Find top veterinary surgeon jobs across clinical practice settings in the United Kingdom, including general practice (GP), emergency care, specialty, and referral hospitals. Explore high-demand roles such as Associate Veterinary Surgeon, Emergency Veterinary Surgeon, General Practice Veterinary Surgeon, Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon, Equine Veterinary Surgeon, Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist, Veterinary Surgeon – Critical Care, Veterinary Dermatologist, Veterinary Radiologist, Veterinary Cardiologist, Veterinary Oncologist, Clinical Director, Head of Veterinary Services, and Relief Veterinary Surgeon.
Whether you’re seeking small-animal, large-animal, equine, or mixed-animal opportunities, browse full-time and part-time positions designed to support career growth, mentorship, and long-term veterinary development across the UK.
Veterinarian jobs in Iowa — DVM, associate, ER, mixed practice and food animal roles
Supreme Search Specialists places veterinarians in animal hospitals and clinics across veterinary jobs in Iowa — from independent small-animal practices in Des Moines and the Quad Cities to 24-hour emergency hospitals in Cedar Rapids, multi-doctor mixed clinics in rural counties, and swine, dairy, and beef cattle production veterinary roles across the state. We've recruited for US veterinary practices since 2020, and our consultants understand the Iowa veterinary market in depth — including the realities of being a few miles from one of the country's leading AVMA-accredited veterinary schools at Iowa State University.
Whether you're a new Iowa State graduate looking for your first associate role at home, an experienced DVM considering relocation to Iowa, or a board-certified specialist exploring referral work in central or eastern Iowa, our team will help you find a practice that fits your clinical interests, schedule, and what you actually want your life outside the clinic to look like.
Veterinarian roles we recruit for in Iowa
Associate Veterinarian (DVM)
Small animal, mixed, and exotics roles across Iowa metros and rural communities.
Emergency Veterinarian (ER Doctor)
24-hour and overnight ER roles in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities.
Urgent Care Veterinarian
Growing urgent-care model across the Des Moines metro and along the I-380 corridor.
Medical Director & Chief of Staff
Leadership roles with multi-doctor independent hospitals and corporate groups.
Board-Certified Specialists
Surgery, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, and Imaging — anchored around Des Moines, the Iowa State Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Ames, and Iowa City.
Relief Veterinarian (Locum DVM)
Flexible locum and contract assignments across small animal and mixed practice.
Mixed Animal Veterinarian
Small animal plus dairy, beef, equine, and small ruminant work in rural Iowa.
Food Animal & Swine Veterinarian
Production medicine, herd health, and consulting roles with swine, dairy, and beef operations.
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Credentialed veterinary technician jobs in Iowa animal hospitals — high demand statewide.
Veterinary jobs across Iowa
We have active veterinarian openings throughout the state. Candidates searching for Des Moines veterinarian jobs, Cedar Rapids vet jobs, Davenport veterinary jobs, or rural Iowa veterinarian careers will find roles here that aren't on the major job boards.
Des Moines Metro
Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee, Clive, Johnston, Altoona, Indianola
Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Corridor
Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty
Quad Cities Area
Davenport, Bettendorf, LeClaire, Eldridge, Muscatine
Ames & Central Iowa
Ames, Boone, Nevada, Story City, Marshalltown, Newton
Eastern & Northeast Iowa
Dubuque, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Decorah, Independence
Western Iowa & Siouxland
Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Spencer, Le Mars, Carroll
Rural & Small-Town Iowa
Hundreds of communities across the state with mixed and food animal openings — including USDA-designated veterinary shortage areas.
Not seeing your town? Send your CV anyway — many of our veterinary careers in Iowa are filled before they're advertised, particularly in rural counties where clinics rely on word of mouth and Iowa State connections.
