Veterinary & Animal Care
Veterinary and Animal Care
About
The veterinary profession is highly respected and generally well-paid but requires significant qualifications and training. There are also many other animal care roles available.
The starting annual salary for a newly qualified vet in the UK is around £30,000, with experience this rises to £43,000 - £44,000, depending on the size of the practice.
According to Lantra it is estimated that 222,850 people in the UK work in the animal care industry, in over 20,000 different business.
Careers advice
- Prospects - advice on jobs working with animals
- The Guardian - articles including Want to work with animals? Six ways to get a job on the wild side and from lemurs to rhinos: how to get a job working with animals – live chat
- Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - has produced career guides on becoming a Vet and a Veterinary Nurse
- MyVetFuture
- British Horse Society: equine careers
- The Telegraph - Ten ways the veterinary profession is changing
- TARGETcareers - I want a job working with animals – what careers are there?
Industry news
- The Guardian: Animal Welfare
- Animal Behaviour - journal from the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
- Horse & Hound - including an article on getting your dream equestrian job
- Animal & Plant Health Agency - government press releases, research and news
- BBC News: Animals
- Vet Times
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.
They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
The main professional associations for this sector include:
Animal care
- Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)
- The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC)
- The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
- Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT)
- Institute of Animal Technology (IAT)
And:
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA)
- Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers (ABWAK)
- National Search and Rescue Dog Association
- The Canine Behaviour & Training Society
- International Association of Equine Dentistry - includes an international database of certified practitioners
- Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
Veterinary
- British Equine Veterinary Association
- Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - information for veterinary professionals in the UK
- British Veterinary Association (BVA)
- British Small Animal Veterinary Association - free e-membership for students studying an undergraduate veterinary degree
- British Veterinary Nursing Association - includes vacancies, fact sheets and bursary information
Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.
Making contacts
Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start with:
- social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter – useful for contacts, employers and finding opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our veterinary and animal care Twitter list.
- connecting with our alumni on LinkedIn. Find out what they did after graduation and how they got there, and contact them for advice and inspiration.
Events
Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events organised by the Careers Service include Employer & Sector Insights and Recruitment Events.
Related sectors
You may also be interested in Agriculture or the Environment.
Or see our other Explore Occupations webpages for more options.
Roles
The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies.
There are many different roles available in animal care, including opportunities to work in animal health, welfare, behaviour and nutrition.
In animal care you could work in variety of locations including veterinary surgeries, animal charities, zoos and wildlife parks. Along with dog handling roles within the military, emergency services and prisons.
Vets are in demand, there is currently a workforce shortage of 11% in small animal practices. Brexit could also potentially bring implications for the sector with around half of vets registering each year in the UK being graduates from the EU. Strong case for vets to be on shortage occupation list, British Veterinary Association, 2017.
The National Careers Service has a number of animal, plant and land-related job profiles.
Animal chiropractic
- Natural-animal-health.co.uk - article - 'What is Animal Chiropractic?'
Animal behaviourist/counsellor
- The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC)
- ASAB: How to become a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Animal physiotherapy
Animal technologist
Dog handler
Gamekeeper
Veterinary nurse
Veterinary surgeon
Zookeeper
- Prospects
- National Careers Service
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA)
- Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers (ABWAK)
Zoologist
Skills employers look for
- the ability to communicate effectively with pet owners, clients and visitors
- confidence in handling, treating and caring for animals of all sizes
- attention to detail, high levels of concentration and strong observation skills
- the ability to work well in a team, often in stressful situations
- compassion, empathy and the ability to remain calm and practical in emotional circumstances
- knowledge of animal health, welfare and ethical issues
Gaining Experience
Relevant work experience in this sector is crucial in developing expertise and demonstrating your motivation and commitment.
Applications for Veterinary Medicine: FAQs answers questions about getting work experience for veterinary medicine (PDF: 210 KB).
In this sector it is common for offers of placements and work experience to be on an unpaid basis. With work experience often taking place on a voluntary basis for a charity.
Eligible students can apply for a Career Insights Bursary and receive a bursary of up to £500 to help with costs related to undertaking unpaid experience.
