A veterinarian who spent roughly 30 years in clinical practice earned $317,592 between 2022 and September 2026 working relief shifts through the veterinary staffing platform Roo — while scaling her schedule down from eight shifts a month to four to six.

Financial records reviewed by Moneywise document Dr. Robin Paddock's earnings over that period. For context, Indeed places the average U.S. veterinarian salary at about $134,328 a year, with wide variation by location, experience and specialization. Paddock's figure spans several years rather than one annual salary, but it demonstrates how relief work continued to generate meaningful income even as she reduced her shift load.

"There is something different about working because you want to rather than because you have to," Paddock told Moneywise.

How the arrangement works

Roo connects veterinarians with hospitals seeking to fill temporary shifts. Practitioners browse available shifts, choose the ones that fit their schedule and leave the rest of the calendar open. For Paddock, who was not ready to leave veterinary medicine entirely after three decades but wanted control over her time, the platform offered a middle ground between full-time practice and full retirement.

"I also think the financial picture is about more than just comparing an hourly rate with what I earned in full-time practice," she said. "Roo pays fairly for my time, including things like overtime, but the actual value is being able to earn well on my own terms."

What the flexibility bought

The clearest illustration came during a 79-day road trip. Paddock and her husband traveled roughly 14,000 miles by trailer, moving across the country without the question that usually shadows a working veterinarian's vacation: when do I have to be back?

Mid-trip, in Arizona, she obtained a veterinary license in that state and picked up four shifts along the way.

"I actually obtained my Arizona veterinary license and worked four shifts in Arizona while on that trip," she said.

The income also let her leave more of her retirement savings untouched, she said, giving her greater flexibility over how and when she draws on that money. Federal Reserve data on retirees working for financial reasons found 52% said they were doing so to save more money, make their retirement savings last longer or delay claiming Social Security.

The time itself carried its own value. Paddock has taken up quilting — she has finished three — and sews bags and charity projects with a sewing group, including pillowcases for cancer patients at Texas Children's Hospital. She has served as secretary of the Houston Veterinary Medical Association for the past three years and is training to volunteer with the Veterinary Emergency Team at Texas A&M, which supports search-and-rescue dogs during disasters.

A wider pattern among older workers

Paddock's path reflects broader workforce trends. AARP research found 79% of workers age 40 and older want flexibility in when they work. But flexibility is not the only priority for older workers: AARP's findings show they also continue to place high value on job stability and competitive pay, while retirement savings, pension benefits and the ability to phase gradually into retirement all factor into whether a job feels worth taking.

For veterinarians approaching retirement, the case Paddock presents is a specific one: stepping back does not require stepping away. Part-time, freelance or contract relief work can keep clinical skills sharp, sustain income and reduce the pace at which retirement savings are drawn down.

What she wanted from semi-retirement

Paddock frames the outcome in simple terms — the freedom to decide what any given week looks like.

"What I wanted from semi-retirement is simply being able to look at my schedule and decide what I want to do with my time, whether that's taking a shift, traveling, spending time with family, sewing, or helping other veterinarians," she said.

For practices on the hiring side of this equation, her experience points to a practical reality: experienced veterinarians who leave full-time roles remain available for shifts, and platforms that match them with hospitals can tap that labor pool on flexible terms. For the profession as a whole, relief work of this kind offers a route to retain decades of clinical experience that might otherwise exit the workforce abruptly.

As Paddock's 79-day trip showed, that retention can extend even to the road — with a new state license and four shifts worked between destinations.