Veterinarian Salary in Louisiana (2026)

Worth knowing: LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Baton Rouge is the country's only DVM-granting institution between Texas A&M + Mississippi State + Auburn + UF and a feature most national veterinarian compensation surveys understate for LA. LSU SVM (founded 1973 + ~95 DVMs graduated annually + the only LA DVM school + serving as the regional DVM school for LA + AR + parts of MS + parts of TX) operates substantial LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital BR + LSU Veterinary Equine Clinical Sciences Department + LSU Veterinary Pathobiological Sciences + LSU Equine Health Studies Program + LSU Stephenson Disease Detection Dogs Program. Senior LSU VTH board-certified specialty veterinarians clear $155-245K+ TC. LA's substantial equine industry (LA's substantial thoroughbred + Quarter Horse breeding at the Cajun country + LA Quarter Horse Association + ~10K LA Quarter Horse population + the LA Fair Grounds NOLA founded 1872 as the country's 3rd-oldest US thoroughbred track + Delta Downs Vinton + Evangeline Downs Opelousas + Louisiana Downs Bossier City) supports substantial LA equine veterinary work. LA's substantial production animal demand (LA's substantial beef cattle + dairy + commercial poultry + the country's #1 US crawfish producer ~150M lbs annually + alligator aquaculture + Gulf shrimp + commercial fisheries) supports substantial LA production animal + aquatic veterinary work. The LA Department of Agriculture & Forestry + LA Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory + USDA APHIS LA Veterinary Services supports substantial regulatory + livestock disease + food safety veterinary work at GS-12/13 federal civilian pay scale. LA's flat 3% (post-2024 Act 11) + LA RTW since 1976 + no state estate tax (repealed 2008) + LA cost of living advantage vs major coastal metros support the LA veterinarian proposition.