Provide medical care for exotic and wild animals in zoos and wildlife facilities. Median salary in San Antonio: $104K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in San Antonio, Texas. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Zoo Veterinarians in San Antonio earn approximately 2% higher than the US national median for this role — a $2,000 premium on annual base salary. This reflects San Antonio's position as a higher-cost labor market where employers must match local wage norms.
Adjusted for San Antonio's cost-of-living index (87), the median Zoo Veterinarian salary buys the equivalent of $119,540 in a US-average-cost city. That's $17,540 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Texas has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $9,672 per year at this salary level compared to a California Zoo Veterinarian on the same gross pay. A San Antonio Zoo Veterinarian would need to earn $114,664 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $104K by 2030.
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The median Zoo Veterinarian salary in San Antonio, TX is $104,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the San Antonio–TX metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Zoo Veterinarians in San Antonio with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $77,000 and $104,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $104,000 to $141,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $141,000 to $186,000 or more.
San Antonio has a cost of living index of 87 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 13% further in San Antonio than the national average. Crucially, Texas has no state income tax — giving San Antonio-based Zoo Veterinarians an immediate 5–7% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
DVM + zoo medicine residency; exotic animal experience. 0% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.