 Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman is a certified veterinary practice manager and owner of VMC Inc., a veterinary consulting firm based in Evergreen Colo. Through his firm, he has consulted with more than 800 veterinary hospitals throughout North America, providing assistance in associate hiring, partnership formation, exit strategies, employee issues, profitability, efficiency, and more. He has lectured worldwide at meetings such as Fetch dvm360 conference (formerly CVC), the North American Veterinary Conference, the World Small Animal Veterinary Conference, the Denmark Annual Congress, and the London Veterinary Forum. Opperman founded the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and served as president until 1993. Through his VMC School of Veterinary Practice Management, he has trained more than 250 practice managers.

				"Expect production to be at least $250,000 a year," says 

Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, owner of VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. An associate who's producing $200,000 a year, making 21 percent of production, would only earn a salary of $42,000. Starting salaries are closer to $50,000, so an associate needs to produce at least $250,000 a year, Opperman says.  

"Production should go up yearly, because a doctor will become more efficient and better able to market his or her services," he says. "And each time the practice increases its fees, the doctor's production should increase, too. A well-seasoned doctor can produce $500,000 to $800,000 or more depending on how well the practice leverages team members, which translates into $105,000 to $168,000 if he or she earns 21 percent of production." 

Practice Finances

How do you determine expected yearly production for veterinarians? How should it change based on years of experience?

Yearly production

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