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Vet Cor
Lakewood, Washington

Veterinarian - Lakewood, WA

VeterinarianNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$120k-$140k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 38m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Who We Are

Associate Veterinarian – The Pet Doctor in Lakewood, WA

Are you a veterinarian looking for the next step in your career? Do you value team culture and a positive working environment? Look no further than The Pet Doctor in Lakewood, WA! Our busy practice is looking to add an Associate Veterinarian interested in being part of the BEST vet team in the community.

When we opened our doors in 1973, our mission was simple: to give every animal the chance to have a happy and healthy life. Everyone on our staff has a deep love for animals and is committed to providing high-quality service and care.

What Makes Us The Best?

  • We are a family-oriented practice that values work/life balance – no weekends!!
  • Our culture provides an environment supportive of mental health & employee well-being
  • Team tenure averages 13 years - we love working here & it shows!
  • We never stop looking and investing in new ways we can best care for our patients and community

We have in-house Idexx lab work available, a diagnostic ultrasound machine, a new ultrasonic dental scaler and digital dental X-ray, a new DR X-ray system, a new TCI scope and Class IV laser coming Q1 of 2024

Location can’t be beat – minutes to JBLM, 45 minutes to Seattle, 1.5 hours to the ocean, 2 hours to Mt. Rainier and 2.5 hours to Portland

  • Our veterinarians are collaborative to provide the best care for our patients
  • We have a Reproductive Veterinarian who enjoys sharing her knowledge and offers advanced Reproductive medicine
  • A new veterinarian will have an instant clientele

About Lakewood, WA

Lakewood is the second-largest city in Pierce County, is located between Seattle and Olympia along the I-5 corridor, and borders Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Camp Murray, and Tacoma.

Ours is one of the most culturally diverse populations in Washington, with influences from Korean, Vietnamese, Latino, and other cultures.

Lakewood has many places to eat and drink, including Hess Bakery, Long Beach Cafe, Tacoma Szechuan, and Mastrogiannis Distillery.

We are very proud of our award-winning schools and community colleges - they are the pride of our city.

Full Time Benefits Include (30+Hrs/week)

Prosal compensation model with a base salary range of $120,000 - $140,000 annually (based on experience and hours/week)

  • Production bonus
  • Signing or relocation bonus
  • Medical benefits (including health, dental and vision)
  • Paid parental leave
  • 401(k)
  • Employee assistance program (EAP)
  • CE allowance + CE days off
  • Vacation + sick days
  • Professional organization dues reimbursed

Liability Coverage

Our practice has a positive, well-being-focused culture that we’d love to tell you about. Get the conversation started by applying today!

Key Responsibilities

Provide high-quality veterinary care and medical services to patients within a collaborative team environment. Engage with the local community and contribute to the practice's mission of ensuring animal health and well-being.

Requirements

Candidates must be qualified veterinarians looking to join a busy, community-focused practice. The role requires a commitment to high-quality service and the ability to work effectively within a collaborative team.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Veterinary medicineAnimal careDental radiographyClinical collaborationPatient careLaboratory diagnostics

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

In Washington, the Veterinary Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$140k (58 salary observations; 228 listings), vs ~$140k nationally (873 salary observations; 7,060 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-02-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Washington is 107.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$130k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $121k in an average-cost state. 59.8% of Washington clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Washington?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$120k–$140kVeterinary Medicine median $145k (middle half $132k–$155k)27 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Washington vs national$140k median in Washington$140k nationally (about the same)58 state / 873 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$121k in purchasing powerWashington index 107.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Washington107 active3,330 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 70% no call · 59% no weekends46 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentsign-on bonusWashington healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 45% state a sign-on bonus · 5% offer loan repayment159 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings1,265 in the last 30 days492 the 30 days before (+157%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+3.7% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Vet Cor#7 of 12 for payTop Employers work-life index
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Washington has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$130k midpoint, that is roughly $5k–$9k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

16 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

16 jobs · 13 employers
2
<$140k
1
$140k
7
$150k
2
$160k
4
$170k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

16 jobs · 13 employers
CME allowance
94% this job
Sign-on bonus
88% this job
Relocation assistance
88% this job
401k / retirement match
75% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Hospital Medical Leader - Veterinarian

PETCO Animal Supplies Stores · Vancouver, Washington

$122k-$196k
#2

Veterinary Medical Director - Small Animal General Practice Leadership - Richland Animal Hospital

Richland Animal Hospital · Richland, Washington

$140k-$170k
#3

Veterinarian - Gig Harbor, WA

$130k-$170k
#4

Veterinarian - Port Orchard, WA

$130k-$170k
+ 14 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.9
Better work-life than 30% of Veterinary Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,083 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Vet Cor logo

About Vet Cor

Benefits & Perks

Prosal compensation model with base salary $120,000 - $140,000
Production bonus
Signing or relocation bonus
Medical, dental, and vision benefits
Paid parental leave
401(k)
Employee assistance program (EAP)
CE allowance + CE days off

Living in Lakewood

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$491k≈ 4.1× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,734/mo≈ 17% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.1
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.