Survey on the Working Conditions, Salary, and Job Satisfaction of Employed Veterinarians in Germany.

This online survey aimed to elaborate on the salary, working conditions, and job satisfaction of employed veterinarians in Germany. The focus was on factors influencing salaries, violations of German laws, and comparisons between employees of owner- and corporate-managed practices. Answers of up to 1184 veterinarians were analyzed, representing 6% of employed veterinarians. The hourly salary increased by around 19% compared to a study in 2020, but remained significantly lower than in comparable professions and did not rise as much as the national average over the last five years. A multifactorial linear model showed that working experience, additional qualifications, leadership role for other veterinarians, section (pets, equines, farm animals, or non-curative), and gender significantly influenced the salary. The adjusted gender pay gap was about 7%. Employees of corporations earned significantly more than veterinarians being employed in owner-managed practices, but not when salary was adjusted for overtime. Moreover, employees of corporations had significantly lower job satisfaction. Requirements of the German Working Hours Act were regularly not complied with, as e.g., around 40% of respondents reported not being able to take their legally required break at least once per week. Results indicate that, despite improvements, there is still a need to address working conditions to retain veterinarians in the profession.