AAEP Salary & Life Style Survey 2008

A Confidential
Lifestyles and Salary Survey
Conducted on behalf of

American Association
of Equine Practitioners
April 2008

By

MONITION: This research was conducted for the exclusive use of the American Association of
Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and their designated agents. Duplication of the material is prohibited
without the expressed consent of the AAEP. If any material contained in this document is released
to the general public, the research consultant reserves the right to release any and all additional data
to clarify and/or accurately report findings of this study. This specific policy and the methods by
which data have been collected and reported are consistent with the bylaws of the American
Association for Public Opinion Research.

Table of Table of Contents _____________________________________ 2
Contents Survey Design & Methods ______________________________ 3
Background & Administration __________________________ 3
Major Findings _______________________________________ 4
Salaries Among Equine Practitioners Overall ________________ 4
Salaries Among Equine Practitioners in Private Practice_______ 12
Salaries Among Equine Practitioners in Academia ___________ 23
Benefits Provided to Equine Practitioners _________________ 27
Attitudes Regarding Lifestyle___________________________ 30
Overall Job Satisfaction_______________________________ 41
Likelihood of Encouraging Equine Medicine Career __________ 43
Open-ended Questions _______________________________ 45
Participant Profiles __________________________________ 47
Demographic Breakouts ______________________________ 47

2

Survey Background & Administration

T
he American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
Design & commissioned a lifestyles and salary survey among its

Methods members in the fall of 2007. Although the association had
salary information from the sub-sample of equine
practitioners in the periodic AVMA salary survey, AAEP sought to
conduct a more comprehensive survey that also included attitudinal
questions concerning lifestyle issues.
Data for the following report were collected by Preston-
Osborne of Lexington, Kentucky using a Web-based survey. In early
October of 2007, an e-mail was sent to approximately 6,076 DVM
members in the United States and Canada inviting them to participate
in the member survey. The e-mail, which was in the form of a memo
from AAEP President, Doug Corey, included a hotlink to the online
survey form. Those who received the survey invitation by e-mail were
given a deadline about two weeks from the time the invitation was
sent. Right before the deadline, a reminder e-mail was sent to those
who had not clicked through to the survey form (i.e. non-responders).
At roughly the same time that the e-mail invitation was sent,
postcards were mailed to the remaining 856 U.S. and Canadian DVM
members of the AAEP for whom the association did not have an e-
mail address on file. The postcard closely mirrored the e-mail
invitation and included the URL for the online survey.
The deadline for survey returns was October 31. Surveys were
accepted and included in the dataset, however, until November 3,
2007. A total of 1,253 valid∗ surveys were completed by that date and
are included in the study. Based on a universe of 6,932, this represents
a response rate of 18 percent.
This report summarizes results from the study. All figures in this
report exclude “no responses,” unless otherwise noted.

∗
A small number of surveys were considered invalid and were, therefore, omitted
from the final dataset. These include partial surveys that didn’t include salary
information, as well as surveys from retirees or those not employed in equine
medicine.

3

Major Salaries Among Equine Practitioners Overall

O
ne of the two primary goals of this study was to
Findings determine the average annual salaries of equine
practitioners, both overall and among specific
subgroups, such as first-year practitioners. The survey
instrument, therefore, began with a series of demographic questions
(the results of which are reported later in this document) designed to
categorize respondents in a wide variety of ways. Some of these key
variables included gender, age, graduation year from veterinary school,
whether they work in private practice, what type of practice they work
in, their specific role within their practice, marital status, whether
children are present in the home, and where respondents are located,
among others.
Before discussing these findings, it is important to note
some general observations. Based on information provided by the
AAEP, the average age of the members of the association is older
than the average among survey respondents. (The AAEP’s
information regarding the age of their members is, by their own
admission, limited, but is considered to be more reflective of the
overall membership population than the survey sample.) The fact that
the final survey sample is somewhat skewed to a younger member is
especially noteworthy due to the fact that, while the industry once was
populated largely by males, it is now seeing a sharp increase in the
number of females entering the profession. The end result for this
survey is that the average age of male respondents was mid-40s, while
the average age of female respondents was early-30s.
For the salary section of this report, charts and tables exclude
respondents who were students in 2006 and, therefore, were not
practicing equine medicine.
Also, in the salary section, due to the small number of
respondents falling into some of the subgroups, the number of cases,
or n-size, is reported for each.

4

To provide context for the discussion of salary findings, the full
text of the question, as it was posed to members, follows: What was
your TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME—before taxes—from all
veterinary medical related activities during 2006? Include
income from: salary; bonuses; practice profits; consulting fees;
and retirement/profit-sharing plan contributions made on your
behalf. (Please indicate your response in U.S. dollars factoring in
the appropriate exchange rate if you are a non-U.S. respondent.)
As Figure 1 illustrates, the average salary among all survey
respondents was $111,340, and as the figure also demonstrates, there
is a notable salary differential when examining results by age group,
with respondents 50 or older earning more than three times the salary
of a practitioner in his or her 20s. These results suggest that longevity
in the field of equine medicine—when combined with experience and
career advancements—can result in a significant increase in one’s
salary.

Figure 1—Average Salaries by Age Group

$180,000
$155,740 $160,240
$160,000
$140,000
$126,280
$120,000 $111,340

$100,000 $86,140
$80,000
$60,000 $48,280
$40,000

$20,000
Overall <30 years 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ years
Average old (n=192) (n=345) (n=294) (n=273) old (n=92)
(n=1,196)

5

Figure 2 depicts the average salary based on graduation year and
supports the trend seen in Figure 1.

