Administrative Assistant vs Veterinarian Salary
Veterinarians earn approximately 150.0% more than Administrative Assistants nationally — $110,000 vs $44,000.
Administrative Assistant vs Veterinarian: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Veterinarians out-earn Administrative Assistants by $66,000 per year — a 150.0% gap. That works out to roughly $5,500/month or $32/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $66,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$660,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$2,640,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $66,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $13,134,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Administrative Assistant in California ≈ $51,920 (1.18× national)
- Administrative Assistant in Mississippi ≈ $36,960 (0.84× national)
- Veterinarian in California ≈ $129,800
- Veterinarian in Mississippi ≈ $92,400
Use our Administrative Assistant salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
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Administrative Assistant salary by state — Veterinarian salary by state — Best cities for Administrative Assistant — Best cities for Veterinarian — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.