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Understanding the "rules" of negotiation is crucial, especially before you attempt to break them. The first rule of negotiation is to know your counterpart. As a relief veterinarian, you might be negotiating with a practice manager or HR. Before entering negotiations, consider their perspectives and potential concerns. This understanding will help you present your case effectively.

The Steps of Negotiation

The mechanics of negotiation involve several steps. After an interview, you'll receive an initial offer. This is typically followed by a period of rebuttal and clarification, leading to further discussion and possibly a counteroffer. The process concludes with either acceptance or rejection.

Different Negotiation Techniques

Several negotiation techniques may be beneficial.

Widening the pie

Widening the pie involves expanding the negotiation's scope to create a more favorable outcome for both parties. For example, if you are offered $150 per hour, but you want $175, the clinic may agree to pay the higher rate if you perform surgeries during your shifts. This way, the clinic increases its revenue, and you receive a higher pay.

BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement)

Another technique is BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement), where you propose an alternative solution if the clinic can't meet your initial demands. It's about not showing all your cards at once to maintain negotiation leverage. Making the first offer can also be beneficial: anchoring the conversation with a number you've researched, rather than waiting to react to theirs, tends to shift the outcome in your favor.

Negotiation doesn't end once you accept a rate, either. Establishing a culture of continuous feedback throughout your relief contract keeps the door open for future adjustments. It's not a formal review, just ongoing communication that creates room for negotiation points down the line.

Making Your Salary Negotiation a Success

Preparation, strategy, and practice are key to successful salary negotiation. Start by gathering real data on standard relief rates before you walk in. Per diem relief veterinarians average $165,527 annually nationally, according to ZipRecruiter. Relief pay also runs at roughly 26.9% of production, the highest of any DVM role, ahead of owners (23.9%) and associates (20.8%), per iVET360's 2026 Veterinary Payroll Report. That's useful leverage walking into a negotiation: you're not asking a practice for a favor, you're pricing in a role practices already know costs a premium.

From there, a few things are worth having ready before you talk numbers:

  • Your value proposition: your offerings and how you communicate them, which can be harder to define than the rate itself but is just as critical.
  • Your approach: whether you'll raise the topic by phone or email, and how you'll open the conversation.
  • Your practice reps: rehearsing out loud, even in informal settings like a flea market, so the real conversation doesn't catch you off guard.

Before entering negotiations, consider your mindset too. Reflect on your beliefs about money and negotiation, your emotional reactions to it, and your past experiences: understanding your emotions beforehand can meaningfully improve your outcomes.

Starting as a relief vet can be challenging, but Scout (which now includes the former Relief Rover) gives you access to clinics across the USA looking for relief professionals, making it easier to get started.