Professional bodies and research councils also advertise opportunities. See About for a list of organisations.
Volunteering
In the North East:
- Go Volunteer - offer a variety of volunteering projects to Newcastle University students, including environmental and animal-related opportunities
- Search for opportunities on My Career
- Northumberland, Durham and Tees Valley Wildlife Trust offer voluntary work
UK wide:
- Wildlife Trusts - voluntary opportunities and links to local trusts
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) - zoos and aquariums offering volunteering opportunities
- RSPCA - search for volunteering
- Guide Dogs - information and advice on various roles working with guide dogs
- Do-it - search for volunteering opportunities
Overseas opportunities include:
- Projects Abroad - work experience abroad, including opportunities in veterinary medicine and animal care
- Careersabroad - sources of relevant work experience
Internships and placements
Undertaking an internship or placement year is a great way to gain in-depth experience, however placement years are not commonly advertised in animal care. It may be possible to arrange a placement by researching relevant organisations and contacting them directly, through a speculative application. Penultimate year undergraduate students can opt to take a 9-12 month placement, extending your degree programme by one year. For more information, or to register your interest, see Careers Service Placement Year.
- Natural England: Work experience, student placements and volunteering - includes potential dissertation projects
- Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust - offer placement years and MSc projects
Read how Alex Bain from Newcastle University found his reptile and invertebrates placement year at Kirkley Hall Zoological Gardens.
See Internships, Placements & Shadowing for additional sources of opportunities for students and recent graduates.
Finding organisations
Speculative applications are when you contact employers not in response to an advertised vacancy. They can be a useful way to approach employers who don’t offer formal internship schemes. They are also useful for finding opportunities in a highly specialised field or specific location.
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
Try the following sites to find companies to approach:
- Find organisations on MyCareer - log in, then click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- Gov.uk: Quarantine – includes list of authorised quarantine premises
- Charity Choice - list of animal charities
- RCVS Find a vet – search for RCVS accredited practices
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums - search for zoos and aquariums
- LinkedIn Find Alumni Tool - see where Newcastle University graduates are working for inspiration
- Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) - see where Newcastle University graduates were working six months after graduation
You can find companies to approach for work experience by:
- researching employers via business directories and databases
- using social media to find employers, particularly LinkedIn
- looking at professional bodies' lists of member directories
Scholarships, projects and competitions
- ASAB: Undergraduate Project Scholarships offer funded opportunities to complete a supervised research project during vacation
- The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare is a project in animal welfare which will consider MSc students on appropriate courses.
Related sectors
You may also be interested in the Gaining Experience sections on Agriculture and Environment.
Finding Jobs
Competition is strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and also research employers for speculative applications.
Vacancy sites
General vacancy sites include:
- Search for vacancies on MyCareer
- Animal Jobs Direct
- Horse and Hound: jobs
- British Horse Society: jobs
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
- Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers
- Countryside Jobs
- Animal Welfare Research Network: jobs
Role profiles link to employers and vacancy sources for specific jobs.
Find jobs and additional vacancy source websites outside the UK on GoinGlobal.
Veterinary
Overseas
Careersabroad offer opportunities in sustainable development, biological and zoological research and conservation.
The Environmental Information Service has alphabetical lists of environmental organisations. These include agricultural, horticultural and animal welfare organisations by area (PDFs):
See Graduate jobs for more vacancy sources.
Charities
There are many charities operating in this sector with both voluntary and paid opportunities. Examples include:
Search Charity Choice for a list of other animal charities.
Specialist recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies often advertise graduate and entry-level positions. They also have a wealth of industry knowledge.
Finding companies
Not all jobs are advertised. You could also approach firms directly or find work through networking in the industry.
Find firms that interest you and get in touch – always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
Try the following sites to find companies to approach:
- Find organisations on MyCareer - log in, then click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- Gov.uk: Quarantine – includes list of authorised quarantine premises
- Charity Choice - list of animal charities
- RCVS Find a vet – search for RCVS accredited practices
- British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums - search for zoos and aquariums
- LinkedIn Find Alumni Tool - see where Newcastle University graduates are working for inspiration
- Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) - see where Newcastle University graduates were working six months after graduation