If you're thinking of pulling up the stakes and moving to another practice in another state, do some number crunching first. Yes, the salary offered looks great, but have you considered how much more you'll have to earn to live the life you want in that city?

What's fair compensation one year out of veterinary school? I'm currently working at a two-doctor practice. What do I need to know to make an educated decision about whether to renew my contract?

I will be receiving a retirement plan distribution when I change jobs. I intend to roll it over to my new employer's plan and have been told that such a rollover will avoid a 20 percent withholding tax.

Q. I've been at my first job for just over a year. I earn a base salary plus production and benefits. What percentage of my revenue is fair compensation?

Get a clue: Associate compensation July 2008 Veterinary Economics

Owners and associates want to know the truth, but often each side is mired in mystery.

Women. Communication. Money June 2008 Veterinary Economics

We've been talking a lot here about how women talk.

Make sure your benefits stack up well against the other options team members could find in your area—and give employees more reasons to stick around.

As graduation approaches, my mind is a whirlwind of questions, concerns, and hopes. I'm ready to practice?mostly. Yet there's one topic that leaves me wary: salary. While production-based compensation and traditional salary historically have been the only two options, they each have room for improvement. But there's a third choice: the ProSal formula, developed by Hospital Management Editor Mark Opperman, CVPM. To understand why I think ProSal is right for me and other new associates, consider these pros and cons.

The best of both worlds, the ProSal compensation formula pays associates on a percentage of production and guarantees a base salary. Find out why this method's a top choice for associates?and why you'll like it, too.