Figure 2—Average Salaries by Graduation Year

$180,000
$153,820 $158,140
$160,000
$140,000
$116,800
$120,000 $111,340

$100,000 $87,640
$80,000
$60,000
$40,540
$40,000

$20,000
Overall 2006 Only 2000-2005 1990s 1980s Prior to
Average (First Year) (n=479) (n=241) (n=215) 1980
(n=1,196) (n=91) (n=165)

An important component of this study was to determine the
average salary of first-year equine practitioners. According to results
from AVMA’s salary survey, first-year veterinarians in the equine field
make substantially less than those who pursue careers in other areas of
veterinary medicine. Findings from this study appear to support those
from the AVMA study.+
Among all respondents to AAEP’s survey, 91 graduated in 2006.
The average salary among this entire group was $40,540. Looking at
only those who worked in an equine-focused practice (65 of the 91),
the average salary was $37,240, which was notably less than
respondents who worked for large, small, or mixed animal practices.

+
The manner in which average annual salaries were computed for the AVMA
survey and the AAEP survey may differ, as the AVMA report did not define the
process by which averages were calculated.

6

(The average first-year salary of all veterinarians working at a private
practice in the 2006 AVMA salary survey was $55,031; among those
working for an equine practice, the average was $40,130.)
One factor contributing to the lower average first-year salary is
the number of graduates working in internships and residencies, of
which there were 38 among the 91 2006 graduates in the AAEP study.
On average, those particular first-year graduates were earning less than
half of what first-year associates reported making ($25,960 compared
to $53,320).
However, despite the much lower salaries of first-year graduates
who are completing an internship during that initial year after
graduation, survey results suggest that those entering the
profession of equine medicine are well-served by internships in
the long run. When examining the average salaries of private
practitioners in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and older who completed
internships, it is found that they are earning up to 16 percent more
than similarly aged practitioners who did not participate in an
internship. (Additional discussion of the impact of internships appears later in
this report.)

7

Figure 3 depicts average salaries by AAEP Membership District
(please refer to the key located below Figure 3 for district information), and as the
figure shows, there is notable variance, with respondents practicing in
the Northwestern District (District IX) earning the lowest average
salary ($82,240) and those in the South Central District (District IV)
earning the highest ($143,560).

Figure 3—Average Salaries by
AAEP Membership District
$180,000
$160,000 $143,560
$136,660
$140,000 $118,840
$115,000 $116,500
$120,000 $111,340 $101,860 $95,860 $98,080
$100,000 $87,220 $82,240
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000

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AAEP Membership Districts
District I North Atlantic: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
District II Middle Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia
District III South Atlantic: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South
Carolina
District IV South Central: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee
District V Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
District VI Central: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota
District VII Southwestern: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
District VIII Pacific: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
District IX Northwestern: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington,
Wyoming
District X Canada: Canada

8

Figure 4 depicts average salaries by the size of the community in
which the respondent works. As the figure indicates, practitioners
working in more rural areas earn less, on average, than those in urban
centers.

Figure 4—Average Salaries by Community Size

$180,000

$160,000

$140,000 $133,060

$120,000 $111,340
$98,860 $104,740
$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Overall Average Small (Under Medium (25,000- Large (>100,000)
(n=1,196) 25,000) (n=472) 100,000) (n=350) (n=366)

9

Figure 5 depicts average salaries by employer type. It’s important
to note that nearly 9 out of 10 survey respondents indicated that
they worked for a private practice.

Figure 5—Average Salaries by Employer Type

$180,000

$160,000

$140,000 $130,000
$114,820
$120,000 $111,340
$101,500
$100,000 $88,840
$78,700
$80,000 $71,740

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Overall Private Academia Fed Gov't State/Local Industry Other (n=7)
Average Practice (n=94) (n=8) Gov't (n=14)
(n=1,196) (n=1,056) (n=17)

10

Another survey question provides additional context to the salary
results. Respondents were asked how their educational debt load
compares to their current annual salary. As Tables 1a and 1b show,
debt load is a real burden for many, particularly recent graduates. For
example, among those who graduated just last year, more than one-
third said that what they owe in student loans is at least four times
greater than what they are currently earning.

Table 1a— How Respondents Said Their Educational Debt
Load Compares to Their Annual Salary broken out by What
They Currently Earn
Annual Salary
Less More
$52- $70- $94- $130-
than than
70K 94K 130K 202K
$52K (n=206) (n=221) (n=224) (n=165) $202K
(n=277) (n=137)

No educational debt 31% 39% 56% 68% 82% 91%
Annual salary is more
7 14 20 21 15 7
than debt amount
Owe more than salary
10 17 15 9 2 2
but less than double
Owe at least double
19 18 5 1 1 1
what I earn
Owe at least triple
14 8 2 <1 0 0
what I earn
Owe at least
20 3 1 0 0 0
quadruple w hat I earn
Table 1b— How Respondents Said Their Educational Debt
Load Compares to Their Annual Salary broken out by When
They Graduated from Veterinary School
Year Graduated
2005- 2000- 1990- 1980-
2007 <1980
(n=56) 2006 2004 1999 1989 (n=163)
(n=156) (n=416) (n=240) (n=210)

No educational debt 14% 12% 42% 62% 94% 99%
Annual salary is more
4 13 20 23 6 1
than debt amount
Owe more than salary
11 16 17 8 0 0
but less than double
Owe at least double
21 27 11 3 1 0
what I earn
Owe at least triple
16 19 4 3 0 0
what I earn
Owe at least
34 14 6 1 0 0
quadruple what I earn

11

Salaries Among Equine Practitioners in Private Practice
The next series of charts report average salaries within various
subgroups of respondents who reported they worked in a private
practice (88 percent of the entire sample) beginning with the type
of equine-related work with which respondents are most involved.
As Figure 6 depicts, the average salary of a practitioner whose
focus is racing is considerably higher than those who work in other
areas. It is important to note, however, that only 1 out of 10
respondents in private practice indicated racing was their emphasis,
while 11 percent noted reproduction and 73 percent said they worked
primarily with pleasure/performance horses. Only 6 percent of
respondents said they worked in some other area.

