The veterinary compensation conundrum
How pay affects the job satisfaction of associates and others. Flexibility is a factor, too.
It's surely no surprise that veterinary compensation can be a touchy subject. We at Veterinary Economics have been covering the issue heavily in the past months (see the articles in ourJanuary, March, and May issues), so we decided to quantify some of the factors at play. On these pages are our findings regarding the compensation methods practices use, how satisfied owners think their associates are with that method, and how happy associates actually report they are with their method of pay.
So what's at stake with compensation? A whole lot. For one thing, it affects whether you're able to find and keep associate veterinarians and veterinary team members. And, ofcourse, compensation also has a bearing on the profitability of your business. The key is to balance the needs and wants on both sides of the equation.
The good news is that in the workforce at large-and especially in the veterinary profession-the job is about much more than money. One way practices can offer asignificant nonmonetary benefit is to provide scheduling flexibility. Giving employees and doctors the ability to pick and choose their hours (within reason) can provide a huge boost in job satisfaction and employee loyalty.
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursOwners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursOwners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursOwners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursOwners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hours
*Excludes benefits
Data source: Benchmarks 2010: A Study of Well-Managed Practices
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursAssociates: Are you happy with the compensation model your practice uses?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursAssociates: Are you happy with the compensation model your practice uses?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursAssociates: Are you happy with the compensation model your practice uses?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursAssociates: Are you happy with the compensation model your practice uses?
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursCreative ways to pay shouldn't stop with your associates
Smart veterinarians respect the part veterinary technicians and other team members play in client compliance and promoting services. But why don't more practice owners try outan incentive system like production-based pay that directly rewards them for the work they do in securing revenue?
Our sister magazine Firstline recently asked veterinary technicians how they're paid-and how they'd like to be. See the charts below for some interesting results.Could you incentivize some of your own technicians to bring in more practice revenue?
If you don't think this is an option, visit dvm360.com/technicianappointments. You'll discover howsome client visits can be directed to your credentialed veterinary technicians-making production-based pay for these team members a more likely scenario.
Data source: 2010 Firstline Team Trends Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hours
Data source: 2010 Firstline Team Trends Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hours
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hours
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hours
Data source: 2010 Veterinary Economics State of the Industry Study
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
Small-animal practitioners: Did flexible hours lureyou in?
My view: Today's associates need-anddemand-flexible hoursMy view: Today's associates need-and demand-flexible hours
By Dr. Andrew Rollo
If you're an owner who bemoans the work ethic of today's associates, you should know we're not lazy. We're capable of putting our noses to the grindstone, clocking in 60-hourworkweeks, and owning practices. But many of us have chosen a different path in veterinary medicine. We're finding new ways to balance hard work in this profession with ourfamily responsibilities and personal lives. We're demanding more flexibility in our schedules to make that happen.
A growing number of 24-hour hospitals and multidoctor practices are attracting and keeping many talented associates by offering flexible hours and shifts. This flexibility is aneven higher priority for those veterinarians who are single parents or living in dual-income households who need to balance childcare with work. We need late shifts, overnightshifts, weekend shifts, and other doctors to cover in emergencies.
Of course, strange hours can make it hard to attract associates, too. Some don't want to work the graveyard shift. That can make it as challenging for 24-hour hospitals to finddoctors as it is for practices with a hard-and-fast 9-to-5 schedule. Some associates will jump ship if the hours or times they're asked to work don't fit with their lifestyle orfamily activities.
Veterinarians have asked for better work-life balance for a long time. Today, a new generation of associates is asking for balance-and we're getting it.
Dr. Andrew Rollo is a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and an associate at Madison Veterinary Hospital in Madison Heights, Mich. He writes aregular blog once a month at dvm360.com/community.
The complete package:
What method of associate compensation does your veterinary practiceuse?
Owners: Are your associates happy with the model of compensation you use?
Owners who pay production with a guaranteedbase
Average associate starting salary by years of compensation
Associates: Are you happy with the compensation method your practice uses?
Associates paid on production with a guaranteedbase
Associates paid some other way
Veterinary technician compensation
What compensation method is used to paytechnicians?
Technicians: Would you like to be paid on productionwith a guaranteed base?
Flexible scheduling
Does your practice offer flexible scheduling, such assplit shifts?
Have practice employees requested flexible schedulingoptions?
