Healthcare

Veterinarian Salary in Missouri (2026)

The average Veterinarian in Missouri earns around $130,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $95,183/year ($7,932/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$95,183
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$7,932
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$3,661
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$46/hr
Federal Tax
$19,934
State Tax
$4,938
FICA Taxes
$9,945
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

26.78%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Veterinarian Salary Ranges in Missouri

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$95,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$130,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$185,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Veterinarians earn the same — not even close

Missouri's veterinary market is anchored by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine (Columbia, ~120 DVMs graduating per year — one of the larger Midwest CVM programs), Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health St. Joseph (one of the largest animal-vaccine manufacturing facilities in North America, ~1,400 employees), Mercy Veterinary (suburban small animal), Banfield Pet Hospital network (~35 MO locations under Mars Veterinary Health umbrella), VCA Animal Hospitals, plus MO's livestock industry (pork, dairy, beef cattle, equine) creating large-animal specialty demand.

Boehringer Ingelheim Senior Veterinarian

$195,000–$325,000+ TC

BI Animal Health St. Joseph senior R&D + clinical · animal vaccines + parasiticides · regulatory affairs

Practice Owner (Established)

$175,000–$315,000

Senior practice owner · suburban STL + KC + Springfield · book of business + commercial real estate

Veterinary Specialist (DACVIM, DACVS, DACVO)

$185,000–$285,000

Boarded specialist · referral hospitals · cardiology, oncology, surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology

Senior Associate / Medical Director

$135,000–$190,000

Senior small-animal practice · medical director at multi-doctor practices · 8-15 years

Emergency / Critical Care DVM

$145,000–$225,000

Veterinary Specialty Services (STL) · BluePearl KC · 24/7 emergency + specialty referral

Large Animal / Livestock DVM

$110,000–$170,000

Pork industry · dairy · beef · equine practice · regional ambulatory rounds · 7th in US pork production

Mid-Career Associate DVM (5-10 yrs)

$115,000–$160,000

Banfield, VCA, Mars Veterinary Health, independent suburban practice associate

New DVM (0-4 yrs post-Mizzou)

$95,000–$135,000

Post-Mizzou CVM graduates · Banfield + VCA + suburban independent practice · entry band

Academic Faculty (Mizzou CVM)

$135,000–$215,000

Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine faculty + Veterinary Health Center clinical practice mix

Industry / Regulatory Veterinarian

$135,000–$225,000

USDA APHIS · MO Department of Agriculture · pharma regulatory affairs · Pfizer + Zoetis adjacent

Worth knowing: Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health St. Joseph is the structural feature most national veterinary-career surveys understate. The St. Joseph facility (one of the largest animal-vaccine manufacturing operations in North America, ~1,400 employees) produces BI's livestock + poultry + companion animal vaccines, parasiticides, and biologicals for both US and international markets. Senior corporate veterinarians at BI St. Joseph earn $195-325K TC plus equity — a career path that doesn't exist in most US states. The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine (Columbia) graduates ~120 DVMs per year — one of the larger Midwest CVM programs, with strong programs in small animal, food animal, and equine medicine. Mizzou CVM's Veterinary Health Center operates a full-service academic referral hospital plus diagnostic services. MO ranks 7th in US pork production (~3.3 million hogs annually) plus substantial beef cattle (3rd in beef cow inventory) and dairy operations across central + northern MO — creating distinctive large-animal practice niches not available in most states. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis applies to non-resident DVM wages earned within city limits; suburban + rural MO practice locations avoid the city tax.

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