VM Salary 2026: $86,409–$157,818 — Veterinary Medicine (Government of Canada)
Effective Date: 2025-10-01 · Verified 2026-04-26
VM rates of pay for all VM (Veterinary Medicine) levels in the Canadian federal public service, 2026. Salaries range from $86,409 to $157,818 across 5 levels. Category: Health & Safety. Source: Treasury Board collective agreements.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VM-01 | $86,409 ~$60K net | $89,933 ~$62K net | $93,429 ~$64K net | $96,953 ~$67K net | $100,836 ~$69K net | $104,880 ~$72K net |
| VM-02 | $100,821 ~$69K net | $104,780 ~$72K net | $108,730 ~$74K net | $112,680 ~$76K net | $117,186 ~$79K net | $121,873 ~$82K net |
| VM-03 | $111,148 ~$76K net | $115,535 ~$78K net | $119,948 ~$81K net | $124,348 ~$83K net | $129,319 ~$86K net | $134,491 ~$89K net |
| VM-04 | $124,915 ~$84K net | $128,962 ~$86K net | $132,932 ~$88K net | $136,419 ~$90K net | $140,850 ~$92K net | $145,427 ~$94K net |
| VM-05 | $136,925 ~$90K net | $140,865 ~$92K net | $144,811 ~$94K net | $148,755 ~$96K net | $153,221 ~$98K net | $157,818 ~$101K net |
Net estimates assume Ontario, no dependents, PSPP Group 2 (post-2013 hire). Use the calculator for your full situation including province, marital status, RRSP, union dues, and pension group.
Select a level for full step breakdown
VM-01
$86,409 – $104,880
$3,323 – $4,034 biweekly (before deductions)
Rates effective from 2025-10-01 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
VM-01 pay raise history (rates from previous collective agreements)
| Effective Date | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | $86,409 | $89,933 | $93,429 | $96,953 | $100,836 | $104,880 |
| 2024-10-01 | $84,715 | $88,170 | $91,597 | $95,052 | $98,859 | — |
| 2023-10-01 | $82,847 | $86,225 | $89,577 | $92,956 | $96,678 | — |
| 2022-10-01 | $80,034 | $83,297 | $86,535 | $89,800 | $93,395 | — |
| 2021-10-01 | $76,373 | $79,487 | $82,577 | $85,692 | $89,123 | — |
VM – Veterinary Medicine
$86,409 – $157,818
$3,323 – $6,070 biweekly (before deductions)
5 levels · Salary data from Treasury Board collective agreements
Rates effective from 2025-10-01 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
About the VM Classification
The VM (Veterinary Medicine) group covers veterinarians employed by the federal government, primarily at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). VM veterinarians inspect meat processing facilities, investigate animal disease outbreaks, manage border controls for animal imports, conduct animal health surveillance, and enforce federal animal welfare standards. CFIA is by far the largest employer, with VM veterinarians stationed at slaughterhouses, border crossings, and laboratories across the country.
VM-01 covers junior veterinarians and those in supervised practice. VM-02 is the working-level veterinary inspector conducting independent inspections at processing facilities. VM-03 covers senior veterinarians, regional program leads, and specialists in areas like epidemiology or pathology. VM-04 and VM-05 are management positions overseeing veterinary programs at the regional or national level. All VM positions require a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and licensure.
Federal veterinary work is fundamentally about protecting Canada's food supply and animal health status. VM veterinarians at CFIA inspect every federally registered meat processing plant in the country, making daily decisions about food safety that affect millions of Canadians. Disease investigation work can be high-stakes — an outbreak of avian influenza or BSE triggers coordinated federal response with significant economic consequences. VM salaries are competitive with mixed veterinary practice but well below specialty and emergency veterinary compensation. The regular hours, pension, and absence of on-call emergency work attract veterinarians who prefer structured careers over the demands of private clinical practice.
VM Tools and Related Resources
VM net pay after federal + provincial tax, CPP, EI, PSPP
Compare with other classificationsSide-by-side VM vs AS, EC, IT, FI, PM
VM raise history vs CPICumulative raise vs Statistics Canada inflation
Other Health & Safety classifications
VM salary — frequently asked questions
What is the VM salary range?
The VM (Veterinary Medicine) salary range is $86,409 to $157,818 per year as of 2025-10-01, across 5 levels (VM-01, VM-02, VM-03, VM-04, VM-05). Rates are sourced from publicly published collective agreements.
What does VM stand for in the Government of Canada?
VM is the Treasury Board classification code for Veterinary Medicine positions in the Government of Canada. It covers 5 levels (VM-01, VM-02, VM-03, VM-04, VM-05) reflecting different levels of responsibility and seniority.
How much does a VM-01 make?
A VM-01 earns $86,409 (Step 1) to $104,880 (Step 6) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a VM-02 make?
A VM-02 earns $100,821 (Step 1) to $121,873 (Step 6) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a VM-03 make?
A VM-03 earns $111,148 (Step 1) to $134,491 (Step 6) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a VM-04 make?
A VM-04 earns $124,915 (Step 1) to $145,427 (Step 6) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a VM-05 make?
A VM-05 earns $136,925 (Step 1) to $157,818 (Step 6) per year as of 2025-10-01. VM-05 is the senior-most level in the VM group.
When was the VM pay scale last updated?
The current VM pay scale on FedPay.ca is effective 2025-10-01, with a total of 30 pay steps across 5 levels. Data is verified against Treasury Board collective agreements regularly.
What is the VM take-home pay after taxes?
VM take-home pay depends on your level, step, province, and pension group. Use the FedPay.ca take-home pay calculator at fedpay.ca/take-home to see your net pay after federal tax, provincial tax, CPP, EI, and Public Service Pension Plan contributions for any VM level and step.