Figure 6—Average Salaries by Equine Emphasis
(Private Practice Only)

$220,000
$200,000 $190,000
$180,000
$160,000
$140,000 $130,960
$125,320
$120,000
$101,500
$100,000
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000
Performance/ Racing (n=107) Reproduction Other (n=64)
Pleasure (n=774) (n=111)

12

Figure 7 illustrates the salary differences based on both the focus
and function of the practice for which respondents’ work. Please keep
in mind that the reported average salaries in Figure 7 are among only
the equine practitioners working within certain types of practices.
(For example, as the figure shows, 53 equine practitioners reported
working in a practice that focuses primarily on treating small animals.)
Therefore, these findings are not comparable to the AVMA results for
similar categories, which would be the average salaries of all
veterinarians working in that type of practice.

Figure 7—Average Salaries by Practice Focus
& Practice Function
$180,000

$160,000
$142,420
$140,000
$122,200 $121,840
$120,000 $107,920
$101,440
$100,000 $95,800
$88,060
$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Large Small Mixed Equine Gen. Med. Specialty Other
Animal Animal Animal (n=757) (n=802) (n=174) (n=74)
(n=104) (n=53) (n=139)

Focus Function

13

Next, Figure 8 reports the average salaries of private practice
veterinarians by AAEP Membership District, and the results follow
the same trend seen when examining all respondents by district—
those in the Northwestern District earn the least and those in the
South Central District earn the most. (For a District Membership key,
please refer to page 8.)

$180,000
$156,400
$160,000 $140,800
$140,000 $123,160 $119,560 $119,320
$120,000 $103,120 $96,880 $97,300
$100,000 $90,160 $83,920
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000

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14

Figure 9 examines the average salaries of private practitioners
based on age and graduation year and supports the view that longevity
and experience in the field results in higher incomes.

Figure 9—Average Salaries by Age & Graduation Year

$180,000
$163,420 $165,220 $161,560 $162,820
$160,000
$140,000 $130,420
$121,060
$120,000
$89,140 $90,640
$100,000
$80,000
$60,000 $50,200
$41,320
$40,000
$20,000

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15

Figure 10 depicts average salaries based on employee type. As the
figure demonstrates, the average salary among interns and residents
working for a private practice is about $28,000 a year. In contrast,
practice owners who are in partnership with one or more practitioners
are earning more than $175,000 annually.

Figure 10—Average Salaries by Employee Type

$200,000
$176,140
$180,000
$156,460
$160,000
$136,000 $136,780
$140,000
$120,000
$100,000
$75,940
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000 $27,820
$20,000
Sole Owner Owner: Owner: Corp. Owner: LLC Associate Intern/
(n=298) Partner Shareholder (n=86) (n=359) Resident
(n=88) (n=145) (n=59)

16

To further examine the relationship between income and
longevity coupled with experience in the field referenced earlier in this
report, Figure 11 depicts average salaries among various employee
types in private practice broken out by age group.

Figure 11—Salaries by Age Group within
Employee Type
$280,000

$240,000 Sole Proprietor

$200,000 Owner: Partner

$160,000 Owner: Corp.
Shareholder
Owner: LLC
$120,000
Associate
$80,000

$40,000
<30 yrs. 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ yrs.

Details of data presented in Figure 11:
Employee Type Age Group, n-sizes, and Income
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Sole Proprietor (n=4) (n=42) (n=97) (n=114) (n=41)
$49,000 $92,980 $126,340 $161,620 $140,500
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Owner: Partner (n=2) (n=21) (n=32) (n=23) (n=10)
$106,000 $139,120 $163,780 $195,460 $263,200
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Owner: Corp.
(n=0) (n=30) (n=55) (n=43) (n=17)
Shareholder
— $118,180 $145,180 $172,120 $219,280
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Owner: LLC (n=3) (n=24) (n=25) (n=28) (n=6)
$64,000 $107,020 $143,440 $160,840 $152,020
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
Associate (n=119) (n=172) (n=49) (n=15) (n=4)
$59,140 $78,100 $98,140 $111,580 $73,000

17

Figure 12 reports average salaries by the advanced degrees
practitioners have obtained, whether they are board certified, and
whether they’ve completed a residency and/or an internship.

Figure 12—Average Salaries by Advanced Degrees,
Boards, Residencies, and Internships
$180,000

$160,000 $148,300
$145,660 $146,320
$140,000 $129,160

$120,000 $107,260
$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Has Master's Has PhD Board Certified Completed Completed
(n=148) (n=21) (n=114) Residency Internship
(n=127) (n=384)

One finding in Figure 12 that merits additional scrutiny is the
impact of having completed an internship on one’s salary. At first
blush, it would appear that an internship does not positively impact
salary since the average earnings among those who have completed
one is lower than the overall average among private practitioners by
around $7,000. However, it is important to note that internships have
become much more common in recent years, which means that
respondents who have completed them are more apt to be young and
in the early stages of their equine careers. In fact, of the 384 private
practitioners in the survey who said they had completed an internship,
more than 6 out of 10 were under the age of 40. Since the group who
has completed an internship is heavily populated with practitioners
whose earnings are lower because of their age and limited
experience—including 55 respondents whose reported salary would

18

have been based on what they were earning as an intern—it serves to
bring the overall group average down.
By examining results by age group, however, a clearer picture
emerges as to the impact of an internship on salaries, which is revealed
in Figure 13. The figure suggests that, as practitioners advance in their
careers, those who invested in an internship ultimately earn more, on
average, than those who did not complete an internship.

