Salaries for New Associates...too high or too low?

I am one of those seasoned techs who has spent more than a 15 years onboarding and training not only first year associates, but experienced veterinarians as well. My role is not subordinate to the doctors I assist. It is complimentary, similar to a marriage.Often times I function as a nurse practionioner seeing patients with common ailments and injuries with out any need for a doctor's input. I realize that a technician's wage will never supercede a veterinarians salary, however its bothersome when I spend my entire shift humbly pointing out missed diagnoses, reccomending diagnostic and therapeutic plans (So I dont have wait for the vet to look it up on VIN or 5 Minute Consult), fixing CRI miscalculations, taking over when the vet can't pass a tomcat or foley and stabilizing agonal patients on top my own technical duties. Then when the shift is over I go to the bus stop while the vet hops in his audi.I go to my two bedroom apartment while he goes to his 5 bedroom house. Techs like me have spent just as much time and energy on education as any vet in order to possess the knowlege base to function at the level that we do. And I know for a fact that I generate more hospital revenue than some vets. I highly respect every role in the clinic setting from kennel staff to medical director.We are all interdependent. Therefore,despite how unrealistic, it is my opinion that individuals should be paid based on their value to the company and not on the cost of their education.

I'm not a veterinarian, but an office manager so I see this point from a different perspective. From a business standpoint, and keeping long term employees content and happy you do need to reward those that have put in the years at your business. These well seasoned employees save you money in the long run by saving the training of new hires, and their production is usually greater. Veterinarians will always have the potential to make a larger salary, but comparing a new graduate veterinarian to a tech that has been working in a practice for 15 years is like comparing apples and oranges in my mind.

Every employee can have value to a clinic, but having a veterinary license doesn't always mean an employee is worth their salt in the real world. This is why a lower salary with production commission sometimes can work when working out wages for a newer graduate.