Prepared by Business Executive Group · October 29, 2026
How to use this resource
Use contribution, not gross revenue
Estimate revenue the practice can no longer earn, less the costs it avoids by not delivering that work. Have the person responsible for the practice's finances check the assumptions.
Avoid counting coverage twice
If temporary coverage restores some capacity, reduce the lost-contribution estimate accordingly. Enter only additional coverage expense that has not already been included in your contribution calculation.
Compare plausible durations
Try a shorter and longer vacancy scenario using the same weekly assumptions. A difference between scenarios shows sensitivity to your inputs; it does not demonstrate that a particular recruiter will deliver that difference.
Keep the assumptions with the result
Record the input source and review date. Compare any recruiting proposal separately, including amounts payable without a hire. Update the calculation when schedules or coverage change.
A worked example
Illustrative arithmetic: $2,000 weekly lost contribution plus $500 additional weekly coverage cost, over four weeks, plus $300 one-time hiring costs equals $10,300. These are fictional inputs, not veterinary market averages.
Apply the decision to the actual Sacramento vacancy
Name the street address, municipality and county, and keep City of Sacramento neighborhoods separate from suburban cities and unincorporated communities. The City of Sacramento’s 2040 General Plan divides the city into 10 community plan areas, and Sacramento County keeps separate unincorporated communities such as Arden-Arcade, Fair Oaks and Orangevale. Different animal control agencies serve the city, the unincorporated County and the suburban cities. Coverage on this site is limited to California; a hospital in Nevada, including Reno, falls under a different licensing authority.
Give the hiring team one brief for each facility, with clinical work, technician delegation, weekend duties and location commitments stated together. California asks veterinarians for 36 hours of continuing education at each renewal after the first, so state the support the practice provides. O*NET OnLine, using Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 wage data, lists a median annual wage for veterinarians in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom area that is slightly above California’s and well above the national median, which is context candidates may bring to an offer. This site describes employer hiring coverage without claiming a Sacramento recruiting office.
Give every provider the same hospital address, clinical scope, work schedule, compensation structure and decision dates. Compare the plan for that brief. A result appearing for a city search does not prove a provider has a local office or available candidates there.
Review Sacramento-area hiring context · Assign credential-check responsibilities
Calculate your scenario
Work in this browser, then download your notes. Entries are not sent to BEGHR and are cleared when you reload or leave. Keep candidate names and private records in your approved hiring system.
(Weekly contribution lost + additional weekly coverage cost) × weeks + one-time hiring costs.
Continue with the related hiring guidance · All employer resources