Figure 13—Salaries Among Those Who Have and
Have Not Completed Internships by Age Group
$200,000

$180,000
$160,000

$140,000
$120,000 Internship
$100,000 No Internship

$80,000
$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
<30 yrs. 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ yrs.

n-sizes in Figure 13:
Age Internship No Internship
<30 yrs. 97 79
30-39 142 163
49-49 66 198
50-59 60 168
60+ yrs. 19 64

19

Figure 14 illustrates the salary differences based on gender.

Figure 14—Average Salaries by Gender

$180,000

$160,000 $149,800

$140,000

$120,000

$100,000 $81,820
$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Male (n=515) Female (n=541)

In looking at the findings in Figure 14, it would appear tha t the
salary disparity between male and female equine practitioners is
actually much larger than it really is—although, it is significant. Based
solely on gender, males are earning considerably more than females,
according to the survey. However, as has been reported, with
experience and longevity in the field comes a higher income. Given
the large number of younger and less experienced female practitioners
who participated in the survey, the disparity is, therefore, best analyzed
by comparing salaries between males and females within various age
groups, as is shown in Figure 15 on the following page.

20

Figure 15—Salaries Among Males and Females
by Age Group
$200,000

$180,000
$160,000

$140,000
$120,000 Males
$100,000 Females

$80,000
$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
<30 yrs. 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ yrs.

n-sizes in Figure 15:
Age Males Females
<30 yrs. 29 147
30-39 102 203
49-49 135 129
50-59 171 57
60+ yrs. 78 5

As the above figure illustrates, among the under-30 group,
females are earning the same salary as their male counterparts. Among
those in their 30s, however, males out earn females by about 40
percent. The same salary differential—40 percent—exists among
those in their 40s; however, among practitioners in their 50s, the salary
gap increases to 55 percent. While the gap between males and females
60 years old and older is substantial, with males earning nearly double
the amount of females, it is notable that only 5 female respondents fell
into the 60+ category compared to 78 males. In contrast, within the
under-30 group, there were 29 males and 147 females represented in
the survey.

21

To provide additional insight into the salary differences based on
gender, Table 2 reports salaries first by employee type and then by
gender within that type. It also includes the average number of hours
worked per work—both regular and emergency/overtime.

Table 2—Average Salaries and the Average Number of Regular
and Emergency/Overtime Hours Worked per Week by
Employee Type and by Gender within Type
Avg.
Avg. Reg. ER/OT
Group/Subgroup Total #
Salary Hrs. Hrs.
of Hrs.
All in private practice
$114,820 50 8 58
(n=1,056)
Owner: Sole Proprietor
$136,000 48 7 55
(n=298)
Males (n=176) $157,240 50 7 57
Females (n=122) $105,640 46 7 53

Owner: Partner (n=88) $176,140 49 5 54
Males (n=56) $204,700 51 5 56
Females (n=32) $126,280 44 6 50
Owner: Corp. Shareholder
$156,460 51 7 58
(n=145)
Males (n=104) $176,680 51 7 58
Females (n=41) $106,000 50 9 59
Owner: LLC (n=86) $136,780 50 8 58
Males (n=48) $155,140 53 8 61
Females (n=38) $113,560 45 8 53

Associate (n=359) $75,940 50 8 58
Males (n=106) $98,920 53 8 61
Females (n=253) $66,280 49 9 58

Intern/Resident (n=59) $27,820 58 15 73
Males (n=14) $34,000 59 14 73
Females (n=45) $25,840 58 15 73

It is worth noting that the 2007 AVMA Report on Veterinary
Compensation shows similar trends regarding salary disparity between
male and female practitioners.

22

Salaries Among Equine Practitioners in Academia
As was noted earlier in this report, the vast majority of survey
respondents (88 percent) worked in private practice. Of the 140
respondents who did not, 94 indicated that they worked at a college or
university. (The balance [46 respondents] worked for various employer
types as reported in Figure 5. Due to the limited number of
respondents who fell into these categories, no additional salary
information is included for those 46 respondents beyond the average
salaries shown in Figure 5.)
The next series of charts report average salaries within various
subgroups of respondents who indicated they worked at a college
or university. The average salary among all respondents in this
group was $78,700, as reported in Figure 5.
Figure 16 reports average salaries based on the position
respondents indicated they held within their university or college.

Figure 16—Average Salaries by Position
(Academia Only)

$140,000
$119,800
$120,000
$96,820
$100,000
$90,280 $86,260
$80,000
$63,520
$60,000

$40,000
$23,980
$20,000
Full Assoc. Other (n=9) Asst. Clinican Resident/
Professor Professor Professor (n=12) Intern (n=21)
(n=20) (n=17) (n=15)

23

Figure 17 depicts average salaries among those in academia by
their primary function, while Figure 18 shows average salaries by
AAEP membership district. (For a District Membership key, please refer to
page 8.)

Figure 17—Average Salaries by Function
(Academia Only)

$140,000

$120,000
$101,800
$93,580
$100,000

$80,000 $77,020
$71,380

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Research (n=10) Teaching (n=15) Other (n=7) Clinical Medicine
(n=62)

(Academia Only)
$140,000

$120,000
$95,500 $98,020
$100,000 $89,320
$78,640 $83,680$80,260
$76,660
$80,000
$64,780 $62,500 $59,200
$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
6)
2)

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8)

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24

Figure 19 examines the average salaries of those in academia
based on age and graduation year.

