A new survey has revealed that the United States of America is the best-paying country for vets.
The Global Vet Salary 2022 – which The Vet Service that previously featured on That’s Farming published – aims to uncover salary hours for vet surgeons, nurses and locums.
The Vet Service utilised client salary data (English-speaking roles only) to construct the report, which features new graduates with 1-2 years’ experience, permanent (2-10 years experience) vets and those with 10+ years of experience across ten countries.
The report highlights that US vets earn four times more than their counterparts in South Africa, the last of the ten countries included in the survey.
The three best-paying countries are the USA, Canada and Qatar for permanent new grad vets, those with 2-10 years’ experience and those with 10+ years experience.
According to The Vet Service – which is an industry-leading global digital veterinary job and professional development platform – the outlook for veterinary employment in all major regions across the world “remains good”.
The company reports that salaries are increasing across the board for both permanent and locum positions.
But, it adds, the best-paid jobs remain in “highly” productive areas such as the USA and Canada and Qatar.
Although, it does outline that Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the Middle East are also “highly competitive”.
How much are vets paid?
The report shows that in Ireland, a permanent new graduate salary with 1-2 years of experience is circa €40,000-€45,000, while those with 2-10 years of experience earn between €45,000-€60,000.
Then those with 10 years plus experience could take in €50,000-€90,000, the survey reveals.
So, how do these earnings rank with the USA? Based on today’s currency conversions, a permanent new grad with 1-2 years of experience could make between just over €91,000 to just over €106,000.
Then, those with 2-10 years of experience could make up to just over €135,000, and vets with 10+ years of experience could earn just over €193,000.
Based on this data, there is a difference of circa €100,000 between the average salary scale for a vet in Ireland with 10+ years of experience with that of a counterpart across the waters in the US.
A Veterinary Ireland survey has found that a poor work-life balance, wages and working conditions – including long working honours and on-call arising from poor rotas – are the “principal reasons” why some vets would not choose veterinary again if they were back at career choice stage.
Shortage of vets
In a previous interview with That’s Farming, Ed Taylor BVMS MRCVS, managing director of The Vet Service, outlined that there are changing attitudes to working conditions and vets and nurses becoming more aware of their work/life balance, mental health and even an ability to diversify.
He noted that “huge demographic shifts have occurred with a significantly higher proportion of female graduates compared to male graduates now, all of whom have different career aspirations”.
Many senior partners are selling out to corporates and retiring, and as a result, some practices are losing that “direct leadership” within what was once a “well-run” family practice.
He explained that the growth of the corporate world has also played a “large” factor in the shortage.
Many senior partners are selling out to corporates and retiring, and as a result, some practices are losing that “direct leadership” within what was once a “well-run” family practice.
He continued: “And when it comes to farm vets, where once we always saw farmer’s sons becoming vets, there are very few of these guys out there now, even at student level, and this does not look to be changing anytime soon.”
Read more on this news article.
