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Ideal Veterinary Hospital
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Veterinarian | up to $50,000 sign-on bonus | Ideal Veterinary Hospital | Oak Ridge, TN

VeterinarianIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

USD $100K–USD $120K /Yr.

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Practice

At Ideal Veterinary Hospital, we strive to treat you and your pet in the same way we treat our pets: with compassion, understanding, and love. We are lways looking for better ways to treat your furry friend when they need tender love and care.

Position Purpose

Ideal Veterinary Hospital in Oak Ridge, TN, is seeking a compassionate and skilled Associate Veterinarian to join our team. We are a well-established small animal practice dedicated to providing high-quality medical and surgical care to the pets and families in our community. About Ideal Veterinary Hospital:

Our Team

You will join an experienced team that values a collaborative approach to veterinary medicine. Our 3-doctor team brings a wide level of experience to support you, whether you're a seasoned veterinarian or just getting started in your career.

Our clients: We're known for our compassionate approach and for building close relationships with pet owners, offering clear communication and tailored treatment plans.

Our facilities: You won't believe how big and beautiful our surgery suite is! With 2 surgery tables, lots of natural light, and well-trained surgery technicians, you'll be ready for any procedure.

About Oak Ridge

Located just west of Knoxville, Oak Ridge was built under a cloak of secrecy by the US government during World War II as a major site of the Manhattan Project. Today it boasts a safe community with low crime, top-rated schools, parks, greenways and athletic fields, and is in close proximity to national parks. It's the perfect place to call home!

Essential Responsibilities

  • Examine and treat companion animals to detect and determine the nature of disease or injuries.
  • Operate diagnostic equipment and collect diagnostic samples as well as interpret results.
  • Advise pet owners on preventative care and treatment options.
  • Perform surgery and prescribe medication as needed.
  • Provide counsel around pet end of life care.
  • Maintain patients’ medical records.
  • Ensures compliance with veterinary ethics and relevant statues, policies, and procedures.

Requirements/Qualifications

  • DVM/VMD degree from an accredited AVMA institution.
  • Appropriate state licensure.
  • Eligibility to obtain DEA/BNDD.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrates professional and courteous presentation consistently with staff and clients.
  • Ability to lift patients and carry equipment up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 25 pounds with assistance.
  • Benefits Offered
  • Unlimited personal time off (PTO)
  • Bonus incentives
  • Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
  • Retirement benefits (401(k) or Roth(k) with match)
  • CE and licensure reimbursement
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Managing career path development
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • DVM Referral Program
  • Sign-on bonus and Relocation assistance available

Pay Range

USD $100,000.00 - USD $120,000.00 /Yr.

Key Responsibilities

Examine and treat companion animals to diagnose diseases and injuries while performing necessary surgeries and prescribing medications. Provide preventative care advice to pet owners and maintain accurate medical records in compliance with veterinary ethics.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA-accredited institution and possess appropriate state licensure. Eligibility for DEA/BNDD and strong professional communication skills are also required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Companion Animal TreatmentDiagnostic Equipment OperationSurgical ProceduresMedical Record MaintenanceClient CommunicationPrescription Management

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$110k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $120k in an average-cost state. 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 68% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Tennessee?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$100k–$120kVeterinary Medicine median $143k (middle half $125k–$163k)475 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$120k in purchasing powerTennessee index 91.9 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Tennessee42 active3,443 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 68% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 40% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 10% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings1,282 in the last 30 days483 the 30 days before (+165%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+1.8% 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.

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$110k midpoint, that is roughly $4k–$8k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

10 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

10 jobs · 5 employers
2
<$120k
3
$120k-150k
3
$150k-180k
2
$180k-210k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

10 jobs · 5 employers
Sign-on bonus
100% this job
CME allowance
80%
401k / retirement match
70% this job
Relocation assistance
50% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Veterinarian - Madera, CA

Vet Cor · Madera, California

$150k-$200k
#2

Veterinarian - Gloversville, NY

Vet Cor · Gloversville, New York

$130k-$185k
#3

Veterinarian - Grass Valley, CA

$130k-$160k
#4

Veterinarian- Orange County CA

$120k-$150k
+ 8 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 1.5
Below most Veterinary Medicine listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,392 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call

Benefits & Perks

Unlimited PTO
Bonus incentives
Health, dental, vision insurance
401(k) or Roth(k) with match
CE and licensure reimbursement
Flexible work schedules
Sign-on bonus up to $50,000
Relocation assistance

Living in Oak Ridge

Rent affordability

19% of gross pay

Market rent compared with this listing’s advertised pay.

Purchasing power

$108,028–$129,633/yr

At national-average prices · Before taxes

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$327k≈ 3.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,622/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.6
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Knoxville, TN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use the advertised annual pay range’s lower bound, before taxes. Regional prices are not a personal budget.

Peer group: veterinarian · veterinary medicine · Full-time · hours not stated · Pay composition not stated. National listings with usable annual USD pay and local data, posted within 180 days of the 2026-10-22 snapshot. Rankings use lower pay bounds; higher percentiles mean more favorable comparisons. Only the same rent observation month is compared.

Ratings need at least 30 other listings, five employers and three locations; no employer may contribute over 35%. Strong: top quarter; Typical: middle half; Weaker: bottom quarter. Missing ratings mean insufficient comparable data, not a poor offer. These are offer comparisons, not city grades.