Survey Method and Sample Size

A stratified-disproportionate sample was selected from the AVMA's database of US veterinarians. This sampling method was used to increase the likelihood of sufficient responses for reliable statistics in each employment category. Veterinarians in private practice were classified as food animal exclusive, food animal predominant, mixed animal, companion animal exclusive, companion animal predominant, equine, and other (unspecified). Veterinarians in public and corporate sectors were classified as college or university, state or local government, industry, federal government, uniformed services, and other (unspecified) public or corporate.

The survey was sent via postal mail to 16,000 veterinarians in April 2008. The random sample consisted of 6,181 veterinarians identified as private practice owners and 9,819 identified as non–practice owners (associates or those employed in public or corporate sectors) or whose employment type was not identified in the membership database. A total of 3,920 (24.5%) surveys were completed and returned.

Of the returned surveys, 1,994 (50.9%) from veterinarians in private practice and 1,021 (26.0%) from veterinarians in public and corporate sectors were deemed usable. Responses were weighted to reflect the distribution of various types of veterinarians within the AVMA membership population.

Income Analysis

All veterinarians were asked to indicate their 2007 individual professional income, before personal taxes, from all veterinary medical–related activities during 2007, including income from salary, bonuses, practice profits, consulting fees, and retirement or profit sharing plan contributions. Respondents reported individual net incomes at $3,000 increments ranging from <$34,000 tor$202,000. Veterinarians who indicated they were working full-time in 2007 (ie, ≥ 30 h/wk for ≥48 wk/y) were classified as having full-time income. Those who did not meet this qualification were classified as having part-time income.

Veterinarians in Private Practice

The median professional income for full-time private practice veterinarians in the United States was $91,000 in 2007, compared with $79,000 in 2005, representing a compound growth rate of 7.3%/y (Table 1). The median professional income for private practice veterinarians was $91,000 for most practice types, with the exception of food animal exclusive ($109,000) and companion animal predominant ($97,000). The compound annualized rate of change from 2005 to 2007 for the median income ranged from 0% for equine practitioners to 11.7% for mixed animal practitioners (Figure 1).

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Compound annualized change in mean and median professional income for US veterinarians in private practice, 2005 to 2007. FAE = Food animal exclusive. FAP = Food animal predominant. MIX = Mixed animal. CAE = Companion animal exclusive. CAP = Companion animal predominant. EQU = Equine. OTH = Other (unspecified).

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 234, 6; 10.2460/javma.234.6.754

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The mean professional income for full-time private practice veterinarians in the United States was $115,447 in 2007, compared with $105,510 in 2005, representing a compound growth rate of 4.6%/y (Table 1). The mean professional income ranged from $107,330 for food animal predominant to $139,612 for food animal exclusive practitioners in 2007. Mean professional incomes increased for all practice types between 2005 and 2007. In addition, the mean income was higher than median income for every practice type, suggesting that mean income was influenced by a few large income values. The compound annualized rate of change from 2005 to 2007 for mean income ranged from 1.1% for equine practioners to 14.3% for food animal exclusive practitioners (Figure 1).

Distribution of income by practice type was determined for private practice veterinarians (Table 2). Food animal exclusive practice had the largest percentage of veterinarians (18.3%) who reported incomes r$196,000. On the other hand, food animal predominant practice had the smallest percentage (6.7%) of veterinarians in this income class.

Veterinarians in Public or Corporate Employment

The 2007 median professional income of US veterinarians employed in public or corporate sectors increased from $97,000 in 2005 to $103,000 in 2007, representing a compound growth rate of 3.0%/y (Table 3). The median income ranged from $79,000 for veterinarians in uniformed services to $148,000 for veterinarians in industry. The compound annualized rate of change from 2005 to 2007 for the median income ranged from 1.6% for state or local government to 20.3% for other (unspecified) public or corporate practice veterinarians (Figure 2).

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Compound annualized change in mean and median professional income for US veterinarians in public or corporate employment, 2005 to 2007. C/U = College or university. FG = Federal government. SLG = State or local government. US = Uniformed services. IND = Industry. OTH = Other (unspecified).

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 234, 6; 10.2460/javma.234.6.754

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The mean professional income of veterinarians employed full-time in public or corporate organizations increased from $105,238 in 2005 to $121,560 in 2007, representing a compound growth rate of 7.5%/y (Table 3). The mean professional income for public or corporate veterinarians ranged from $87,393 for those in uniformed services to $165,668 for those in industry. The compound annualized rate of change for the mean income ranged from −1.8% for state or local government to 33.5% for other (unspecified) public or corporate veterinarians.

The greatest percentage of veterinarians in public or corporate practice had salaries in the range of $76,000 to $99,999 for all employment groups, with the exception of industry. Of industry veterinarians, 26.4% had incomesr$196,000 (Table 4).