11.4% | 143 |
| New York | 11.3% | 169 |
| Wisconsin | 11.2% | 81 |
| Nebraska | 11.0% | 36 |
| Ohio | 10.8% | 129 |
| Maine | 10.6% | 22 |
| Tennessee | 10.3% | 83 |
| Michigan | 9.7% | 98 |
| Alaska | 9.5% | 8 |
| West Virginia | 9.4% | 16 |
| Idaho | 9.3% | 22 |
| Vermont | 8.9% | 11 |
| Oklahoma | 8.3% | 49 |
| Louisiana | 8.1% | 40 |
| Kansas | 7.7% | 37 |
| Iowa | 7.4% | 36 |
| Arkansas | 7.4% | 25 |
| Missouri | 7.2% | 54 |
| Kentucky | 6.8% | 36 |
| South Dakota | 6.6% | 11 |
| Alabama | 6.3% | 36 |
| Wyoming | 6.1% | 7 |
| Montana | 5.7% | 14 |
| Mississippi | 4.4% | 13 |
Hiring rate = share of practices with an active hiring signal in VetPulse's practice-level dataset. · Methodology
Common questions
What percentage of veterinary practices are currently hiring?
11.0% of veterinary practices tracked by VetPulse are currently hiring, representing approximately 3,907 practices as of October 2026.
How many open veterinary jobs are there in the US?
Approximately 43,848 open veterinary roles across the US as of October 2026 — 17,343 veterinarian, 19,878 technician, and 6,627 support positions, from 6,122 employers.
Which states have the highest veterinary hiring rates?
As of October 2026, the states with the highest veterinary hiring rates are: District of Columbia (21.1%), Delaware (16.1%), Nevada (15.3%), New Jersey (14.3%), North Dakota (13.8%).