Dr. Sidra Nisar was thrilled and overwhelmed to earn a $125,000 salary right after graduating from veterinary school in 2019.
“I had more money than I could handle,” she told CNBC Make It.
Little did she know that switching from a full-time job to a contract job with Relief Veterans Affairs would quickly more than double her annual salary.
Nisar’s sister, who is also a veterinarian, introduced her to an app called Roo that connects veterinarians with clinics that require coverage. Nisar started receiving shifts through Roo in May 2023 and quit his full-time job in September of the same year.
“I love being a relief veterinarian because every time I go to a new hospital, I get to meet new people, talk to new people, and learn new things,” she says.
In his full-time job, Nisar worked 40 to 50 hours a week. She now works 50 to 60 hours a week, but at a higher hourly rate and on a schedule she can direct. In 2024, Nisar earned $366,000 from his chosen shifts at Roo. She earned an additional $18,000 as a brand ambassador for Roux and another $2,000 working as a veterinarian outside of Roux, bringing her total earnings for the year up to $386,000.
According to the company, Roo veterans earn nearly twice the hourly wage of the average full-time veteran, earning an average of $1,266 per day. If they worked full-time at this pace, they would easily exceed the national median annual salary of $125,510 for veterinarians, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Still, contract jobs like Nisar’s as a relief veterinarian aren’t for everyone. Here are three main differences to consider.
1. Pay consistency
Full-time positions may come with strict vacation policies and daily schedules, but they also come with a regular paycheck. Losing a guaranteed salary is “the only setback as a relief veterinarian,” Nisar said.
“Being a relief veterinarian means you always have to look for work and stay busy.”
Although Nisar credits the Roo app with making it easier to find shifts that work for her, she admits there may come a time when she struggles to find enough shifts to meet her financial obligations.
For now, Lu says there are many hospitals available in Nisar’s area, so “that’s not a big concern for me.”
2. Work-life balance
When working full-time at a veterinary hospital, Nisar says, “When I wasn’t working, I was always thinking about my job.”
Things quickly changed when she switched to relief work. Nisar works in different hospitals, some of which he may not be able to return to, so he is good at separating what happens at work from his personal life.
“Since becoming a relief veterinarian, my work-life balance has definitely changed,” she says. “Compared to being a full-time veterinarian, you can definitely leave your job at work and you don’t take it home with you.”
Like any workplace, drama and interpersonal conflicts can occur at veterinary clinics, where employees meet every day and develop close relationships, for better or for worse. As a relief veterinarian, Nisar can avoid most potential problems and can choose not to return to a hospital where he doesn’t enjoy working with the staff.
“It’s a lot less stressful,” she says. “When I’m on a relief (shift), I come in, do my job, and then go home.”
3. Mentorship opportunities
Although Nisar is more satisfied with his rescue work than he was in his full-time job, he doesn’t recommend the job to veterinarians fresh out of school. That’s because they still have a lot to learn, and it doesn’t come as easily when you’re going from clinic to clinic.
“Having a full-time job and learning from mentors is very, very important,” she says. “My advice to new veterinarians is to get a full-time job first, get a mentor, and then step into rescue work if you think that’s the best fit for you.”
And for experienced veterans, relief work is still not for everyone and “requires a certain personality” to be successful, Nisar said.
“Most of the time you’re going to a brand new clinic and meeting new people,” she says. “You have to be patient. You have to be flexible because you’re doing what they want. You’re there to help them.”
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