Iowa veterinarian salary ranges
Veterinary compensation in Iowa is competitive, and food animal and rural mixed-practice roles increasingly out-earn small-animal positions in the metros once production and bonuses are factored in. Based on offers we've negotiated for candidates over the past 12 months, current ranges are:
Associate Veterinarian (General Practice)
$115,000–$160,000 base salary plus production (commonly 18–22% ProSal). Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the Quad Cities sit near the top of the range.
Emergency Veterinarian
$140,000–$240,000 depending on shift structure, with the strongest offers tied to overnight and weekend rotations.
Board-Certified Specialist
$170,000–$300,000 depending on discipline and case volume. Surgery and Internal Medicine command the highest packages.
Medical Director
$170,000–$230,000 plus performance bonuses and equity in some independent and corporate groups.
Mixed Animal Veterinarian
$110,000–$170,000 plus truck, fuel, on-call, and farm-call premiums. Often eligible for federal student-loan repayment in USDA shortage areas.
Food Animal & Swine Veterinarian
$120,000–$200,000+ depending on production model, herd size, and consulting structure. Senior production veterinarians and partners earn well beyond this range.
Relief / Locum DVM
$85–$160 per hour depending on practice type, location, and schedule.
Sign-on bonuses of $20,000–$75,000, student-loan support, and relocation packages are common in Iowa, particularly for ER doctors, rural mixed-practice DVMs, and food animal veterinarians serving USDA-designated veterinary shortage areas.
Why veterinarians choose Iowa
Genuinely affordable cost of living — homes, childcare, and groceries cost meaningfully less than in coastal metros, and the difference shows up in real disposable income.
Strong, sustained demand across small animal, mixed, food animal, and swine veterinary roles — Iowa consistently has federally designated veterinary shortage areas that unlock loan repayment.
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames — one of the most respected AVMA-accredited DVM programs in the country, anchoring referral relationships, CE access, and a deep local talent pipeline.
Diverse caseloads — from small animal medicine in the metros and college towns to dairy in the northeast, swine across the state, and beef cattle in the west and south.
Practice variety — independent first-opinion clinics, multi-doctor mixed practices, corporate groups, 24-hour emergency hospitals, specialty referral centers, and production-medicine consulting groups.
Real work-life balance — four-day workweeks, true scheduled days off, and reasonable commutes are the norm, not a perk.
A community-focused practice culture — many Iowa clinics have third- or fourth-generation client relationships, and you're treated as part of the community, not just a vendor.
Access to USDA's Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) in qualifying shortage areas — meaningful student-debt relief on top of competitive base pay.
Iowa has a state income tax (currently transitioning to a flat-rate structure), but the cost-of-living gap relative to coastal states more than offsets it for most candidates. We're transparent with candidates about what an offer actually nets locally so you can make an informed decision before accepting.
Iowa licensing for veterinarians
To practice in Iowa, veterinarians must be licensed by the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine, administered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). The standard route includes:
Graduate from an AVMA-accredited DVM or VMD program, or complete ECFVG/PAVE certification for international graduates.
Pass the NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Examination).
Pass the Iowa state jurisprudence examination.
Submit an Iowa license application with school verification, NAVLE scores, and verifications from any state where you currently hold or have held a veterinary license.
Meet Iowa's continuing education requirements at renewal.
If you'll be prescribing controlled substances, register with the State of Iowa and obtain a DEA registration tied to your Iowa practice address.
If you're licensed in another state and considering relocation, our consultants will walk you through endorsement timing, the jurisprudence exam, controlled-substance registrations, and how to line up licensure with a clean start date. Most candidates we work with complete Iowa licensure in 6–10 weeks.
What makes practicing veterinary medicine in Iowa unique
Iowa is one of the most distinctive veterinary markets in the country, shaped by agriculture, a top-tier veterinary school, and a culture of community-rooted practice. A few things worth understanding before accepting an offer:
Iowa is the country's largest pork producer. Swine medicine is a serious career path here — production consulting, herd health, biosecurity, and welfare work attract veterinarians from across the country.
Mixed practice is alive and well. Many rural Iowa clinics see small animal, dairy, beef, swine, equine, and small ruminant cases in the same week, with the autonomy and case mix that most metro-only roles can't offer.
