Executive Summary

Key solutions include promoting unionization for better collective bargaining, increasing income transparency, improving retention efforts for nurses through better pay and career progression, and encouraging greater insurance uptake by clients to support fairer wages.

This report presents the findings of the 2024 Veterinary Profession Income and Demographics Survey in Aotearoa New Zealand. The survey aimed to shed light on income and demographic trends within the profession, providing transparency and promoting equity in pay. The survey revealed several key issues, including:

1. Veterinarian pay increases sharply in the first five years but flattens thereafter, reflecting a stagnant wage structure.

2. Veterinary nurses and other allied veterinary professionals (AVPs) receive significantly lower wages, with little room for growth, leading to high turnover.

3. There is a lack of pay transparency across the profession, which hampers wage equity and professional growth.

The report recommends promoting income transparency, encouraging unionization, raising pet insurance uptake to support higher wages, and creating career progression pathways for nurses and other AVPs. Addressing these issues is critical for the long-term sustainability and attractiveness of the veterinary profession in Aotearoa New Zealand.