Humane Vet Hospital logo
Humane Vet Hospital
San Diego, California

Associate Veterinarian - Competitive Pay + Work-Life Balance

VeterinarianFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency2 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations and weekend coverage.

Employment & setting
Full-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Associate Veterinarian

Build a Career You'll Be Proud Of

Humane Vet Hospital of San Diego is seeking an Associate Veterinarian who is looking for more than just a job—we're looking for someone who wants to build a rewarding, sustainable career in a collaborative practice committed to excellent medicine, continual growth, and exceptional client service.

Whether you're an experienced veterinarian or looking for a practice where you can continue developing your skills, you'll find a supportive team that values mentorship, teamwork, and work-life balance as much as clinical excellence.

What Makes Humane Vet Hospital Different?

We believe that the best medicine is practiced by veterinarians who are supported not only as professionals, but as people.

  • Our goal is to build a workplace where every member of our team can:
  • Practice high-quality, evidence-based medicine
  • Continue learning and developing professionally
  • Be supported by an experienced, collaborative team
  • Maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life
  • Build long-term relationships with clients and patients
  • Find genuine fulfillment and satisfaction in their career

We invest in our doctors because we believe that when our team succeeds, our patients and clients receive the highest level of care.

Flexible Scheduling

We understand that every veterinarian has different priorities and responsibilities outside the hospital.

We offer flexible scheduling options, including

  • Full-time or part-time opportunities
  • Four- or five-day workweeks
  • Predictable schedules
  • Shared holiday rotation
  • Protected vacation time
  • A culture that respects time away from work

Our goal is to create schedules that support both excellent patient care and a sustainable career.

Benefits

  • We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including:
  • Competitive salary or ProSal compensation
  • Health insurance
  • Dental and vision insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Paid vacation
  • Paid holidays
  • Continuing Education allowance
  • Professional dues and license reimbursement
  • DEA reimbursement
  • Employee pet care discounts

Practice Environment

You'll be supported by

  • Dedicated technicians
  • Digital radiology
  • Dental radiography
  • In-house laboratory
  • Electronic medical records
  • A collaborative medical team
  • Leadership committed to your success

We believe doctors should spend their time practicing medicine—not fighting inefficient systems.

Our Culture

We're proud of the culture we've built.

Our team values

  • Clinical excellence
  • Integrity
  • Mutual respect
  • Accountability
  • Compassion
  • Teamwork
  • Continuous improvement

We believe the best hospitals are built by people who enjoy coming to work, support one another, and take pride in providing exceptional care to every patient and client.

What We're Looking For

  • We're seeking someone who:
  • Enjoys collaborating with teammates
  • Communicates effectively with clients
  • Practices thoughtful, evidence-based medicine
  • Has a desire to continue learning
  • Takes pride in providing exceptional patient care
  • Wants to contribute to a positive workplace culture

Join Our Team

If you're looking for a practice where you'll be supported, challenged, respected, and encouraged to build a fulfilling long-term career, we'd love to meet you!

Join Humane Vet Hospital of San Diego & Dr. Ertola

We're building a culture of excellence, cooperation, respect, and compassion—for our patients, our clients, and one another.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Veterinarian will provide high-quality, evidence-based medical care to patients while maintaining strong relationships with clients. They will collaborate with a supportive team to ensure exceptional clinical service and contribute to a positive hospital culture.

Requirements

The ideal candidate is a veterinarian who values mentorship, teamwork, and continuous professional development. They must be committed to practicing excellent medicine and communicating effectively with clients.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Veterinary medicineClient communicationLaboratory diagnostics

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 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 80% have no call, 70% 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)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Veterinarian Jobs

45 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution20 jobs · 18 employers

4
<$140k
7
$140k-160k
5
$160k-180k
1
$185k
3
$200k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks20 jobs · 18 employers

401k / retirement match
95% this job
Sign-on bonus
90%
CME allowance
90% this job
Relocation assistance
45%
Loan repayment
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Veterinarian, Partner & Equity Owner

Alliance Animal Health · Monterey, California

$120k-$220k
#2

Feline Veterinarian - Chico, CA

Chico Hospital for Cats · Chico, California

$150k-$200k
#3

Veterinarian - Petaluma, CA

$140k-$200k
#4

Veterinarian - Gloversville, NY

$130k-$185k
+ 43 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

2.8/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1,006k
Typical market rent
$3,036/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
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 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Humane Vet Hospital logo

About Humane Vet Hospital

Veterinary
spring valley, California
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Flexible scheduling
Full-time or part-time options
Four- or five-day workweeks
Predictable schedules
Shared holiday rotation
Protected vacation time
Health insurance
Dental and vision insurance