Is it common for er vets to get paid based on production? The clinic I work at is like that and it seems kinda unethical
GV here.
Yep, payment at least partially on production (a portion of the money you bring into the clinic) is very common in the vet world. Most veterinarians are paid either straight salary or Pro-Sal which is a combination method, in which you are paid a slightly lower salary, but if your agreed-upon production is higher (usually ~20% of what you bring into the hospital) then you will get paid the difference. For example if a vet got paid $50k yearly salary on 20% Pro-Sal, and they brought in $500,000 yearly to the clinic (a pretty reasonable number in most urban/suburban areas), they would end up getting paid $100,000 overall during the course of the year ($500,000 brought in x 20% pro-sal = $100,000 production; $100k production - $50k salary = $50k production on top of salary that the hospital owes the vet; $50k production + $50k salary = $100,000 total that the vet brings home). This is on top of benefits, such as health insurance, continuing education funds, licensing fees, and possible other negotiated benefits. Overall you want your compensation (payment + benefits) to be about equal to 22-25% of what you bring in to the practice yearly. I am personally paid on a pro-sal basis.
It’s pretty rare that vets are paid on strictly production because it is risky (what if you have a slow month - will you have enough money to pay your bills?), but in ER this is more common because they tend to have more high-dollar procedures such as emergency splenectomies, C-sections, unblocking, high-risk hospitalization/long term stays, etc. This is how ER docs are able to be paid more than most GP’s, because the procedures cost more and therefore they bring more money to the clinic. And of course, that extra payment is deserved, because ER docs give up their nights, weekends, and holidays on a regular basis to take care of animals. It doesn’t mean that vets paid on Pro-Sal or strictly production will recommend unnecessary things - if the clinic sets their prices appropriately, you will easily make money off production just by seeing a full schedule of appointments. A new grad may struggle to make money from production at first because they’re slower or less experienced/less willing to take on high-risk procedures, but usually a new vet can start making production by the time they hit 6-8 months in practice. I was paid on pro-sal in my first clinic which was extremely rural and low-cost, but because we were extremely high volume, I would have earned about $50k in production in my first year (even as a new grad) if I had stayed there a full year. It’s all a balance.
