Veterinarian (Full-Ti
Listed compensation
$120k-$150k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.
Job Description
- Job Location: San Diego Campus - San Diego, CA
- Position Type: Full-Time/Part-Time/Temporary
- Salary Range: $120000.00 - $150000.00Salary/year
- Job Category: Medical, San Diego Humane Society is hiring Veterinarians for our San Diego Campus! How you’ll impact our mission: At San Diego Humane Society, veterinary medicine is at the heart of our lifesaving work — and essential to our promise of Staying at Zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals. We are expanding our clinical team and have immediate opportunities for full-time, part-time and per required need (PRN) Veterinarians. Whether you're looking for a dedicated full-time schedule or the flexibility of part-time or relief shifts, your involvement will make an immediate, tangible difference in our daily capacity to provide critical care. Based out of our state-of-the-art Pilar & Chuck Bahde Center for Shelter Medicine, California’s first shelter medicine teaching hospital, you’ll provide high-quality medical services in an efficient manner and care for a variety of well, sick and injured animals, including high-volume/high-quality spay and neuter procedures. This role delivers service at the gold standard level in alignment with the SDHS Way, to meet the needs of animals and the people who love them by leading with compassion, finding creative solutions, providing personalized care and building connections. If you’re passionate about making an impact in the animal welfare movement, we’d love to talk to you. What’s in it for you? At SDHS, we’re proud to be an
Equal Employment Opportunity
Employer and commit to being a place where every person – staff, volunteer, and guest – can feel a sense of belonging. We support and invest in employees through conscious delivery of benefits and a workplace environment based on our Core Values. As an employee you’ll enjoy: Competitive pay and paid time-off (including your Birthday Day Off!) Comprehensive benefits package, training and well-being programs 403(b) retirement plan with 5% match after 1 year Free pet adoptions, pet vaccines and spay/neuter services …and so much more! What you’ll do: Responsible for medical examinations, medical care and monitoring of the health and welfare of animals in the care of SDHS, animals from contract agencies, and privately owned animals participating in our community programs. Spay and neuter surgeries are performed daily, and additional soft tissue and orthopedic surgery as needed Evaluate and make recommendations for, and perform humane euthanasia of suffering or unhealthy animals according to SDHS policies and protocols Work at SDHS sponsored clinics, on-site or in the community, inside or outside of normal business hours, and help cover between SDHS campuses as directed by Medical Director/Hospital Director Prepare documentation and provide expertise to Humane Law Enforcement on-site, in field and in court Participate in SDHS education programs by mentoring externs and interns What we’re looking for: DVM/VMD degree from accredited university, and ability to obtain a veterinary license in state of CA required. Must obtain permanent CA veterinary license within one (1) year of appointment. Completion of internship experience in the field of veterinary medicine, or more than one year of experience working as a DVM is preferred. At least one (1) year experience working as a DVM required. Must have a valid driver’s license and be approved by SDHS insurance carrier to drive a company or personal vehicle for work purposes. Prior experience with high volume surgeries and with herd health and/or large populations of animals is very helpful. Location &
- Hours: Based at our San Diego Campus
Part-Time positions work 20 to 28 hours per week for approximately two to three months, and PRN positions work on a flexible, variable schedule. Pay: Starting range is between $120,000 – $150,000 per year for full-time, $66.35 - $74.64 per hour for part-time, or at a flat rate of $100.00 per hour for PRN.
Sign-on and relocation bonuses are negotiable for full-time. The listed hiring range for this position depicts the target range of pay rates for candidates. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience.
Compensation for internal candidates may increase beyond the listed range based on performance over time. For all candidates, the actual starting pay rate is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to your years of related education and experience, internal pay equity, and position location. To learn more about our benefits and perks, click here.
Qualifications
Key Responsibilities
The Veterinarian is responsible for performing medical examinations, monitoring animal health, and conducting high-volume spay/neuter surgeries. They also provide expertise to Humane Law Enforcement and participate in mentoring externs and interns.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a DVM/VMD degree and possess at least one year of experience in veterinary medicine. A valid California veterinary license is required, or must be obtained within one year of appointment.
Qualifications
- Education
- Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Key Skills
Veterinary Medicine Career Context
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$135k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $122k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 78% have no call, 60% require no weekends.
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $120k–$150k | Veterinary Medicine median $162k (middle half $145k–$182k)63 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$122k in purchasing power | California index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Veterinary Medicine listings in California | 258 active | 3,180 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 78% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | sign-on bonus | California healthcare professional listings: 38% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 15% offer loan repayment385 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Veterinary Medicine listings | 983 in the last 30 days | 518 the 30 days before (+90%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Veterinary Medicine pay trend | +1.9% vs prior quarter | —through Oct 2026 |
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