Veterinarian

VeterinarianNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$130k-$150k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Salary: $130,000-$150,000 base salary + production

Location: 8100B Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042 (Merrifield)

Hospital hours: Monday-Friday 7:30am-8:00pm, Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm, Sunday closed. We work with you to build a schedule that fits your life, with no on-call duties!

Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Merrifield is hiring a full time Veterinarian. Practice the kind of medicine you trained for! Here you'll see the full range of small animal medicine: wellness and puppy and kitten care, dentistry, surgery, imaging, internal medicine, pain management, senior care, intensive care and urgent cases. You'll do it alongside a deep bench of doctors who share cases, trade ideas and want you to grow.

Why Choose Caring Hands in Merrifield?

Real case variety. Our service list goes well beyond routine wellness, so you can work up complex cases, follow them through, and keep building your clinical skills.

A deep bench of doctors. Six veterinarians practice here, including our co-owners who still see patients every day. There is always a colleague to consult, and a second opinion is a few steps away.

Accredited, low-stress medicine. We are AAHA-accredited and committed to Fear Free handling, with separate spaces for dogs and cats, so you can practice good medicine on calm patients.

Time to practice well. We explain the "why" behind every recommendation and build care plans around each pet's history and each family's goals, which keeps clients loyal and your days rewarding.

A location that works for your life. Merrifield sits in Fairfax County near the Mosaic District and the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station, with Washington, DC a short drive or train ride away.

Growth and Support

Mentorship built around you. New graduates and experienced doctors alike can work with our Medical Director on a plan matched to their experience and learning style, from case support in your first weeks to long-term career goals.

Choose your clinical focus. Surgery and dentistry are strengths of our team, but you can shape your caseload around the areas you enjoy most.

A team behind you. Licensed technicians, assistants and client care staff work side by side with our doctors, and new team members at every level are welcomed into a supportive culture.

Ownership path. Through Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP), more than 200 partners co-own practices across 170+ locations, so a future as a practice partner is a real option.

What We're Looking For

  • DVM or VMD degree from an accredited university
  • Licensure in good standing to practice in Virginia
  • A kind, compassionate approach that helps us keep our positive culture

About Caring Hands

Caring Hands Animal Hospital, we believe in building strong relationships with both pets and their owners. Through open communication, honesty, and compassionate care, we ensure every pet receives the highest standard of treatment in a safe, comfortable and loving environment.

We believe that we can create a better world for animals and the people who love them. We think deeply about what a veterinary practice can be and mean for pets and people. We think differently about how to build it. Relationships can only work on a strong foundation of trust.

That's why we have built the most open and transparent veterinary experience in the region. Open treatment areas, windows into the surgical suites, and an open door policy. Our care runs from wellness and dentistry through internal medicine, surgery and intensive care.

Location

Merrifield sits in the middle of Northern Virginia, where you get the energy of the city without living on top of it.

The Mosaic District is a short drive away with its walkable streets of restaurants, shops and a movie theater, and the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station puts the Orange Line, and downtown DC, within easy reach.

Tysons is minutes up the road, Vienna’s Church Street has the independent restaurants and coffee shops, and Wolf Trap brings concerts and theater to the area all summer. When you want green space, the trails and parks of Fairfax County are close, and the Blue Ridge is about an hour west. You get a short commute, a lot to do, and room to build a life.

Key Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive small animal medical care including wellness exams, surgery, dentistry, and intensive care. Collaborate with a team of veterinarians to manage complex cases and develop personalized care plans for patients.

Requirements

Must hold a DVM or VMD degree from an accredited university. Must possess a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Virginia.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Urgent careCase management

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$140k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $138k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 45 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 73% have no call, 47% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Virginia?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.1 / 10 · above average in veterinary medicineranked against 3,026 Veterinary Medicine listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$130k–$150kVeterinary Medicine median $140k (middle half $129k–$165k)15 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$138k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Virginia102 active3,066 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 73% no call · 47% no weekends45 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia healthcare professional listings: 38% state a sign-on bonus (median $60k) · 13% offer loan repayment165 active listings, Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (3,026 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 Veterinarian at Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Merrifield a 7.1 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the Above average in Veterinary Medicine — ranked against 3,026 active Veterinary Medicine listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

26 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

26 jobs · 16 employers
6
<$140k
7
$140k-160k
7
$160k-180k
5
$180k-200k
1
$224k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

24 jobs · 16 employers
401k / retirement match
92%
CME allowance
63%
Sign-on bonus
54%
Relocation assistance
33%
Loan repayment
21%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Hospital Medical Leader or Associate Veterinarian

PETCO Animal Supplies Stores · Leesburg, Virginia

$140k-$224k
#2

Veterinarian - Watertown

Bond Vet · Watertown, Massachusetts

$160k-$187k
#3

Hospital Medical Leader or Associate Veterinarian

$117k-$186k
#4

Veterinarian

$160k-$180k
+ 24 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 7.1
Better work-life than 70% of Veterinary Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,026 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • No weekends
Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Merrifield logo

About Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Merrifield

Veterinary Services
Centreville, Virginia
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

No on-call duties
Flexible schedule
Mentorship
Ownership path
AAHA-accredited
Fear Free handling

Living in Falls Church

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$776k≈ 6.0× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,534/mo≈ 23% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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