Survey of Veterinarians in Germany-Part 1: Employment Conditions

An online-survey was conducted to assess the employment conditions of employed veterinarians in the year 2020. The answers of 1,416 participants were analyzed descriptively. Moreover, a multifactorial model was calculated to assess the impact of different factors on the hourly wages. Round 52% of the participants worked in small animal medicine and 88.4 % were female. The median pre-tax hourly wage was euro 20.51 including allowances and disregarding extra working hours. About 40% of veterinarians who participated in emergency services received allowances for the work at night or at the week ends. Details on the emergency services could be provided as text. Above 50% of the analyzable answers provided evidence for offences against the Working Time Act. Around half of all participants had 25 or fewer days of holidays. The biggest impact on the pre-tax hourly wages had the years of work experience and achievement of postgraduate degrees (veterinary specialist, diplomate, assistant professor). Members of the Association of employed veterinarians e. V. earned euro 1.48 (mean; confidence interval [CI] 0.5-2.5) more per hour compared to non-members. Women earned euro 3.59 (mean; CI 2.4-4.8) less compared to male veterinarians with similar work experience and qualification. Compared to former studies working conditions improved, especially in the field of small animal medicine. Nevertheless, offences against the Working Time Act and Minimum Wage Law still existed, even in 2020. The median pre-tax hourly wage was lower than in other academic professions. A significant gender pay gap existed. Considering the lack of veterinarians, these deficits have to be rectified to increase the attractiveness of the veterinarian profession. Possible solutions are discussed.