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VCA Animal Hospitals
Murrieta, California

Locum Veterinarian

VeterinarianIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$1,700 - $1,900 per shift

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

VCA California Veterinary Specialists Murrieta is seeking an emergency veterinarian or individual who has completed internship training to join our team.

VCA California Veterinary Specialists (CVS) is a referral specialty and emergency practice hospital with 3 locations, one each in San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.

Within our hospitals, we have specialists in emergency, surgery, internal medicine, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, dentistry, and dermatology. We are also a teaching institution with active residency programs (ER/CC and surgery) and a popular rotating internship program. We take pride in our cohesive, collaborative work environment and look forward to adding another full time Emergency Veterinarian to grow with us.

Our Riverside County hospital is located in Murrieta, one of Southern California’s fastest growing places thanks to a mild inland climate and its proximity to San Diego County.

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the area’s nearly 40 parks, including the 165 acre Cole Canyon Park, a nature preserve, and 46 acres Los Alamos Hills Sports Park. In addition, Murrieta is less than eight miles away from neighboring Temecula, which is home to more than 30 wineries.

As a member of the VCA family, your passion for medicine and compassion for pets and people is matched with a commitment to your professional growth. Among the reasons to consider joining VCA are:

  • Network of 4,500+ doctors, including more than 600 Specialists.
  • Largest provider of Private Practice Internships and Residencies in the U. S.
  • WOOF University, offering abundant CE for Doctors and Staff.
  • Robust Clinical Studies program.
  • Opportunities to give back through strong Shelter partnerships and VCA Charities.

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development)

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com

If you are a current associate, you will need to apply through our internal career site. Please log into Workday and click on the Jobs Hub app or search for Browse Jobs.

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development)

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com

Key Responsibilities

The role involves joining a referral specialty and emergency practice hospital as an Emergency Veterinarian, contributing to a cohesive and collaborative work environment. The veterinarian will work within a team that includes specialists across various disciplines and participate in teaching activities.

Requirements

The position seeks an emergency veterinarian or an individual who has completed internship training to join the team at VCA California Veterinary Specialists in Murrieta. Candidates should possess a passion for medicine and compassion for pets and people, aligning with the commitment to professional growth offered by VCA.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Emergency Veterinary MedicineMedical Oncology

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

In California, the Veterinary Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$158k (69 salary observations; 213 listings), vs ~$142k nationally (313 salary observations; 2,301 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-03-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 40 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 90% have no call, 83% require no weekends.

Veterinary Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$180k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $163k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Veterinarian Jobs

28 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution28 jobs · 6 employers

5
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20
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3
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Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution28 jobs · 6 employers

0
1-2
0
3-4
0
5-6
3
7-8
25
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

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Work-life snapshot

1.5/ 10
Listing-based score
  • Includes call

Living in Murrieta

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$603k
Typical market rent
$2,672/mo
Residents’ average commute
37 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.4
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

VCA Animal Hospitals logo

About VCA Animal Hospitals

Veterinary Services
Los Angeles, CA
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, vision insurance
Paid vacation/sick days
401(k)
Generous employee pet discounts
WOOF University – offering abundant CE for Doctors and Staff
Robust Clinical Studies program
Opportunities to give back through strong Shelter partnerships and VCA Charities