Desert Tails Animal Clinic logo
Desert Tails Animal Clinic
Scottsdale, Arizona

Associate Veterinarian - Friends, Family, Neighbors - Desert Tails Animal Clinic (Scottsdale, AZ)

VeterinarianNo weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · Monday – Saturday4-day week

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 41m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Associate Veterinarian | Friends. Family. Neighbors. | Scottsdale, AZ

Desert Tails Animal Clinic

Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale offers the perfect blend of outdoor adventure, vibrant city amenities, and year-round sunshine.

Whether you're exploring the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, enjoying Old Town Scottsdale's restaurants and art scene, or simply relaxing in one of the area's beautiful neighborhoods, Scottsdale delivers an exceptional quality of life.

With easy access to Phoenix and endless opportunities for recreation, it's an ideal place to build both your veterinary career and your life outside of work.

Open: Monday-Saturday

Work Week for This Role: Full-time or part-time opportunities available. Four-day work week available for full-time doctors with rotating Saturdays (approximately two per month).

Friends. Family. Neighbors.

That's not just a slogan at Desert Tails Animal Clinic—it's how we view every client, every patient, and every member of our team.

We believe exceptional veterinary medicine starts with meaningful relationships. Our clients trust us because we take the time to listen, educate, and partner with them throughout every stage of their pets' lives. Our team thrives because we support one another, communicate openly, and genuinely enjoy coming to work each day.

If you're looking for a veterinary hospital where high-quality medicine and authentic human connection go hand-in-hand, we'd love to meet you.

Make Desert Tails Animal Clinic Your Home Hospital

Located in beautiful North Scottsdale, Desert Tails Animal Clinic is a full-service small animal hospital committed to providing compassionate, personalized care backed by modern medicine and advanced technology.

Our doctors are supported by an experienced team, efficient workflows, and a collaborative culture that allows them to focus on practicing great medicine while building lasting client relationships. Whether you're an experienced veterinarian looking for your next long-term home or a recent graduate seeking mentorship and support, you'll find opportunities to grow and thrive here.

What You'll Practice

Our veterinarians enjoy a diverse and rewarding caseload that includes:

  • Small animal general practice
  • Preventive care and wellness medicine
  • Companion animal medicine
  • Puppy and kitten care
  • Senior pet care
  • Internal medicine cases
  • Dermatology consultations
  • Urgent care and same-day appointments during regular business hours
  • Client education and relationship building
  • End-of-life care and quality-of-life discussions

Surgery

  • Doctors interested in surgery will have opportunities to perform a variety of soft tissue procedures, including:
  • Spays and neuters
  • Mass removals and biopsies
  • Wound repair
  • Splenectomies
  • Exploratory procedures
  • Other routine soft tissue surgeries
  • Dentistry
  • We place a strong emphasis on oral health and provide:
  • Professional dental cleanings
  • Comprehensive oral health assessments
  • Dental radiography
  • Surgical dental procedures
  • Advanced dental treatments

Why Veterinarians Love Practicing Here

At Desert Tails Animal Clinic, relationships come first. Our clients are engaged, loyal, and committed to providing excellent care for their pets, allowing our veterinarians to build long-term partnerships and practice medicine the right way.

You'll join a collaborative team that values communication, kindness, and continuous learning. Whether you're discussing a challenging medical case, performing surgery, educating a first-time puppy owner, or supporting a family through a difficult decision, you'll have the support of experienced teammates who genuinely enjoy working together.

Our doctors enjoy a varied caseload that includes preventive care, internal medicine, urgent care, soft tissue surgery, dentistry, dermatology, and senior pet care, creating opportunities to continue developing clinical skills while building meaningful client relationships.

Under the leadership of Dr. McKnight and an experienced support team, we're excited about the future of Desert Tails and the opportunity to welcome another veterinarian who shares our commitment to compassionate, high-quality companion animal medicine.

Mentorship & Professional Growth

We welcome veterinarians at all stages of their careers.

New Graduates Encouraged to Apply

Our structured mentorship program includes:

  • One-on-one clinical guidance
  • Collaborative case discussions
  • Surgical mentorship opportunities
  • Ongoing professional development

Supportive Doctor Collaboration

Whether you're developing confidence as a new graduate or expanding your skills as an experienced veterinarian, you'll have the resources and support needed to succeed.

