r/Veterinary • u/Only_Book_995 • 2d ago
UK vets - what’s your current wage?
I’m a 3rd year student and I see job adverts ranging from 30k for new grads to “up to £80k based on experience”.
1) how much (roughly) do you get paid?
2) and how long does it normally take to be on that upper pay level? In reality does it go any higher?
Thanks
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u/Momogocho 2d ago
Rare to go higher, 80k is a lot, you’d have to be doing a lot of hours generally. Would probably take at least 8 years to get there
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u/AlertMathematician91 2d ago
I am 2 years out on £45k and based around London (smallies). Among my vet friends I am on the highest salary, although I am also the only one working near London. I know people who are 3-4 years out and still on £45k....
From what I have seen, new grad salaries are generally around £35-39k depending on location, with the higher end usually being in London or very close to London.
60K+ are for clinical directors/head vets.
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u/ukollie1020 2d ago edited 2d ago
I work in ECC full time and do 5+ locum shifts a month (around £450 a day for GP, £800 a night for ECC). After tax I get over £6500 a month, idk how much that is in gross annual
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u/AdComfortable4173 2d ago
There’s also the specialist route. You normally start with an internship, which is very poorly paid often less than a graduate job. You may need to do couple or even more internships before securing a residency, which is very competitive. A residency is usually around three years and a half, with a salary not far from graduate level pay. After completing it, passing your specialist exams and finding a position in a referral hospital, salaries can start around £80k and increase from there.
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u/Tootsielicious 2d ago
Year 1 - 24k+ 3k travel allowance (charity smallies, Manchester, 1 in 9 weekends) Year 2 - 38k+3k travel allowance (charity smallies, Manchester) Year 2 - £45/hour covering maternity for 6m, after offered 70k + 20% bonus (gp independent midlands) Year 3 - 52k, gp hospital smallies, London, a lot of OOH duty, 1 in 4 weekends. Year 4 (current) - £55/h locum London, smallies
Met a another vet a few days ago, 4 years out - no weekends, WFH 1 day, 3 days in hospital, 65k/year
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u/AdHot7483 2d ago
In the UK you're probably not exceeding £45k until you're 4+ years out
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u/Chillx404 1d ago
Depends. Im 2.5yr out. Smallies. normal hours. On 48k. Midlands. I really wish there were some ways of transparency in our salaries. A lot of vets are severely underpaid in line with inflation.
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u/AdHot7483 1d ago
Agreed. It's also relative to ability. Some 10+ yr vets are worse than 2+. Should be paid according to the pay you deserve
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u/Skyblueshark 2d ago
Ooft. I'm in rural Scotland, independent, smallies, 6yrs out and on 40k....if I didn't hate the city I'd be much richer it seems...!!
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u/Tofusnafu7 2d ago
I would recommend you look at the SPVS survey because it’s really varied by region and what species area you are (smallies very well paid compared to mixed/farm/equine)
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u/anneomoly 1d ago
To add to this, if you sign up to the SPVS mailing list and fill out their salary survey they send you the highlights for free every year to give you a ballpark.
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u/TreeClimberVet 2d ago
I’m a US vet 1 year in and these salaries are insanely low. Albeit our student loan burden is also so high.
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u/anneomoly 1d ago
I think comparing between the two countries is insanely difficult because of how different cost of living, student debt (and how it works!), things like healthcare, and expectations and ability of clients to pay is.
Plus, holiday pay, hours, sick leave, job protection laws, tax burden etc etc etc.
But for sure practicing in the UK with a US debt burden would be very difficult.
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u/welcome_2_earth 2d ago
This thread is wild! 80k being rare is wild. My wife and I would love to live abroad but this would be such a huge pay cut in our prime earning years.
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u/takingtheports 1d ago
Depends on your priorities in life. It’s not great but in the UK you also have decent mat leave, paid time off, sick leave, etc. The cost of living is getting worse but it’s definitely individual circumstances that dictate whether a salary here is worth it.
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u/Fang_Draculae 1d ago
Gotta get a job first, the current job market for vet new grads is AWFUL.
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u/Only_Book_995 1d ago
Yeah it seems to be. Is it lack of posts or poor T&Cs?
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u/Fang_Draculae 1d ago
It's because a) the big employers like medivet are no longer hiring new grads and b) practices have to offer a year of mentorship for new grads, and no one wants to take the risk.
It's going to get to a point where there's going to be no new vets because no one can be bothered to train them up. It's ridiculous.
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u/Routine-Ad9332 14h ago
2 months out as a London new grad- starting on £45K, there’s extra day shifts that pays out from £350-500. 4 day work week with 1 in 6 weekends.
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u/hedgehogabscess 2d ago
£70k + accommodation. 5 years UK experience. Currently in my first clinical lead role
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u/Gurucat999 1d ago edited 1d ago
4 years experience, independent clinic, £40,500
Edit: this is for 27 hours pw
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u/No-Cat4585 1d ago
5 year equine vet in West Midlands on £45 k had a pay cut from 49k due to moving from a farm and equine job
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u/newvet2027 1d ago
Hello! Can someone please share the salaries for the vets who work in non clinical paths such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology 🙏
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u/NotoRiousDaKing 8h ago
I'm rotating intern in a referral hospital around london. I earn 38k 2 years out. Specialists eatn anywhere around 100-150k in our hospital depending on their role/head of department etc. Residency trained but not board certified earns around 90k immediately after residency for high demand disciplines like surgery etc
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u/AdComfortable4173 2d ago edited 2d ago
It depends on whether you join a graduate scheme or go independent. Grad schemes vary, but they usually start around £36k, with an increase in the second year. Independents can be different. I know new grads 2 ys out around £45k. Location and type of practice also make a big difference. The market is heavily influenced by the corporates, but like any career, how you sell yourself matters. It also depends on how you choose to work full-time, part-time, locum or OOH. You can get to that pay level if you locum. A vet working in a small parcatice 5y out is around 65. If you add to this certificates without a certificate. Now if you move to Hospital level salaries are different.