Also called: Animal Dentist, DAVDC
Performs dental care and oral surgery on animals, from root canals on police dogs to tiger tooth repairs.
Cleans and X-rays teeth under anesthesia, does a root canal on a police dog's broken fang, and sometimes gets called to the zoo to work on a lion's tooth.
Estimate; board-certified specialists typically earn well above general-practice vets.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 13 years after high school. Bachelor's, 4-year DVM, a 1-year internship, then a 3-year dentistry and oral surgery residency.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Animal Science, Biology, Pre-Veterinary, Zoology.
Growing much faster than average (about 10% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI reads dental X-rays faster; root canals, extractions and zoo tooth repairs under anesthesia stay hands-on.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Studio art (fine motor), Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1131.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.