Veterinarian Salary in Maryland
Veterinarians in Maryland earned a median annual wage of $163,170 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimates — 25% above the national median of $130,100, and the 2nd-highest median among the 49 jurisdictions that publish one.
That premium is not spread evenly through the range: it is largest at the floor of the distribution and narrows to almost nothing at the top, describing a workforce of 1,430 veterinarians.
10th percentile
$104,030
25th percentile
$133,040
75th percentile
$189,450
90th percentile
$214,960
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Maryland, SOC 29-1131 (Veterinarians). Retrieved 2026-09-16 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Maryland vs. the national figures
The Maryland median is above the national median by 25%. Among the 49 jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes a veterinarian median for May 2025, it ranks 2nd, and 23rd by estimated employment.
Differences are whole percentages, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
A high floor that closes the gap toward the top
Maryland's median is $163,170 against a national median of $130,100, a 25% premium.
That gap is not constant across the distribution.
The Maryland 10th percentile is $104,030, 41% above the national 10th percentile of $73,920, and the 25th percentile is $133,040, 31% above the national $101,460.
Moving up the range, the gap narrows: the 75th percentile is $189,450, 14% above the national $166,120, and the 90th percentile is $214,960 — a 0% difference from the national 90th percentile of $215,700.
A veterinarian in Maryland benchmarking an offer against the national 90th percentile is comparing against a ceiling the state distribution essentially matches, even though the floor beneath it sits far above the national floor.
A narrower band, weighted toward the top half
The middle half of Maryland veterinarians — the 25th to 75th percentile — earned between $133,040 and $189,450, a band $56,410 wide.
The same band nationally is $64,660 wide.
From the 10th percentile ($104,030) to the 90th ($214,960), Maryland spans $110,930, against a national span of $141,780.
Within that band, the $163,170 median sits $30,130 above the 25th percentile but only $26,280 below the 75th — closer to the ceiling of the middle half than to its floor.
OEWS publishes the shape of the distribution, not what produces it, so this page draws no conclusion about why Maryland's band is narrower than the national one.
A middling employment rank despite a top-tier median
BLS estimates that 1,430 veterinarians were employed in Maryland, a rank of 23rd among the 49 jurisdictions that publish a median — a middling headcount even though the Maryland median ranks 2nd.
The figure is a count of people in jobs during the survey period.
It is not a count of open positions, and it says nothing about how quickly any one employer fills a role, so read it as the size of the profession in the state and nothing more.
What it takes to practise in Maryland
Practising veterinary medicine in Maryland takes a license from the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
Applicants sit the Maryland State Examination — the NAVLE, with the passing score set by the national testing board, plus an attestation covering Maryland's veterinary laws rather than a separate scored test.
Licenses renew every year against 18 hours of continuing education, on a fiscal year that begins July 1, with a $300 renewal fee.
Those steps are the same wherever a job sits in the wage distribution; the full Maryland license requirements page covers each one with its citation.
Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, under the Dept. of Agriculture
Maryland licenses veterinarians through the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, under the Department of Agriculture.
Applicants pass the Maryland State Examination — the NAVLE plus an attestation-based Board Examination on Maryland's veterinary laws, not a scored jurisprudence test — with the NAVLE passing score set by the national testing board.
18 credit hours of continuing education every year, with licenses renewing annually before the State fiscal year begins July 1 — $300 annual renewal fee, $200 late fee for renewing after July 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median veterinarian salary in Maryland?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimate puts the Maryland median annual wage for veterinarians at $163,170, or $78.45 an hour.
Half of the veterinarians counted earned more and half earned less.
The national median in the same release is $130,100, so Maryland sits 25% above it, the 2nd-highest median among the 49 jurisdictions that publish one.
How much do the highest-paid veterinarians in Maryland earn?
The Maryland 90th percentile is $214,960, meaning one in ten veterinarians counted earned more than that.
Nationally the 90th percentile is $215,700 — a 0% difference — so the top of the Maryland range is essentially level with the national top even though the Maryland median runs 25% above the national median.
At the 75th percentile Maryland is further ahead: $189,450 against $166,120 nationally, a 14% gap.
What does a veterinarian at the lower end of the Maryland range earn?
The Maryland 10th percentile is $104,030 and the 25th percentile is $133,040 — 41% and 31% above the national figures of $73,920 and $101,460.
Those percentiles mark positions in the wage distribution, not particular jobs or career stages, so they cannot say what a given employer will offer.
They do show that the floor of the Maryland range sits well above the national floor.
How many veterinarians work in Maryland?
BLS estimates 1,430 veterinarians employed in Maryland in its May 2025 release, a rank of 23rd among the 49 jurisdictions that publish a median.
That is a headcount of people in jobs during the survey period, not a count of open positions, and it says nothing about how easily any one employer can fill a role.
Do I need a Maryland license to work as a veterinarian there?
Yes.
Maryland licenses veterinarians through the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
The route includes the NAVLE plus an attestation covering Maryland's veterinary laws rather than a separate scored jurisprudence exam, and licenses renew annually against 18 hours of continuing education.
The Maryland license requirements page on this site sets out each step and its citation; confirm current rules with the Board before you apply.
More Maryland Veterinarian Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Maryland, SOC 29-1131 Veterinarians (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-16)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates — SOC 29-1131 Veterinarians (via O*NET OnLine) (retrieved 2026-08-15)
- Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners — licensing pages, as summarised on the Maryland license requirements page (retrieved 2026-09-16)
Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 state and national estimates, SOC 29-1131, retrieved 2026-09-16. Page last updated 2026-09-22.