Updated October 14, 2026. Data: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, quarterly count of jobs and wages from employer tax records, first quarter 2026 vs. first quarter 2025. Figures are preliminary. Second-quarter 2026 figures are due in December.
Veterinary clinics employed about 473,399 people in early 2026, up 1.0% from a year earlier, at 36,732 locations (+2.1%). Jobs grew fastest in Montana (+8.0%), District of Columbia (+5.7%) and Oklahoma (+5.0%). The biggest drops were in South Carolina (-2.6%), Mississippi (-2.1%) and Washington (-1.8%).
Change in jobs in each state
The biggest employers are California (49,389 jobs), Texas (39,542 jobs) and Florida (34,372 jobs).
Every state: jobs, locations and pay
Click a column to sort. Jobs are the average of January, February and March.
| State | Jobs, Q1 2026 | Jobs, Q1 2025 | Change | Locations, Q1 2026 | Locations change | Average weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 473,399 | 468,649 | +1.0% | 36,732 | +2.1% | $1,173 |
| Alabama | 7,190 | 7,072 | +1.7% | 662 | +4.6% | $944 |
| Alaska | 975 | 930 | +4.8% | 66 | +8.2% | $1,129 |
| Arizona | 9,892 | 9,583 | +3.2% | 723 | +2.3% | $1,260 |
| Arkansas | 3,541 | 3,510 | +0.9% | 352 | +0.3% | $865 |
| California | 49,389 | 48,721 | +1.4% | 3,769 | +3.9% | $1,410 |
| Colorado | 11,981 | 12,084 | -0.9% | 946 | +1.6% | $1,311 |
| Connecticut | 5,684 | 5,650 | +0.6% | 390 | -5.6% | $1,399 |
| Delaware | 1,282 | 1,285 | -0.3% | 93 | +1.1% | $1,126 |
| District of Columbia | 760 | 719 | +5.7% | 60 | +15.4% | $1,929 |
| Florida | 34,372 | 34,228 | +0.4% | 2,921 | +3.1% | $1,164 |
| Georgia | 14,882 | 14,710 | +1.2% | 1,173 | -0.3% | $1,053 |
| Hawaii | 1,697 | 1,673 | +1.4% | 142 | +3.6% | $1,288 |
| Idaho | 3,080 | 3,014 | +2.2% | 325 | -2.1% | $980 |
| Illinois | 16,098 | 16,025 | +0.5% | 985 | +3.5% | $1,170 |
| Indiana | 9,607 | 9,656 | -0.5% | 710 | +1.1% | $986 |
| Iowa | 4,609 | 4,653 | -0.9% | 509 | +0.0% | $976 |
| Kansas | 4,996 | 5,013 | -0.4% | 483 | +3.6% | $918 |
| Kentucky | 7,050 | 6,964 | +1.2% | 637 | +0.3% | $1,047 |
| Louisiana | 5,766 | 5,782 | -0.3% | 558 | +2.8% | $862 |
| Maine | 2,751 | 2,691 | +2.2% | 217 | +0.9% | $1,315 |
| Maryland | 8,545 | 8,405 | +1.7% | 628 | +1.1% | $1,245 |
| Massachusetts | 10,468 | 10,196 | +2.7% | 631 | +1.4% | $1,451 |
| Michigan | 13,683 | 13,460 | +1.7% | 1,020 | +1.8% | $1,092 |
| Minnesota | 8,555 | 8,539 | +0.2% | 657 | +1.4% | $1,139 |
| Mississippi | 2,945 | 3,010 | -2.1% | 309 | +0.3% | $759 |
| Missouri | 8,730 | 8,730 | -0.0% | 765 | +1.3% | $1,016 |
| Montana | 2,543 | 2,355 | +8.0% | 234 | +5.9% | $995 |
| Nebraska | 3,328 | 3,286 | +1.3% | 323 | +0.9% | $958 |
| Nevada | 4,672 | 4,488 | +4.1% | 273 | +5.0% | $1,222 |
| New Hampshire | 2,938 | 2,960 | -0.7% | 221 | -1.8% | $1,269 |
| New Jersey | 11,462 | 11,353 | +1.0% | 766 | -1.8% | $1,386 |
| New Mexico | 2,592 | 2,546 | +1.8% | 206 | -4.2% | $1,038 |
| New York | 20,791 | 20,682 | +0.5% | 1,420 | -0.7% | $1,380 |
| North Carolina | 18,106 | 17,939 | +0.9% | 1,383 | +6.2% | $1,077 |
| North Dakota | 1,132 | 1,090 | +3.9% | 90 | +5.9% | $1,078 |
| Ohio | 17,641 | 17,597 | +0.2% | 1,241 | -1.4% | $1,063 |
| Oklahoma | 6,016 | 5,731 | +5.0% | 584 | +1.9% | $879 |
