Locum Veterinarian
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
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
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 paySalary Distribution28 jobs · 6 employers
Annual compensation range
Work-Life Balance Distribution28 jobs · 6 employers
Higher = better work-life balance
Vetco Relief Veterinarian - Huntington, NYContract
Vetco Clinics · Huntington Station, New York
Vetco Relief Veterinarian - Plainview, NYContract
Vetco Clinics · Plainview, New York
Vetco Relief Veterinarian - Batavia, NY
$150-$187/hrVetco Relief Veterinarian - Fontana, CA
$136-$170/hr