Chart of the month: Optimizing staff-to-veterinarian ratios

In a busy veterinary practice, finding the right balance between veterinarians and other team members can be a strategic lever for boosting productivity, enhancing patient care, and preventing burnout. Having more nonveterinarian staff than necessary at any given time can lead to inefficiencies, while having too few may cause bottlenecks and put strain on veterinarians.

AVMA’s recent report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession provides insights into how U.S. practices were staffed in 2024.

What the data show

This month’s chart shows average ratios of full-time equivalent (FTE) nonveterinarian staff to FTE veterinarians in various practice types, assuming a 37-hour workweek.

A key takeaway: The ratio varies by practice type. Companion animal exclusive and predominant practices had the highest staff-to-veterinarian ratios, averaging near 4 FTE nonveterinarian staff per veterinarian. Food animal exclusive practices, by contrast, had a much lower overall average ratio at 0.7.

Similar patterns emerged for specific team member roles. Notably, companion animal practices had an average of 0.5 or 0.6 FTE veterinary technicians per veterinarian, while equine and food animal exclusive practices had only 0.1.

What does this mean?

The variations in staff ratios among practice types likely reflect different operational realities. For example, companion animal practices—typically brick-and-mortar facilities—can accommodate larger staff contingents. Equine and food animal practices rely more heavily on ambulatory services, and veterinarians may work more independently.

What can you do with this information?

Understanding staff ratios in your own practice—and how these compare to research and industry benchmarks—can allow for data-driven decisionmaking that aligns staffing levels to your practice’s needs. Not sure where to start? Here’s a simple way to calculate these ratios in 15 minutes or less.

Once you’ve determined your own staffing ratios, you can get a quick sense of where your practice stands by comparing them against the data in the chart for your practice type. If your numbers are lower than average, this might help to explain any struggles your practice might be experiencing in terms of workflows or productivity. If they’re higher than average, this may indicate robust support for your veterinarians and clients—which can be a strength. At the same time, higher ratios can sometimes signal inefficiencies or unclear role definitions, especially if results are not where you’d like them to be.

Either way, it’s worth stepping back to consider whether your current team structure is working as well as it could. Small adjustments in team roles, scheduling, and workflows can go a long way in helping your team operate more effectively.

Getting your practice’s staffing ratios right—and adjusting them to reflect seasonal patterns—can strengthen patient care, elevate the experience for clients and team members, and help your practice run more smoothly from day to day.