Career and Graduate Profiles
Graduates from the Faculty of Veterinary Science enjoy diverse and rewarding careers within their chosen disciplines.
Employment opportunities for new graduates are excellent with most graduates employed immediately on graduation or shortly thereafter. Our graduates have developed their careers in many areas of veterinary practice and science both nationally and internationally. Most graduates change their career directions as they develop and gain more experience. Continuing professional education leads to graduates specializing in particular disciplines and species of animals. The largest numbers of veterinarians work mainly with companion animals in private practice, but there are opportunities for veterinarians in research and higher education, industry and government services throughout the world.
Within Australia private practice has employed 95 per cent of new graduates with a starting salary in the order of $36, 000 per year (source:- the Graduate Destination survey of 2004 graduates). In addition to the employment areas listed, there are new opportunities emerging with the new genetic technologies, in food safety, in disease diagnosis, in animal welfare and urban animal management. Australian veterinary graduates may move within Australia or overseas for graduate training to PhD level. Others go overseas to obtain membership in specialist disciplines such as surgery, small animal medicine, radiology and anaesthesia. There is an unmet demand for veterinarians to enter research careers.
International students considering career opportunities as veterinarians in their own country should also check their local sources. It is not possible to provide a comprehensive statement on careers that applies equally to South-East Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. For example, the involvement of governments in the delivery of veterinary services would vary and thus the opportunity to gain employment with a government agency must also vary.
Graduates may find employment in the following areas:
Private veterinary practice – In Australia, private practice provides the largest demand for recent graduates, and most veterinarians own or work in a practice. In addition to veterinary skills, this requires a variety of management and business skills, including the ability to communicate well and work with a variety of people. As a practitioner there are opportunities to work with small animals (pets) or large animals (agricultural animals), or a mixture. With experience and further training it is possible to develop a specialisation in a particular species, eg. horses, or in a discipline within veterinary science, eg. surgery or ophthalmology. Private veterinary pathology laboratories also provide opportunities for veterinarians with graduate qualifications in diagnostic pathology.
Government veterinary services – Commonwealth government veterinarians supervise both the handling of stock and the processing of meat for Australia’s export meat market. They also supervise live animal exports and imports (including imported animal products) through quarantine to prevent the introduction of diseases from overseas. Accredited private veterinary practitioners also undertake some of these activities preparing live animals for export.
Government veterinarians are involved in regulatory animal disease control and eradication and animal welfare. They are also involved in food safety by monitoring residues, contaminants and food quality, principally in food producing species such as cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry which contribute to Australia’s export earnings.
Research – Several state government research institutes and CSIRO conduct research into animal diseases, animal welfare, biosecurity, food production, human nutrition and health, and environmental and wildlife studies. Veterinarians with research training work in biomedical science in universities and research institutes. The 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was shared by Professor Peter Doherty, a graduate in veterinary science from the University of Queensland. Professor Doherty is now a staff member of the University of Melbourne.
Consultancy – Veterinarians work as consultants to the sheep, cattle, pig and poultry industries, providing whole-farm and animal health and production management services. Others work for aid agencies and contribute to international programs in animal production, disease control and environmental management.
Education – Veterinarians work in universities, training undergraduate veterinary students and supervising graduate research into normal animal function and studies of animal diseases. Others teach veterinary nursing, laboratory animal management and the biomedical and biological sciences.
Industry – In the pharmaceutical industry, developing and testing new drugs for both animals and humans calls for veterinarians to conduct research, develop products and act as technical advisers and problem solvers. They also ensure the health and welfare of laboratory animals.
Veterinarians in the pet and stock food industries undertake research and development of products to ensure good nutritional standards are maintained. These industries employ veterinarians in management, marketing and provision of technical advice.
Other avenues of employment include pastoral companies and artificial breeding and reproductive technology services.
Aquatic animal health is an area that is requiring more veterinary services as protein production from fish farms increases.
Animals in society – Employment opportunities exist in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, caring for and treating rare and valuable animals and ensuring suitable habitats are maintained. The RSPCA employs veterinarians to care for abandoned and abused animals.
Visit our Graduate profile page for our graduate stories.