This year in addition to the usual format of the SPVS survey, we have included a series of graphs.

To compare “like with like” the graphs are compromised of data from the majority of survey respondents. This is vets employed In clinical practice including senior vets with management / leadership responsibilities. Industry, government and research/academia have been excluded. Importantly, so have any vets that are self-employed, practice-owners or significant shareholders as including these significantly obscures the curves.

The curves for the basic salary, basic salary rate, whole package and whole package hourly rate have 3 curves. The red is lower quartile, orange is the median and green is the upper quartile.

Basic hourly rates, if not provided, are calculated by dividing the basic gross salary by hours worked per week multiplied by 52. Elements like accommodation and vehicle allowance are excluded from basic salary which can make these figures appear incorrectly low.

Whole packages are calculated as detailed in the survey by adding up basic salary + performance related pay + dividends + accom + vehicle allowance + CPD + professional subscriptions + employee pension contributions.

Whole packages can also appear very low without being put into context of how many hours are worked.

To make up for the shortfalls in basic hourly rate and whole package, whole package hourly rates have been graphed. These are calculated in a similar manner to basic hourly rate by dividing the whole package by the weekly hours worked multiplied by 52.

Lastly, there curves give a very rough visualisation of remuneration. Please be mindful of regions, “regions within a region”, OOH contributions, further qualifications, extra responsibilities and type of work (small, equine, mixed, referral etc) which all have a big impact on remuneration but cannot be readily unpicked.”