Qualifications

Required

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or VMD degree from an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine (or equivalent certification for international graduates)
  • Active Arizona veterinary license in good standing, or ability to obtain licensure prior to start date
  • Successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)
  • Commitment to practicing high-quality, evidence-based veterinary medicine
  • Strong communication and client relationship skills
  • Collaborative, team-oriented mindset
  • Passion for delivering exceptional patient care and client service
  • Preferred
  • Experience in small animal general practice, urgent care, or companion animal medicine
  • Interest in soft tissue surgery and veterinary dentistry
  • Experience utilizing digital radiography, dental radiography, and in-house diagnostics
  • Passion for client education, preventive care, and lifelong patient relationships

Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
  • Quarterly production bonuses with no negative accrual
  • Sign-on bonus and relocation assistance available
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) options
  • Generous paid time off with rollover
  • Paid parental leave and bonding time
  • Continuing education allowance plus CE days
  • Professional development support
  • Paid professional dues and PLIT
  • Structured mentorship program
  • 401(k) options
  • Personal pet discounts
  • Plus more

Why Scottsdale?

Scottsdale is consistently ranked among the most desirable places to live in the Southwest, offering an exceptional combination of outdoor recreation, culture, dining, and career opportunities.

Enjoy

  • Hiking and mountain biking in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
  • World-class golf courses and outdoor recreation
  • Old Town Scottsdale's dining, nightlife, and arts scene
  • Luxury shopping and entertainment
  • Beautiful neighborhoods and highly rated schools
  • Easy access to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
  • More than 300 days of sunshine each year

Join Our Team

If you're searching for an Associate Veterinarian opportunity where you'll practice high-quality medicine, build meaningful client relationships, and work alongside a team that truly believes in treating everyone like friends, family, and neighbors, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and discover why Desert Tails Animal Clinic has become a trusted part of the Scottsdale community.

Our salary ranges are primarily determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

The Company offers competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision benefits, vacation, sick leave, 401(k), and more depending on location. You will be provided more detailed information about compensation and benefits for your specific location.

Where required under applicable law, the company provides eligible employees with paid sick leave, health emergency leave, and similar benefits programs, all in accordance with the requirements of state and local law depending on the location of the practice you support.

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic. Hiring decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and business needs.

Desert Tails Animal Clinic is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in the job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us.

Hiring decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and the legitimate needs of the business.

Candidate Privacy Notice

Key Responsibilities

The associate veterinarian will provide high-quality medical, surgical, and dental care to companion animals while building lasting relationships with clients. Responsibilities include performing routine procedures, managing internal medicine cases, and participating in a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Small animal medicineSurgical proceduresClinical mentorship

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Arizona is 100.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.3% of Arizona clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 88% have no call, 80% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Arizona?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.3 / 10 · above average in veterinary medicineranked against 3,002 Veterinary Medicine listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedVeterinary Medicine median $140k (middle half $130k–$160k)509 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingArizona index 100.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Arizona66 active3,034 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 88% no call · 80% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (3,002 Veterinary Medicine listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Associate Veterinarian - Friends, Family, Neighbors - Desert Tails Animal Clinic (Scottsdale, AZ) at Desert Tails Animal Clinic a 6.3 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Veterinary Medicine — ranked against 3,002 active Veterinary Medicine listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

34 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

7 jobs
1
$55k
1
$120k
1
$145k
4
$160k-195k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution

34 jobs · 8 employers
0
1-2
0
3-4
0
5-6
3
7-8
31
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Veterinarian

Pure Paws Veterinary Care · New York, New York

$160k-$180k
#2

Veterinarian

Veterinary Practice Partners · New York, New York

$160k-$180k
#3

Associate Veterinarian – General Practice | Western Long Island, NY

$110k-$180k
#4

Veterinarian - Port Orchard, WA

$130k-$170k
+ 32 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 6.3
Better work-life than 60% of Veterinary Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,002 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • On-site
Desert Tails Animal Clinic logo

About Desert Tails Animal Clinic

Veterinary Services
Scottsdale, Arizona

Benefits & Perks

Competitive base salary
Quarterly production bonuses with no negative accrual
Sign-on bonus and relocation assistance available
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA) options
Generous paid time off with rollover
Paid parental leave and bonding time
Continuing education allowance plus CE days

Living in Scottsdale

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$812k
Typical market rent
$2,114/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 2.5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.