How much does a Vet make in Texas?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $121,220 for Vets in Texas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $98,620 and the 75th-percentile is $159,700.

How many Vets does Texas employ?

BLS OES counts 5,940 Vets employed in Texas in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Texas rank for Vet pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Texas ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Texas?

P10 to P90 spans $73,180 to $209,720. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

What are the limits of these Vet salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Texas?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Texas.

DVM tuition ROI in Texas — does it still pencil out?

DVM programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $150K-$320K total tuition + $90K-$150K foregone earnings. Average graduating debt is now $185K-$220K and rising. Against the Texas vet median in the BLS table on this page, breakeven on the cash investment typically lands 12-20 years post-graduation depending on practice setting and PSLF eligibility (public health / shelter / academia / federal). Specialty board certification (small-animal surgery, oncology, internal medicine, ER) requires 3-4 additional residency years but lifts terminal earning power well above general-practice BLS P90 in Texas.

Texas Veterinarian Salary: BLS $121K Median, Real $125K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Vet salary in Texas: $121,220 nominal, $124,789 real (BEA RPP basis).
Nominal: #26/51 · Real: #22/51 — ranking shifts by 4 positions after RPP.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Wage envelope: $73,180 (P10) to $209,720 (P90), with quartiles at $98,620 and $159,700.

Wage breakdown — Texas

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$73,180	$75,335
P25 (lower quartile)	$98,620	$101,524
P50 (median)	$121,220	$124,789
P75 (upper quartile)	$159,700	$164,402
P90 (top tier)	$209,720	$215,895
Mean	$130,770	$134,620
Employment	5,940 Vets in Texas

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Texas index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	97.1
Goods	98.1
Services	92.4
Rents	97.5

Texas's overall RPP (97.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Texas (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Vet)	$121,220	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$17,915	14.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$9,273	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$94,031	77.6% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$96,800	÷ (97.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Texas state-tax burden means for Vet take-home

Texas levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $6,061 a year for a Vet at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $96,800 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $125,510 for Vets with mean pay of $140,270 and total employment of 80,630. Texas sits at #26 on nominal pay and #22 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Texas climbs 4 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Vet make in Texas?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $121,220 for Vets in Texas as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $98,620 and the 75th-percentile is $159,700.
How many Vets does Texas employ?: BLS OES counts 5,940 Vets employed in Texas in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Texas rank for Vet pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Texas ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Texas?: P10 to P90 spans $73,180 to $209,720. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
What are the limits of these Vet salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Texas?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Texas.
DVM tuition ROI in Texas — does it still pencil out?: DVM programs run 4 years post-undergrad at $150K-$320K total tuition + $90K-$150K foregone earnings. Average graduating debt is now $185K-$220K and rising. Against the Texas vet median in the BLS table on this page, breakeven on the cash investment typically lands 12-20 years post-graduation depending on practice setting and PSLF eligibility (public health / shelter / academia / federal). Specialty board certification (small-animal surgery, oncology, internal medicine, ER) requires 3-4 additional residency years but lifts terminal earning power well above general-practice BLS P90 in Texas.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1131, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Texas Vet pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.