Figure 19—Average Salaries by Age & Graduation Year
(Academia Only)

$140,000

$116,860
$120,000 $115,360
$103,360
$100,000 $95,980
$92,860
$79,420
$80,000
$59,020
$58,300
$60,000

$40,000
$22,480 $25,000
$20,000
<30 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ 2006 2000- 1990- 1980- <1980
(n=13) (n=30) (n=17) (n=27) (n=7) (n=2) 2005 1999 1989 (n=16)
(n=46) (n=14) (n=16)
Age Graduation Year

Figure 20 reports average salaries by the advanced degrees those
in academia have obtained, whether they are board certified, and
whether they’ve completed a residency and/or an internship.

Figure 20—Average Salaries by Advanced Degrees,
Boards, Residencies, and Internships
(Academia Only)
$140,000

$120,000
$103,360
$100,540
$100,000
$87,820 $88,480

$80,000 $75,460

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Has Master's Has PhD (n=18) Board Certified Completed Completed
(n=36) (n=56) Residency Internship
(n=64) (n=70)

25

Figure 21 shows average salaries by gender.

Figure 21—Average Salaries by Gender
(Academia Only)

$140,000

$120,000

$100,000
$89,200

$80,000 $68,620

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000
Male (n=46) Female (n=48)

To provide additional context to Figure 21, Table 3 reports the
average number of hours worked per work—both regular and
emergency/overtime.

Table 3—Average Salaries and the Average Number of Regular
and Emergency/Overtime Hours Worked per Week by Gender
among Those in Academia
Avg.
Avg. Reg. ER/OT
Group/Subgroup Total #
Salary Hrs. Hrs.
of Hrs.
Academia (n=94) $78,700 53 9 62
Males (n=46) $89,200 51 7 58
Females (n=48) $68,620 54 12 66

26

Benefits Provided to Equine Practitioners
In addition to salary information, survey participants were asked
about the employment benefits provided to them. The following
figures show the percentage of all respondents who said their
employer provided them with the benefit.

Figure 22—Benefits Provided by Employer
(chart 1 of 2)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

CE expenses 93
Liability insurance 84
AAEP dues 82
Other dues 77
Health insurance 72
CE leave 67
Paid vacation leave 62
Personal use of vehicle 49
Disability insurance 49
Paid holidays 47

Figure 23—Benefits Provided by Employer
(chart 2 of 2)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Paid sick leave 43
Life insurance 43
IRA 40
Dental plan 29
Pension/401-K 19
Profit-sharing 12
Vision plan 12
Unpaid maternity leave 8
Housing 7
Paid maternity leave 6
Other 3

27

As Figures 22 and 23 show, the majority of respondents receive
several key benefits, such as continuing education expenses, liability
insurance, association dues paid by their employer, health insurance,
continuing education leave, and paid vacation leave. All other benefits
were noted by fewer than half of all survey participants.
When examining the benefits provided by various demographic
segments, some notable differences were discovered, including:
• Those who’ve been in the equine profession longer are more likely
to receive certain benefits, including the payment of association
dues, continuing education expenses, disability insurance, IRAs,
life insurance, health insurance, pension plans or 401-Ks, use of
company vehicle, and profit-sharing plans; and
• In contrast, the only benefit newcomers to the profession—who
are earning notably less money and carrying a much higher debt
load, in general—are more likely to receive is paid vacation, and
even this is by only a slight margin.

Among those who said they receive paid vacation, the average
number of days provided is 16 per year. As is to be expected, with
longevity in the profession comes more vacation time—those who
graduated prior to 1990 get 19 to 20 days, whereas those who
graduated between 1990 and 2004 receive 15 to 16 days. Those
who’ve graduated in the last couple of years receive 11 days.
While, on average, respondents receive 16 paid vacation days,
they only use 11 of those.
Among those receiving paid sick leave, an average of 8 days is
provided, and although the same trend observed regarding vacation
time is also found with sick time regarding longevity, the spread is not
as wide—12 days among those who graduated pre-1980 compared to
5 days among those who graduated in 2005 or 2006.
Among those receiving paid holidays, an average of 6 days is
provided.
Another question included on the survey asked participants to
note the percentage of time they have a technician available to assist
them with their work. According to the survey findings, technicians
are available about half the time (52 percent). Among those who have

28

technicians available most frequently are those who practice in a small
animal focused practice (technician available 71 percent of the time),
while those who work in large animal focused practices are among
those with less access to support staff (technician available 41 percent
of the time).

29

Attitudes Regarding Lifestyle
In order to analyze the issue of work/personal life balance, a
series of questions designed to quantify the extent to which equine
practitioners are tied to their jobs was included.
The survey found that:
• On average, equine practitioners work 50 regular hours and 8
emergency hours per week.
o The number of hours worked is slightly higher among those
under the age of 30 (53 regular and 10 emergency hours).
o There is a notable difference between the number of hours
worked by a respondent employed by an equine-focused
practice (51 regular and 8 emergency) compared to a
respondent who works for a small animal predominant
practice (42 regular and 4 emergency).
o Equine practitioners earning more than $202,000 a year work
more regular hours (54) than average, but fewer emergency
hours (6).
o One of the most notable findings is the reported number of
hours worked among interns/residents—58 regular and 15
emergency hours per week.
• On average, equine practitioners reported being on emergency
duty 46 percent of the time.
o Among those who reported the highest percentage of on-call
duty were respondents who graduated in the 1990s (51 percent
of time is spent on emergency duty); those earning less than
$52,000 per year (50 percent of time); those who work for a
large animal exclusive or predominant practice (56 percent of
time); those who practice general medicine (52 percent of
time); and those who are the sole owner of their practices (63
percent of time).
o In contrast, those with the smallest amount of time spent on
emergency duty included those 60 years old or older (38
percent of time is spent on emergency duty); those earning
more than $202,000 a year (39 percent of time); respondents
who said the focus of their equine work is academic (25
percent of time); those who work for a small animal
predominant practice (39 percent of time); and those who
work for a specialty or referral practice (39 percent of time).
• Few practitioners (less than 10 percent) have taken leaves of
absence for personal growth and development, such as for
education, missionary work, or child rearing.

