Executive Summary

The 2026 Veterinary Industry Income and Demographics Survey received 76 responses

from veterinary professionals across Aotearoa New Zealand, collected between 6 February

and 2 April 2026. Respondents were predominantly female (84%), companion animal

practitioners (76%), and distributed across urban, suburban, and rural settings. The findings

are summarised below.

Income and benefits are broadly in line with sector expectations, but inconsistently

structured. Salary earners averaged $115,359 pa; wage earners averaged $68.03 per hour.

CPD allowances are the most universal benefit (95% of respondents) but are widely

undercut by employers absorbing other professional costs, including NZVA membership and

VIN access, against them.

After-hours and weekend work is a significant source of dissatisfaction. Approximately

one-third of respondents carry rostered overnight duties, most frequently one weeknight per

week and one weekend in four to six. Weekend on-call windows routinely span Friday

evening to Monday morning. Compensation is highly variable and commonly regarded as

inadequate; rest provisions are often not honoured in practice.

Professional outlook is cautious to negative. Only 38% of respondents feel positive about the

future of the profession; 14% do not expect to remain in the industry for the next five years.

Corporatisation, burnout, workload, pay, and client behaviour are the most consistently cited

concerns.

Workforce demographics reflect the feminisation of the companion animal sector (84%

female) and a median experience level of 8.5 years. A third of respondents have

experienced some form of workplace discrimination or bias; 75% describe their workplace as

inclusive.

Professional opinions lean towards greater regulatory oversight of companion animal

breeding, with 74% supporting dog breeder licensing and 63% supporting cat breeder

licensing. Antimicrobial stewardship formalisation remains incomplete across the sector.

These findings point to a workforce under sustained pressure, with structural issues around

after-hours compensation, professional development funding, and retention demanding

priority attention.