Veterinarian

Veterinary surgeon The best-paid and most competitive route here. You need a veterinary degree approved by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which usually takes five to six years full time and asks for three A levels including biology and chemistry. Entry is highly competitive, so build up work experience in practices and with farm animals well before applying. Pay typically runs from about £32,000 for a starter to £65,000 with experience, over 40 to 45 hours a week. Choose it if you enjoy clinical science as much as animals: much of the job is diagnosis, surgery and hard conversations with worried owners.