30

In addition to the quantitative questions regarding hours spent on
the job, a series of statements designed to measure attitudinal views
was provided, and respondents were asked the extent to which they
agreed or disagreed with each. They were also given the option of
noting that the statement did not apply to them.
The following charts summarize the findings and exclude
respondents who indicated the statement was not applicable.
Please note that the statements have been abbreviated on the charts
and that the full text of each can be found below each chart.

Figure 24—Level of Agreement to Various Statements

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Benefits are as good or
better than others 48 34 10 8

Excellent
growth/advancement 42 34 14 10
opportunities

I feel appreciated by my
employer 37 37 16 10

Someone encourages my
growth & development 34 36 18 12

Salary & benefits
expectations have been 15 30 34 21
met

Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree

Statements in Figure 24:
• The benefits I have with my current employer are as good or better than other
similar organizations.
• I believe I have an excellent opportunity to advance or grow with the practice
I’m currently in.
• I feel appreciated by my employer for the work I do.
• There is someone within my practice who encourages my growth and
development.
• My expectations in terms of salary and benefits for a career in equine medicine
have been met or exceeded.

31


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Practice has equitable "on
call" plan 42 32 13 14

Practice has a hard time
locating employees 29 39 20 12

Practice has a hard time
retaining employees 22 32 26 20

I often feel overwhelmed
by my workload 19 39 25 17

There is a shortage of
practitioners in my area 15 24 33 28


• Our practice has an equitable “on call” plan for its practitioners.
• Our practice has a difficult time locating qualified employees to practice equine
medicine.
• Our practice has a difficult time retaining qualified employees to practice equine
medicine.
• I often feel overwhelmed by the workload I have.
• There is a shortage of equine practitioners in my area.

32


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I consider my work
rewarding 60 34 51

I enjoy coming to work
each day 40 45 12 3

I'm provided flexibility to
balance work/personal life 28 37 21 14

Family resents the amount
of time I devote to work 19 43 23 16

Given educational debt,
it's difficult to make ends 20 23 27 31
meet


• I consider the work I do to be rewarding.
• I enjoy coming to work each day.
• I am provided adequate flexibility to balance both my professional and personal
responsibilities.
• I think my family resents the amount of time I must devote to my career.
• Given the debt I incurred to obtain my education, my current salary makes it
very difficult to make ends meet.

33

The two statements illustrated in Figure 27 were asked only
among practice owners—both sole proprietors and those who are one
among multiple owners of a practice—and were designed to assess the
extent to which they believe it will be difficult to find someone willing
and able to buy their practice (or the share they own) when the time
comes.

Figure 27—Level of Agreement to Statements
Regarding Retirement Among Practice Owners
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I expect it will be very
difficult to find someone
willing & able to purchase 44 35 14 7
my practice when I'm
ready to retire

My retirement plans have
been or will likely be
delayed due to an inability 22 33 27 18
to find someone to buy my
practice


The full text of the statements illustrated in Figure 27 appears in the figure.

34

The statement illustrated in Figure 28 was asked only among
associates, interns, and residents and was designed to determine
whether these practitioners believed they would have the financial
ability to purchase their own practice one day.

Figure 28—Level of Agreement to Statement Regarding
Future Practice Ownership Among Associates,
Interns, & Residents
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I would like to own my
own practice someday, but
am not sure that will be 29 34 20 18
financially feasible


The full text of the statement illustrated in Figure 28 appears in the figure.

35

Figure 29 illustrates the findings of two statements—one that was
asked only among respondents age 50 or older and another asked only
of those under the age of 40. The results of these two conflicting
statements perhaps best represent the generational differences of
opinion that affect not only the equine medicine profession, but many
professions today.

Figure 29—Level of Agreement to Statements
Regarding Generational Differences
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Younger practitioners are
not as committed to the
profession of equine
medicine as were those 35 43 16 5
who came before them
(ASKED ONLY OF
THOSE 50 OR OLDER)

Older practitioners don't
respect younger
practitioners' desire to
strike a better
work/personal life balance 44 41 13 3
(ASKED ONLY OF
THOSE UNDER 40
YEARS OLD)


The full text of the statements illustrated in Figure 29 appears in the figure.

36

Figure 30 illustrates the findings of two similar statements—one
that was asked in the current study and another that was included in
the 2005 Membership Survey. It is important to note that the wording
on the two questions varied slightly, and that, in 2005, a 5-category
scale was used—a scale which included a “neutral” option. For the
purposes of illustrating the findings in Figure 30, the results to the
2005 study were recalculated removing the neutral category. Simply
put, though quite similar, these results cannot be considered an
apples-to-apples comparison.

Figure 30—Level of Agreement to Statement: “Professional
longevity is of greater concern to equine practitioners than for those
in other areas of veterinary medicine.”
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

2007 Lifestyle & Salary
Survey 32 45 19 4

2005 Membership Survey 48 41 8 4


Interestingly, among those most likely to “strongly agree” with
this statement were those who graduated in 2005 or 2006 (38 percent).
Thirty-nine percent of practitioners working with in a practice with a
racing focus “strongly agreed,” as did 37 percent of those who work
for an equine practice. There is little difference of opinion when
comparing practice owners with associates or interns/residents.

37

Figure 31 depicts the results of a statement included on the
survey that specifically targeted women. It was designed to determine
whether female practitioners have felt it necessary to delay having
children due to concerns that a pregnancy would negatively impact
their equine medicine career.

