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NCVEI- Brakkee Study


 
The biennial AVMA Economic Report on Veterinarians and Veterinary Practices demonstrated that there was little real growth in veterinarians' incomes from 1985 to 1995, and they have not improved significantly since. Average income hovers just above $20 per hour worked, falling further and further behind incomes of other professionals, including some requiring much less education.


Table 1. Mean Annual Incomes of Selected Professions, 1998
Profession Mean Income
Physicians and Surgeons $102,000
Dentists $92,350
Lawyers $75,890
Chiropractors $67,420
Optometrists $65,470
Pharmacists $60,090
Physical Therapists $57,190
Veterinarians $57,130

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

To help identify some of the factors underlying this income stagnation, the American Veterinary Medical Association commissioned Brakke Consulting to conduct a study of the business behaviors of small animal practitioners, both clinic owners and associates. Brakke Consulting, a firm specializing in the animal health and pet care markets, as well as in veterinary practice management, cooperated on the study with two professors from the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. SMU's graduate business program has a strong focus in organizational behavior research. The study was funded by Bayer Animal Health.

The goal of the study was to identify practices or behaviors that, if recognized by veterinarians, could help them individually increase incomes either by changing the behaviors, or by finding ways to minimize their effect.

Download the Brakke Study Executive Summary

To purchase a copy of the complete study, please call
the NCVEI at (847)925-1230.


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