American Veterinary Group logo
American Veterinary Group
Lakeland, Florida

Associate Veterinarian

VeterinarianFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Associate Veterinarian
  • Department: General Practice Hospitals
  • Employment Type: Full Time
  • Location: Companion Animal Hospital

Description

Ready to elevate your career? Companion Animal Hospital is excited to add you as an Associate Veterinarian! Our team located in Lakeland, Florida prides themselves on their collaborative culture that integrates a variety of medical and surgical cases, while supporting you in your professional aspirations. This position would be a great opportunity for all experience levels.

Beautiful 3,100 square foot hospital featuring 4 exam rooms

Highly skilled veterinary support staff that can run appointments, assist in surgery, run anesthesia, and perform dentals

Fully Electronic Medical Records Running on Cornerstone

Providing care not for just our furry canine and feline friends but also exotics, avian, and pocket pets too!

Key Responsibilities

  • Serve patients and clients with a relationship-based approach
  • Collaborate and engage with the clinical team and leadership
  • Grow relationships within the practice and the Lakeland community
  • Encourage the growth of support staff members through our internal LevelUp training program
  • Manage a varying caseload, including surgeries and appointments during our open hours

Skills, Knowledge, and Expertise

DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA accredited college (or successful completion of the ECFVG or PAVE program)

Active license in good standing to practice in the state in which candidate will be employed (or the ability to obtain a license in that state)

Inclusive Compensation Package

Sign-On Bonus Options

Optional Pro-Sal with No Negative Accrual

  • Significantly Discounted Personal Veterinary Care – Multiple Pets!
  • Paid Continuing Education (CE) Days & Allowance
  • Paid State Licensing Fees
  • Paid AVMA and State Professional Dues
  • Covered Professional Liability Insurance (PLIT)
  • Personalized & Surgical Mentorship
  • Internal Veterinarian Collaboration & Consultations Platforms
  • Flexible Compensation Package
  • Healthcare Packages & 401k Retirement Match

3 Weeks PTO, Paid Holidays, 6 weeks of paid Parental Leave (for both parents!), Work/Life Balance day off annually

Requirements

Candidates must hold a DVM/VMD degree from an AVMA accredited college or equivalent. An active, good-standing license to practice in the state of Florida is required.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Veterinary medicineDentistryClinical collaborationClient relationship managementExotic animal careAvian carePocket pet careCornerstone software

General Practice Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Florida is 103.4 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.1% of Florida clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active General Practice listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 68% have no call, 46% require no weekends.

What does the General Practice market look like in Florida?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedGeneral Practice median $133k (middle half $128k–$135k)18 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingFlorida index 103.4US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
General Practice listings in Florida9 active155 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 2% remote · 68% no call · 46% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentsign-on bonusFlorida healthcare professional listings: 39% state a sign-on bonus · 10% offer loan repayment333 active listings, Nov 2026
New General Practice listings58 in the last 30 days76 the 30 days before (−24%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 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

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

21 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

21 jobs · 10 employers
4
<$90k
3
$90k-125k
6
$125k-160k
7
$160k-195k
1
$200k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

20 jobs · 10 employers
CME allowance
75% this job
401k / retirement match
75% this job
Sign-on bonus
70% this job
Relocation assistance
25%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

GP-Associate Veterinarian-Lincoln Hills Veterinary Hospital

Dvm Launch · Lincoln Hills, California

$140k-$200k
#2

Veterinarian

Pure Paws Veterinary Care · New York, New York

$160k-$180k
#3

Veterinarian

$160k-$180k
#4

Associate Veterinarian- GP/Urgent Care- Temple Terrace Animal Hospital – Tampa

$100k-$175k
+ 19 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.9this job 2.6
Better work-life than 30% of Veterinary listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,582 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

American Veterinary Group logo

About American Veterinary Group

Veterinary Services
Tampa, Florida
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Sign-On Bonus Options
Optional Pro-Sal with No Negative Accrual
Significantly Discounted Personal Veterinary Care
Paid Continuing Education (CE) Days & Allowance
Paid State Licensing Fees
Paid AVMA and State Professional Dues
Covered Professional Liability Insurance (PLIT)
Personalized & Surgical Mentorship

Living in Lakeland

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$302k
Typical market rent
$1,687/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.1
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 · Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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