Negotiating Your Veterinary Salary

Before you open the conversation

• Know the market range for your role, region and experience.
• Be clear on your own priorities. Basic salary, rota, CPD or flexibility.
• Have a target figure and a walkaway figure in mind.
• Understand what the practice is actually able to move on.

How to frame the ask

Anchor the conversation in the market and your specific experience. Something like, based on my experience and the ranges we are seeing for similar roles, I was hoping we could look at something closer to X.

Avoid framing it as a personal need. Employers respond better to market anchoring than to living costs, however genuine those pressures are.

When basic salary will not move

There is almost always something else that can. Additional CPD budget, a certificate contribution, a signing bonus, extra holiday, a phased pay review at six months, or a change to the rota.

A single question changes the conversation. If basic is not something you can move on, what could we look at instead?

Common mistakes

• Naming a figure before you have researched the range.
• Negotiating over email when a five minute call would settle it.
• Getting into a bidding war between two offers.
• Ignoring the total package and fixating on basic.

If you are working with a recruiter

Be honest with them about your target. A good recruiter will negotiate on your behalf and often achieve more than you would on your own, because they can push harder without straining the relationship you are about to start.

Frequently asked questions

Will asking damage the offer?

Very rarely. A polite, market anchored ask is expected.

Can I renegotiate at six months?

Yes, particularly if you have taken on responsibilities beyond the original job description.