| Oregon | 8,506 | 8,440 | +0.8% | 612 | -3.5% | $1,217 |
| Pennsylvania | 18,065 | 18,000 | +0.4% | 1,342 | +3.5% | $1,154 |
| Rhode Island | 1,490 | 1,439 | +3.6% | 111 | +2.8% | $1,297 |
| South Carolina | 7,612 | 7,812 | -2.6% | 604 | +1.7% | $1,121 |
| South Dakota | 1,285 | 1,258 | +2.2% | 160 | +3.2% | $966 |
| Tennessee | 11,122 | 10,853 | +2.5% | 826 | +6.3% | $1,053 |
| Texas | 39,542 | 38,864 | +1.7% | 3,298 | +3.3% | $1,155 |
| Utah | 4,241 | 4,082 | +3.9% | 292 | +2.8% | $1,069 |
| Vermont | 1,395 | 1,351 | +3.3% | 112 | +5.7% | $1,174 |
| Virginia | 15,321 | 15,075 | +1.6% | 1,060 | +3.0% | $1,116 |
| Washington | 12,472 | 12,695 | -1.8% | 831 | +2.7% | $1,296 |
| West Virginia | 2,134 | 2,132 | +0.1% | 178 | -1.7% | $882 |
| Wisconsin | 9,454 | 9,323 | +1.4% | 716 | +0.3% | $1,062 |
| Wyoming | 1,014 | 993 | +2.0% | 118 | +4.4% | $990 |
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
- Ownership isn’t shown. Large companies and private equity firms have been buying vet practices, and that has drawn news coverage. This data counts clinics and workers, not who owns them, so it can’t measure that trend or its effect on prices.
- Slow growth. Jobs rose in 40 states and fell by more than 2% in only 2.
- What’s included: veterinary services for pets and farm animals, including animal hospitals. Pet grooming and boarding without vet care are counted elsewhere.
For owners and would-be owners
- Pet owners keep spending. See where people spend the most on pets.
- Related pet businesses like grooming, boarding and dog walking often grow near busy vet clinics, and many start as one-person operations. See how many service businesses run without employees.
Starting a pet care business?
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How we counted
- Source: U.S. Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, industry 54194 (veterinary services), privately owned businesses, first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
- Jobs are the average of the three monthly counts and include full- and part-time workers on payroll. Owners with no payroll and self-employed people aren’t counted.
- Locations are individual work sites (establishments), not companies. One company with ten offices counts ten times.
- State is where the job is located as reported by the employer.
- Preliminary: first-quarter 2026 figures can be revised.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Vet Clinic Jobs Grew 1% in a Year, With Montana Up 8%,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/vet-clinic-jobs/ (updated October 14, 2026).
FAQ
How many people work at vet clinics?
About 473,399 in the first quarter of 2026, up 1.0% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
How many vet clinics are in the U.S.?
About 36,732 private veterinary locations.
Where are vet jobs growing fastest?
Montana (+8.0%), District of Columbia (+5.7%) and Oklahoma (+5.0%).
Does this show private equity buying vet clinics?
No. The data counts locations and jobs, not ownership.
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Labor Department’s quarterly count of jobs from employer unemployment-insurance tax records, which covers nearly all payroll jobs.
Last updated October 14, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.