Vic Snyder was born in Medford, Oregon. He is a graduate of Medford High School and attended college at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
Before graduating High School in 1967 Snyder volunteered for the United States Marine Corps. He served in Vietnam with Headquarters Company of the US 1st Marine Division during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of Corporal.
Snyder earned a degree in Chemistry in 1975 from Willamette and earned his medical degree from the University of Oregon in Portland, Oregon in 1979.
Snyder moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and served his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. In 1982 after completing his residency he worked as a family practice physician for 15 years. During this time he travelled overseas to volunteer his medical services at Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras, and Ethiopian refugee camps in Sudan.
From 1985 to 1988 Snyder attended the University of Arkansas to obtain his law degree while still maintaining his medical practice. In 1990 he successfully ran for a seat in the Arkansas legislature and served in that body until 1996.
Snyder was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996 and was reelected in 1998. Snyder focuses on many traditionally liberal issues, but also has a particular interest in support for veteran's and other military issues, serving on the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs and the House Armed Services Committee.
Snyder married Reverend Betsy Singleton, a Methodist minister, in 2003.