Figure 31—Level of Agreement to Statement
Regarding Children Among Females
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I am delaying/did delay
having children because of
the potential negative 40 31 11 18
impact it would have on
my equine career


As the figure above illustrates, 4 out of 10 women “strongly
agreed” with this statement. Those who have graduated since 2000
were more likely to hold this sentiment than are women who’ve been
practicing longer.
When examining results by whether or not the respondent
currently has children under the age of 18, it is found that 46 percent
of women without children “strongly agree” with the statement.
While income seems to have some bearing on the extent to which
women agree with this statement, debt load appears to have even
more—46 percent of those with a high educational debt load
“strongly agree,” compared to 39 percent with a low debt load and 37
percent with no educational debt.

38

Attitudes toward this issue appear to have an impact on a
woman’s view of the profession overall—6 out of 10 women who said
they are not likely to encourage students to pursue an equine medicine
career “strongly agreed” that they are delaying or did delay becoming a
mother out of concern for their career.
Another question included on the survey sheds additional light
on this issue. Women were asked how accommodating their employer
was during their pregnancies, if applicable. Of the 661 women who
responded to the question, 77 percent said the question did not apply
to them. Among those for whom it did apply, the majority stated that
their employer was either “very accommodating” (47 percent) or
“somewhat accommodating” (29 percent), as Figure 32 shows.

Figure 32—Extent To Which Employer Was
Accommodating During Pregnancy

29%

47%
16%

9%

Very accommodating Somewhat accommodating
Not very accommodating Not accommodating at all

Given the relatively small number of women who said this
question applied to them (155), when examining results by various
demographic markers there are few statistically relevant findings. One
notable observation, however, is that among women “very likely” to
recommend equine medicine to veterinary school students, 68

39

percent said their employer was “very accommodating” during their
pregnancy, while among those merely “somewhat likely” to
recommend a career in equine medicine, only 37 percent characterized
their employer as “very accommodating.” And when looking at those
women “not likely” to encourage students to pursue an equine
medicine career, only 11 percent said their employer was “very
accommodating,” while 32 percent labeled their employer as “not
accommodating at all.”

40

Overall Job Satisfaction
The survey also included a question to gauge respondents’ overall
level of job satisfaction. As Figure 33 illustrates, the vast majority of
respondents reported being satisfied. However, among those who are
satisfied, nearly as many reported being only “somewhat satisfied” as
said they are “very satisfied.”

Figure 33—Current Level of Job Satisfaction

42%

43%

12%
3%

Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

Generally speaking, younger, less experienced practitioners were
notably more likely to report lower levels of satisfaction when
compared to older, more seasoned respondents. For example, while
only 29 percent of respondents under the age of 30 said they were
“very satisfied,” more than double that percentage (64 percent) of
respondents over 60 held that view.
There was also a strong correlation between income and reported
levels of job satisfaction. In general, the more money a respondent
makes, the more likely he or she is to have a high level of job
satisfaction. However, it is interesting to note that respondents in the
lowest income group (under $52,000) report higher levels of
satisfaction than those in the next category ($52,000 to $70,000).

41

When examining results by employee type, there were some
noticeable differences in the level of reported job satisfaction, with
practice owners notably more satisfied. On average, 54 percent of
owners said they were “very satisfied.” That number drops to 39
percent among interns and residents. The group least satisfied, though,
is associates, with only 28 percent reporting a high level of job
satisfaction.

42

Likelihood of Encouraging Equine Medicine Career
Respondents were also asked how likely they would be to
encourage veterinary school students to pursue a career in equine
medicine. As Figure 34 shows, the findings closely mirror those in the
previous question regarding job satisfaction.

Figure 34—Likelihood of Encouraging Veterinary
School Students to Pursue a Equine Medicine Career

44%

45%

9%

2%
Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Not likely at all

While the overall results to this question are similar to those seen
on the job satisfaction question, a review of demographic subgroups
reveals some interesting differences. Those least likely to encourage
students to pursue a career in equine medicine tended to be
practitioners who’ve been out of school a few years, were in their 30s,
and who were earning between $52,000 and $70,000 a year.
Those who work in a small animal predominant practice seem
particularly inclined not to promote an equine career, with nearly 1 out
of 5 practitioners (19 percent) not likely to encourage a student to go
into equine medicine (a combination of “not very likely” and “not
likely at all”).
When looking at results by employee type, it is found that
practice owners who are one of multiple owners were more likely to

43

promote a career in the industry (53 percent), followed by
interns/residents (48 percent), then sole proprietors (46 percent).
Associates are least likely to promote a career in equine medicine (39
percent).
Among respondents who said their salary and benefits
expectations had not been met when it came to their career in equine
medicine, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) said they were either “not
very likely” or “not likely at all” to encourage students to pursue a
career in equine medicine.

44

Open-ended Questions
Finally, respondents were asked several open-ended questions
regarding issues related to respondents’ ability to strike a balance
between work and personal life responsibilities, the first of which was
a follow-up for those who gave dissatisfied ratings on overall job
satisfaction. When the 194 respondents who gave scores of either
“somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” were asked what factors
contribute to their job dissatisfaction, four recurring themes emerged
from a review of their responses:
• They work long hours and subsequently experience burnout;
• Their on-call/emergency hours are excessive;
• They receive low pay; and
• They feel they have no life or personal time outside of the
workplace.

In the next question, those who mentioned that they would be
unlikely to encourage students to pursue a career in equine medicine
were asked why that was so. While this group was smaller than those
dissatisfied with their job (133 respondents compared to 194), similar
recurring complaints were voiced (long hours, low pay, and no
personal time). In addition to these, other factors contributing to
respondents’ general malaise with the equine profession were these:
the length of education for equine medicine compared to small animal
veterinarians, educational debt load, the knowledge that small animal
vets can make more money and have better work hours, stress, the
risk of danger, difficulties for women, particularly in receiving
maternity leave, as well as realizing the difference between a passion
for horses and a passion for veterinary medicine.
The final question—which was asked of all respondents—
addressed the very crux of the matter and the impetus for including
lifestyle questions in the salary survey: what is the single most
important thing that would make balancing my professional and
personal career easier? While a rare few noted that they’ve already
achieved a balance, many mentioned that nothing could be done.

