Veterinary Surgeon - Alaska

VeterinarianIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

starting base salary up–$300K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 2mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Veterinary Surgeon & “Builder of What’s Next” is Needed in Alaska! Are you a Board-Certified Surgeon or Residency Trained Veterinarian with an entrepreneurial mindset? Are you someone who thrives with autonomy, innovation, and the opportunity to shape a department from the ground up?

Do you want the freedom to select the equipment, team, and systems needed to deliver exceptional veterinary care and legendary client service? If so, we’d love to meet you. As one of the most underserved veterinary specialties in Alaska, surgical care represents a vital need for our patients and their families.

Your leadership would help bring a level of service that is currently unavailable in much of the state. We’re seeking someone who knows what it takes to lead and inspire a high-performing team. Someone who embraces a servant-leadership philosophy and recognizes the value each team member brings to the hospital.

If you’re always exploring ways to improve your craft, your team, and your environment, you’ll fit right in! The Pet Stop, founded in 1985, is a well-established small animal practice known for delivering compassionate, individualized, high-quality care.

We provide comprehensive medical services, including diagnostic ultrasound and endoscopy, and serve dogs, cats, and a handful of exotics—while Alaska’s wildlife keeps things interesting all on its own.

You’ll be supported by a long-tenured, highly skilled, and deeply dedicated team that allows our doctors to focus on what matters most: patient care.

Learn more about us in this short video: youtu. be Our compensation package includes a starting base salary up to $300,000, monthly production with no-negative accrual, and sign-on bonus.

We offer a great benefits package including, but not limited to: health insurance (vision, medical, dental, with company HSA contribution), life and disability insurance, 401K with company match, PTO, generous CE, reimbursement for membership dues and license fees, uniform allowance, and more.

We strongly value work–life balance, giving you time to enjoy family, friends, and the incredible Alaska outdoors. If you’re ready to build, lead, innovate, and make a meaningful impact on both a hospital and a community, we’d love to help you make it happen. Come create something extraordinary with us here in Alaska!

To learn more about the hospital and position please contact Joe Rusk at joe.rusk@lakefieldvet.com or apply at careers.lakefieldvet.com.

Key Responsibilities

Establish and lead a surgical department from the ground up, selecting necessary equipment and systems. Provide high-quality surgical care to small animals and exotics while inspiring a high-performing veterinary team.

Requirements

Candidates must be a Board-Certified Surgeon or a Residency Trained Veterinarian. An entrepreneurial mindset and a commitment to servant-leadership are highly desired.

Qualifications

Experience
5+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Veterinary SurgeryDepartment LeadershipTeam Management

Surgery Career Context

Of the 40 active Veterinarian listings this role was benchmarked against, 83% have no call, 73% require no weekends.

Veterinarian pay on WeekdayDoc is down 6.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Veterinarian by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$300kVeterinarian median $140k (middle half $130k–$163k)462 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$293k in purchasing powerAlaska index 102.4 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinarian listings in Alaska8 active4,466 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 83% no call · 73% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Veterinarian pay trend−6.7% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Alaska has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$300k midpoint, that is roughly $12k–$21k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

25 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

10 jobs · 9 employers
5
<$170k
3
$170k-210k
0
$210k-250k
2
$270k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution

25 jobs · 9 employers
0
1-2
0
3-4
0
5-6
6
7-8
19
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

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Skeet Club Veterinary Hospital · High Point, North Carolina

$110-$130/hr
#2

Relief VeterinarianContract

Veterinary Practice Partners · High Point, North Carolina

$110-$130/hr
#3

Veterinarian

$160k-$180k
#4

Veterinarian

$160k-$180k
+ 23 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Below most Surgery (Veterinary) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 45 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
Lakefield Veterinary Group logo

About Lakefield Veterinary Group

Veterinary Services
Kent, Washington
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Starting base salary up to $300,000
Monthly production with no-negative accrual
Sign-on bonus
Health insurance (vision, medical, dental, with company HSA contribution)
Life and disability insurance
401K with company match
PTO
Generous CE

Living in Anchorage

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$418k≈ 1.4× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,802/mo≈ 7% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
105.4
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Anchorage, AK metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.