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 September 2026, approximately 3,853 of the 34,813 US veterinary practices tracked by VetPulse (10.9% on average) are actively hiring, with 57,955 open veterinary roles across 51 states.
National snapshot
Open roles (US)
57,955
Veterinarian roles
21,814
Technician roles
24,411
Support roles
11,730
Hiring rate by state
Share of practices actively hiring, sorted highest to lowest. Updated September 2026.
| State | Hiring rate | Practices hiring |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 21.1% | 8 |
| Delaware | 15.6% | 14 |
| Nevada | 14.9% | 37 |
| New Jersey | 14.0% | 104 |
| Massachusetts | 13.9% | 92 |
| North Dakota | 13.8% | 13 |
| New Mexico | 13.7% | 29 |
| Utah | 13.7% | 36 |
| New Hampshire | 13.3% | 29 |
| Oregon | 13.2% | 78 |
| Virginia | 13.2% | 135 |
| Washington | 13.0% | 115 |
| Hawaii | 12.9% | 16 |
| Indiana | 12.6% | 87 |
| Arizona | 12.5% | 94 |
| Minnesota | 12.0% | 75 |
| Illinois | 12.0% | 142 |
| Maryland | 12.0% | 72 |
| Pennsylvania | 11.9% | 157 |
| Connecticut | 11.9% | 46 |
| Rhode Island | 11.8% | 12 |
| Colorado | 11.8% | 108 |
| Texas | 11.7% | 331 |
| South Carolina | 11.6% | 70 |
| California | 11.6% | 376 |
| Georgia | 11.4% | 129 |
| Florida | 11.4% | 286 |
| North Carolina | 11.1% | 138 |
| New York | 11.0% | 167 |
| Wisconsin | 10.9% | 80 |
| Nebraska | 10.9% | 36 |
| Ohio | 10.6% | 127 |
| Tennessee | 10.3% | 82 |
| Maine | 10.3% | 22 |
| Michigan | 9.8% | 99 |
| Idaho | 9.7% | 23 |
| Alaska | 9.3% | 8 |
| Vermont | 9.2% | 11 |
| West Virginia | 9.2% | 16 |
| Oklahoma | 8.2% | 48 |
| Louisiana | 8.1% | 40 |
| Kansas | 7.4% | 35 |
| Iowa | 7.3% | 36 |
| Arkansas | 7.2% | 25 |
| Kentucky | 6.9% | 36 |
| Missouri | 6.9% | 52 |
| South Dakota | 6.5% | 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?
10.9% of veterinary practices tracked by VetPulse are currently hiring, representing approximately 3,853 practices as of September 2026.
How many open veterinary jobs are there in the US?
Approximately 57,955 open veterinary roles across the US as of September 2026 — 21,814 veterinarian, 24,411 technician, and 11,730 support positions, from 5,379 employers.
Which states have the highest veterinary hiring rates?
As of September 2026, the states with the highest veterinary hiring rates are: District of Columbia (21.1%), Delaware (15.6%), Nevada (14.9%), New Jersey (14.0%), Massachusetts (13.9%).