Iowa State CVM is a regional anchor. The teaching hospital in Ames, plus the school's diagnostic and extension networks, keeps referral pathways, CE, and clinical updates close at hand.
Seasonality matters. Calving, planting, and harvest seasons shape large-animal caseload rhythms; small animal practices see their own seasonal patterns around hunting season, county fairs, and tick/heartworm pressure.
USDA VMLRP eligibility. Iowa consistently has designated veterinary shortage areas, which means student-loan repayment is a real, structured benefit for food animal and mixed-practice DVMs who qualify.
Specialty referral is regional but accessible. Specialists cluster in Des Moines, Ames, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities, with telemedicine and strong referral relationships covering the rest of the state.
Frequently asked questions about veterinarian jobs in Iowa
Are there really enough veterinarian jobs in Iowa to relocate for?
Yes. Iowa has sustained demand across small animal, mixed, food animal, swine, dairy, and emergency medicine. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, and Iowa City hold the most volume on the small-animal side, while rural counties across the state have ongoing openings for mixed-practice and food animal DVMs.
Which part of Iowa has the most veterinary career opportunities?
The Des Moines metro has the deepest small-animal and ER market, followed by Cedar Rapids/Iowa City and the Quad Cities. For mixed practice and food animal medicine, opportunities are distributed across the state, with particularly strong demand in western Iowa, northeast Iowa dairy country, and the swine-dense counties through the center of the state.
How long does Iowa veterinary licensure take?
Most candidates complete Iowa licensure in 6–10 weeks, including the Iowa jurisprudence exam, verifications from other states, and submission to the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine. We help candidates start the process before the offer is fully signed so the start date isn't held up.
Will employers help with relocation and student loans?
In most cases, yes. Sign-on bonuses, household-goods shipping, temporary housing, and employer student-loan support are common — especially for rural mixed and food animal roles. Many positions also qualify for the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which provides federal loan repayment in designated shortage areas.
What's the work-life balance like for veterinarians in Iowa?
Many of our placed candidates say the lifestyle is the reason they stayed. Four-day workweeks, true scheduled days off, and short commutes are the norm. Even mixed and food animal roles increasingly structure on-call rotations to protect personal time.
Can a new graduate start a mixed or food animal career in Iowa?
Yes — and Iowa is one of the strongest states in the country for new graduates entering mixed or food animal practice. Iowa State graduates are placed across the state every year, and many practices offer structured mentorship, on-call ramp-up plans, and clear support for the transition.
What's the case mix really like in rural Iowa practice?
Broader than almost any metro-only role. A typical week can include small animal preventive care and surgery, dairy herd health, beef cow-calf work, swine consulting or treatment, equine farm calls, and small ruminant cases — with strong referral pathways into Ames, Des Moines, and Iowa City when you need them.
How does Iowa's cost of living affect veterinary compensation?
Iowa's cost of living — particularly housing — is meaningfully lower than the national average. Most candidates moving from coastal or large-metro markets find that gross salary numbers that look comparable translate into substantially more disposable income once housing, taxes, and commuting costs are accounted for. We help candidates run that math before accepting.
How we work
For candidates: send your CV through our website or call our team. Your conversation is confidential — we won't put you forward for any role without your explicit sign-off. We'll only present opportunities that genuinely fit your clinical interests, schedule, salary expectations, and the kind of Iowa community you actually want to live in.
For animal hospitals and veterinary groups in Iowa: tell us about the role, your team, and the kind of veterinarian who will thrive in your clinic. We handle sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and reference checks so you only meet candidates worth your time. We know which out-of-state candidates settle into Iowa successfully — and which don't — and we'll help structure the offer and onboarding accordingly.
Contact John
Looking for your next veterinary opportunity in Iowa, or need help hiring top veterinary talent for your clinic? Get in touch today — we'll have a confidential conversation and only move forward at your pace.