45

Others responded rather sarcastically that they would like to “win the
lottery.” While it seems to be a flippant comment, its recurrence may
be more telling. Yes, winning the lottery would lighten the educational
debt load and close the wage gap among practice types, but the
probability of winning the lottery is quite unlikely. Much the same,
some jaded respondents may believe that the resolution for this
conflict between personal life and career is just as unlikely. It is better
to retire, to sell their practice, or change professions all together.
Where respondents were able to fill in the blank, however, their
responses are predictable—they are the very answers to their job
dissatisfaction and their unlikelihood to promote the equine industry:
to be more with family and friends, to work fewer hours, to receive a
salary increase, to find another vet to share their workload but who
has the same goals and motivations, to learn how to say “no,” to
reduce their debt load, and to have flexibility in their schedule, among
others.

46

Participant Demographic Breakouts

I
n addition to measuring various dimensions of participants’
Profiles attitudes about lifestyle issues and salary information, the
survey assessed demographic information on respondents.
These findings are included in the tables that follow.

Table 4—Gender
Male 47%
Female 53

Table 5—Age
29 or younger 20%
30 to 39 28
40 to 49 24
50 to 59 22
60 or older 7

Table 6—Institution from which veterinary degree was received
(top 10 responses only; see data tables for a complete list)
Colorado State University 8%
University of
6
California/Davis
Cornell University 5
Auburn University 5
Ohio State University 5
University of Pennsylvania 5
Texas A&M University 5
Michigan State University 5
Kansas State University 4
University of Minnesota 4

Table 7—Location of employer (top 10 responses only; see data
tables for a complete list)
California 9%
Texas 6
Kentucky 5
Florida 5
New York 4
Virginia 4
Pennsylvania 3
Colorado 3
Wisconsin 3
Minnesota 3

47

Table 8—Category that best describes equine work in 2006
Performance/pleasure 66%
Racing 9
Regulatory/government 2
Reproduction 10
Industry 1
Academic/research 7
Other 5

Table 9—Mean average percentage of time practice is devoted
to certain services (total will sum to ~100%)
Performance/pleasure 42%
Work/ranch 5
Referral surgical/medical 11
Racetrack 9
Regulatory 3
Reproduction 15
Non-equine 12
Other 4

Table 10—Degrees in addition to DVM/VMD
None 81%
Doctorate 4
Masters 17

Table 11—Percentage of respondents who have completed one
or more of each of the following
Internship 38%
Residency 16%
Masters 14%

Table 12—Areas in which respondents have been employed
throughout their careers (excluding training programs)
Private practice 95%
College or university 20
Federal government 3
State or local government 5
Industry/commercial firm 5
Other 3
None of the above 2

48

Table 13—Did respondent work in a private practice in 2006
Yes 88%
No 12

Table 14—Primary focus of practice (among those who worked
in a private practice in 2006)
Equine 72%
Large animal exclusive 6
Large animal predominant 4
Small animal predominant 5
Mixed animal 13
Other <1

Table 15—Primary function of practice (among those who
worked in a private practice in 2006)
General medicine 76%
Emergency care <1
Specialty/referral 17
Consulting 1
Other 5

Table 16—Employment status (among those who worked in a
private practice in 2006)
Practice owner: sole
28%
proprietor
Practice owner: partner 8
Practice owner: corporate
14
shareholder
Practice owner: LLC 8
Associate 34
Hospital director of a
1
corporate practice
Relief 1
Consultant 1
Intern 5
Resident <1

Table 17—Average number—not percentage—of each of the
following working in private practices
All veterinarians 5
Full-time veterinarians 5
All non-veterinarians 13
Full-time non-veterinarians 10

49

Table 18—Size of community where practice is located (among
those who worked in a private practice in 2006)
<2,500 residents 8%
2,500-24,999 residents 27
25,000-49,999 residents 16
50,000-99,999 residents 15
100,000-499,999 residents 19
500,000 or more residents 15

Table 19—Employer type (among those who did not work in a
College/university 67%
Federal government 6
State or local government 12
Industry/commercial firm 10
Other 5

Table 20—Position (among those who did not work in a private
practice in 2006)
Full Professor 15%
Associate Professor 13
Assistant Professor 11
CEO/Chief
2
Administrator/Dean
Vice President/
4
Director/Associate Dean
Group Manager/
2
Department Chair
Program Leader/
7
Coordinator/Section Head
Clinician 10
Researcher 1
Other 21

Table 21—Primary function (among those who did not work in a
Clinical medicine 47%
Consulting/development 1
Management/administration 12
Marketing 1
Research 9
Teaching 12
Technical/sales support 4
Other 15

50

Table 22—Marital status
Married 68%
Single 34
Divorced 7
Widowed 1

Table 23—Spouse working outside of home (among married
respondents)
Yes 77%
No 23

Table 24—Spouse also a veterinarian (among married
respondents)
Yes 17%
No 84

Table 25—Children living in the home
Yes 34%
No 66

Table 26—Among those who have children in the home, the
percentage who have children in each of the following age
groups
Children under the age of 7 65%
Between 7 and 12 years old 50%
Between 13 and 18 years old 46%

Table 27—Predominant means of childcare (among those with
children)
Childcare facility 26%
Nanny 7
Paid friend or family member 7
Free care provided 10
Children come to work with
6
respondent
Other 4
No childcare needed 41

51

AAEP Salary & Life Style Survey 2008

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