Abstract
To understand the salary, benefits, hours, and job duties of shelter medicine veterinarians. Similar to a 2018 survey, an anonymous survey on compensation and duties of shelter medicine veterinarians was conducted via a commercial platform from January 4 to 31, 2024. The survey was distributed through social media, message boards, and specialty listservs. Participants were categorized into part-time clinical veterinarians, full-time clinical veterinarians, academic faculty, and leadership/consultants. 299 US shelter veterinarians responded: 258 were engaged in clinical work (198 working full time and 60 part time), 18 worked in academia, and 23 held leadership/consulting roles. Full-time clinical veterinarians reported a median salary of $122,500, reflecting a 25% increase since 2018. Part-time clinicians earned $85/h-a 77% increase-while working a median of 24 h/wk. Faculty had a median salary of $130,000, a 20% increase. Those in leadership or consulting roles earned a median of $168,000, a 40% increase. Salaries increased across all categories, with the highest increase for leadership/consulting roles and the lowest for academic positions. Part-time veterinarians saw a large rise in hourly rates, while working fewer hours. Leadership positions yielded the highest incomes, followed by faculty. Clinical salaries were 5% lower than the AVMA-reported 2022 salaries for private practice veterinarians and 7% lower for companion animal veterinarians. Understanding these compensation trends assists shelter veterinarians in making informed career decisions and negotiations. Despite salary increases, shelter veterinarians' earnings remain lower than those in private practice.
Published Version
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