14 May
Data suggests an increasing interest in flexible ways of working, and highest levels of job satisfaction among practice managers and veterinary surgeons working in industry or field-based roles.
Image © graja / Fotolia
SPVS has published its annual salary survey, the pay benchmarking tool for the veterinary profession.
The survey attracted 1,582 respondents from across the profession between January and March 2020, reflecting a world prior to the advent of COVID-19.
SPVS said the survey “will undoubtedly be a useful benchmark as the profession grapples with new ways of working that are likely to be with us for many months to come”.
Key findings include:
Among vets an overall gender pay gap of 15% was shown, although this was skewed by the results for vets qualified for more than 15 years. Below this age the gap varied from 3% to 6%.
When compared with their male counterparts, women qualified 15 years or more were more than three times as likely to describe themselves as an “assistant or associate veterinary surgeon” rather than a more senior role, suggesting differences in career progression account for at least part of the headline pay gap.
More findings included:
Respondents were asked about their level of satisfaction with their remuneration, hours and condition of work, support received and prospects for career advancement.
The authors said: “Overall, the highest levels of satisfaction were found among practice managers and veterinary surgeons working in industry or field-based roles.
“Generally speaking, veterinary surgeons and nurses were more satisfied with their conditions of work and less happy with their remuneration or career prospects.”