Rural Veterinary Jobs Are Often Overlooked – Here’s Why You Should Consider Them
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The US has spent years talking about veterinary workforce shortages, but the problem isn’t evenly spread across the country.
New research from the USDA Economic Research Service published in September 2026 found that shortages in food-animal and mixed-animal veterinary practices have persisted across many rural areas for more than a decade.
Which then raises an obvious question: why are some veterinary jobs in the USA proving so difficult to fill?
There are plenty of understandable reasons, ranging from location, travel, earning potential, to on-call requirements, workload and professional isolation. All these factors can make rural positions less appealing, particularly if taking one means relocating somewhere completely new, and relatively remote.
For some veterinarians, that’s enough to scroll straight past the job posting. But should it be?
Why rural veterinary jobs can be a harder sell
There’s no point pretending that rural veterinary work is going to suit everyone.
Depending on the practice, you could be covering a large geographic area, traveling between clients or taking on an on-call schedule that looks very different from the one you’re used to.
There’s also the question of professional support. If you’re used to working alongside a larger veterinary team or having specialists nearby, moving somewhere with fewer veterinary professionals around you could be a significant change.
And then there’s everything outside of the actual work itself.
If you’re relocating, what does the move mean for your partner or family? What’s the local community like? How far will you need to travel for the things you currently take for granted?
Some of the reasons these positions are difficult to fill are perfectly rational. However, it’s also important not to treat every rural veterinary job as though it offers the same experience. A well-supported mixed practice with a manageable on-call schedule could look very different from an understaffed position covering an enormous area.
That’s why it’s worth understanding the individual opportunity before deciding rural practice isn’t for you.
Are some veterinarians ruling rural practice out too early?
Research suggests that our previous experiences can play a part in the type of veterinary career we eventually choose.
A September 2026 study published in JAVMA looked at 6,431 graduates from 33 accredited American and Caribbean veterinary schools. It found that community of origin, the location of a graduate’s first job and previous veterinary and non-veterinary experiences with large animals had some of the strongest relationships with choosing rural large animal employment.
In other words, exposure appears to matter.
If most of your veterinary experience has been in companion animal practices in towns and cities, it’s understandable that a rural mixed or large animal role might feel like a much bigger leap.
But how many veterinary professionals have genuinely considered what rural veterinary jobs could offer them, rather than simply deciding it isn’t for them?
You might still come to the conclusion that it’s not what you want. But it could be worth finding out what the individual role actually involves first.
What could a rural veterinary job offer that your current job doesn’t?
This is where it’s important to look beyond the label.
A “rural veterinary job” tells you where the role is. It doesn’t necessarily tell you what your working life will look like once you get there.
For some veterinarians, variety could be one of the biggest attractions. Particularly within mixed practice, you may have the opportunity to work across a broader range of species, cases, and clinical challenges.
Then there’s autonomy. Some rural positions may give you greater clinical responsibility and independence than you currently have. That won’t appeal to everyone, and it makes understanding the support and mentorship available particularly important. But for someone who wants to become more confident making their own clinical decisions, it could be worth exploring.
There can also be a different connection with the community you serve. In large animal practice, veterinary work can directly affect farms, livelihoods and the wider agricultural economy. You’re not only treating an individual animal; your work can have an impact on the people and businesses relying on you.
And what about career development?
A smaller practice might give you the chance to shape services, develop a particular area of expertise, take on greater responsibility or potentially work toward leadership or ownership.
It’s also worth checking what “mixed” actually means in the individual job posting.
USDA’s shortage classifications recognize rural private practice roles where only part of a veterinarian’s working time is committed to large animal medicine. So considering rural or mixed practice rarely means leaving companion animal medicine behind.
Rural veterinary jobs offer financial incentives
Salary is naturally going to be part of the decision, but it shouldn’t be the only number you compare.
The USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program offers eligible veterinarians who commit to at least three years of service in a designated veterinary shortage situation up to $40,000 per year toward qualifying veterinary education debt.
That could mean as much as $120,000 over the initial three year agreement.
Of course, not every rural veterinary job will qualify, and financial incentives aren’t going to make a fundamentally unsuitable role right for you. But if you’re comparing opportunities, look at the whole financial picture.
Base salary is one part of it. Loan repayment, benefits, relocation assistance and the cost of living in the area could all change what an offer is actually worth to you.
What happens once veterinarians actually move rurally?
Kansas offers an interesting example.
Since it started, Kansas State University’s Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas has admitted more than 100 students. According to an August 2026 update from K-State, 86% remained in a qualifying county after completing their required service period.
That doesn’t mean 86% of all veterinarians would move rurally and decide to stay. People entering a dedicated rural veterinary program have already shown an interest in that type of work.
But it does raise an interesting point…
Getting veterinarians into rural communities may be one challenge. Keeping them there may well be another.
Before you rule a rural job out, ask better questions
There’s no need to convince yourself that you want to work rurally before speaking to a practice or recruiter. You just need enough information to be able to decide whether the individual opportunity warrants a closer look.
Ask what the caseload actually looks like and how much time you’ll spend traveling. Find out how often you’ll be on call, how many veterinarians and technicians you’ll work alongside and what happens when you need another clinical opinion.
If it’s mixed practice, ask:
- What percentage of your time will be spent with companion animals versus large animals?
- What does mentorship look like?
- Is the position eligible for loan repayment or other financial support?
- Is relocation assistance available?
It’s also a good idea to ask about the people who have already worked there. Why did the previous veterinarian leave? And how long have the other veterinarians stayed?
If you’re relocating, ask about the area too. Your commute, community and what your life could look like outside work deserve just as much thought and attention as the hospital or clinic itself.
After all, you’re not just choosing a veterinary job, but a place where your life will happen around it.
What would make you consider rural practice?
Rural veterinary shortages aren’t going to go away just because veterinarians are told they should work there. And realistically, rural practice isn’t going to suit everybody.
But instead of asking, “Would I work rurally?”, perhaps there’s a more useful question:
What would a rural opportunity need to offer for you to consider it?
Would it be a manageable schedule? Stronger mentorship? More varied clinical work? Greater autonomy? Loan repayment? A lower cost of living? A route toward practice ownership? The right community? Or a combination of many of those things?
If you’ve always filtered rural positions out of your veterinary job search, perhaps the next one is worth a closer look before you scroll past.
And if you want to understand what an individual opportunity can actually offer, speak to our friendly team at Tempus. We can give you an honest picture of the role, practice, and location so you can decide whether it genuinely makes sense for you.
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