Shepherds' Wages

RhysHopkins

Member
Location
Ystradgynlais
Going OT now but my daughter wants to be large animal vet. Mrs PBH tried to put her off cos the uni cost is so high and earning potential so poor in the main. She'll probably have debts of 60k + and the wages wont even cover the interest on the govt loan scheme. But she's not bothered about the money so we can but encourage and support her as far as we are able. (Which won't be very far in monetary terms!)

I'm a vet student at Nottingham at the minute and it's not all doom and gloom! I think I borrow about £14/15k a year (9k for tuition and 5/6k maintenance for rent and living costs) usually get by alright but your maintenance depends on your parents wages.
Unless you earn silly money you're never going to pay back all your loan and it would be stupid to try and pay it all back!
You only have to pay back 9% of anything you earn over 21k (so if you follow that's £90 for every £1000 you earn over 21k). So earning 30k you'll pay back £810 + interest a year (I think its 2.5%?).
And it gets written off after 30 years.
Yes the wages aren't the best when compared to doctor, dentist, accountants and solicitors but I think if people go into it for the money they're not looking at the right job!
 

Downton_shep

Member
Location
Leintwardine
I'm a vet student at Nottingham at the minute and it's not all doom and gloom! I think I borrow about £14/15k a year (9k for tuition and 5/6k maintenance for rent and living costs) usually get by alright but your maintenance depends on your parents wages.
Unless you earn silly money you're never going to pay back all your loan and it would be stupid to try and pay it all back!
You only have to pay back 9% of anything you earn over 21k (so if you follow that's £90 for every £1000 you earn over 21k). So earning 30k you'll pay back £810 + interest a year (I think its 2.5%?).
And it gets written off after 30 years.
Yes the wages aren't the best when compared to doctor, dentist, accountants and solicitors but I think if people go into it for the money they're not looking at the right job!

The money would be a lot better once you become a partner surely?
 

RhysHopkins

Member
Location
Ystradgynlais
ImageUploadedByThe Farming Forum1465927825.685251.jpg

In the vet times in May. That's with 15 years experience.
 

bovine

Member
Location
North
View attachment 345970
In the vet times in May. That's with 15 years experience.
Also note that these are values of the full package for vets.

Most will get a vehicle, training budget, maybe accommodation, various subscriptions and memberships. Higher rents fed back in tends to artificially inflate salaries in these things. Lot of these 15 year qualified vets will be taking home around the £30,000 mark in actual pre tax money.

If I did a weekend on call and counted all the hours I was way under minimum wage. Go out at 2am to do a caesarian and be the lowest earning person there - all whilst you moan about your vet bill!
 

gatepost

Member
Location
Cotswolds
Also note that these are values of the full package for vets.

Most will get a vehicle, training budget, maybe accommodation, various subscriptions and memberships. Higher rents fed back in tends to artificially inflate salaries in these things. Lot of these 15 year qualified vets will be taking home around the £30,000 mark in actual pre tax money.

If I did a weekend on call and counted all the hours I was way under minimum wage. Go out at 2am to do a caesarian and be the lowest earning person there - all whilst you moan about your vet bill!
It's taken many years experience and full up to date training to moan as much as we can, that's how I lost all my hair, pushing the cap back in surprise whilst uttering ''How Fecking Much?'';). But we can't do with out you, don't you go telling anyone I said that now.
 
As someone said earlier are lambs worth more in the s east. Rent a couple of basic 3 bedroom houses as 1k a month. So the 25k salary plus house whether bills etc included is minimum of 37/ 38 with council tax. Full time with 1500 ewes, I run 1500 ewe lambs alongside sucklers followers, so ewes then costing me 25 quid extra. I only want them to go out with one lamb as sell as strong theaves, early lambs of tegs make mid 60s as lightweights rest last year mid 50s as stores. I have to be losing nearly one in two to cover costs. Just not justifiable if you are willing to do the work. Don't blame people asking the wage, you have to live and as people have said, wages for driving hgvs working with overtime in supermarkets, bu as far as I see it, far better off doing it on your own and pocketing the money. What you don't spend you don't have to earn? And good friend, decent vet 3 year graduated on25 k, living in this area, car yes, but house no!! Small one bed flat here would be 7200 a year. Cheaper getting a freshly qualified vet than shepherd!!
 

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