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Good Vets
San Jose, California

Lead Veterinarian

VeterinarianFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Posted 21m ago · Verified live

Job Description

We are seeking a Lead Veterinarian in San Jose. In this role, the Lead Veterinarian will dedicate 85% of their time to veterinary duties and 15% to leadership responsibilities.

Why GoodVets

  • Growing community of locally owned animal hospitals across the US
  • Mission to empower veterinarians and deliver exceptional care
  • Team comprised of talented, experienced DVMs who lead their own teams
  • Full autonomy to practice medicine
  • DVM-crafted standards of care, not corporate

You Will Make an Impact By

Ensuring that all team members deliver the highest quality of veterinary care that is safe, effective, patient and client-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

Working closely with the VP of Operations on matters such as budgeting, staffing, and enhancing hospital productivity. Meet to discuss KPI’s on a quarterly basis

Supervising the implementation of medical operating procedures and guidelines to ensure patient care needs are met while providing an excellent client experience.

Creating and maintaining the Clinic Doctor Schedule to balance the needs of the hospital and of Associate Veterinarians.

Mentoring and developing Associate Veterinarians through side-by-side coaching, feedback sessions, and regular case discussions, focusing on clinical skills, performance metrics, client satisfaction, teamwork, medical quality, record keeping, and productivity.

Leading daily morning rounds and organizing and conducting monthly meetings for doctors and staff to foster a positive hospital culture.

Partnering with the Hospital Operations Manager to deliver excellent client experience, including handling client complaints when necessary.

Participating in the recruitment efforts for doctors and support staff to ensure the highest caliber of veterinary talent is attracted and retained.

  • Acting as an ambassador of GoodVets within the veterinary community and the public at large.
  • Upholding and promoting the GoodVets culture and values among the practice team and clients.

Compensation and Benefits

  • Competitive salary
  • 22% production
  • Access to a coaching platform
  • Unlimited CE & 3 CE days
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401k match
  • Friendly employee discounts on veterinary services and products
  • Coverage of malpractice insurance, state license dues, and DEA dues
  • Paid sabbatical program
  • 20 PTO days without negative accrual
  • Paid parental leave
  • Urbansitter.com premium membership
  • Annual childcare stipends

Are you passionate about animal health and making a difference in the lives of pets and their owners? Apply to learn more, we'd love to have a conversation!

Key Responsibilities

The Lead Veterinarian will balance clinical veterinary duties with leadership responsibilities, including mentoring associate veterinarians and managing hospital operations. They will also collaborate with the VP of Operations on budgeting, staffing, and maintaining high standards of patient care.

Requirements

The role requires a qualified veterinarian with experience in clinical practice and team leadership. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to manage hospital performance metrics, mentor staff, and foster a positive clinic culture.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Veterinary medicineClinical mentoringKPI analysisClient experience managementSchedulingPerformance managementConflict resolutionCommunicationStrategic planning

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

In California, the Veterinary Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$164k (189 salary observations; 669 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 California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedVeterinary Medicine median $165k (middle half $153k–$185k)75 comparable listings, Nov 2026
California vs national$164k median in California$140k nationally (+17%)189 state / 873 national salary observations
Cost of livingCalifornia index 110.7US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in California218 active3,244 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 84% no call · 76% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 45% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 15% offer loan repayment338 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings1,270 in the last 30 days492 the 30 days before (+158%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+3.7% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

22 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

17 jobs · 14 employers
2
<$100k
4
$100k-135k
4
$135k-170k
6
$170k-205k
1
$210k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

16 jobs · 14 employers
CME allowance
88%
401k / retirement match
88% this job
Sign-on bonus
81%
Relocation assistance
56%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Associate Veterinarian

Companion Pet Partners · Santa Cruz, California

$160k-$210k
#2

GP-Associate Veterinarian-Lincoln Hills Veterinary Hospital

Dvm Launch · Lincoln Hills, California

$140k-$200k
#3

Associate Veterinarian (Part-Time)- Bayside Animal Hospital

$140k-$200k
#4

Veterinarian - Panorama City, CA

$150k-$200k
+ 20 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 1.5
Below most Veterinary Medicine listings for work-life

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

Good Vets logo

About Good Vets

Benefits & Perks

Competitive salary
22% production
Coaching platform
Unlimited CE & 3 CE days
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401k match
Employee discounts
Malpractice insurance covered

Living in San Jose

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.29M
Typical market rent
$3,582/mo
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
110.4
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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