A new survey from online jobs search site HealthITJobs.com shows that health IT workers are in high demand, and many – especially those with "executive" in their title – command top dollar.
But what is top dollar, and is it enough to attract and retain the best in the field? These are some of the questions the survey posed and answered.
Here are a few takeaways to start:
- The average health IT salary is $87,443, and the average bonus is $7,990
- Health IT consulting companies pay the highest salaries with an average of $107,282
- Health IT jobs in the New England region pay the most with an average of $99,536
- 83 percent of health IT workers are satisfied with their jobs
More than 700 health IT workers took the survey, providing not only their salary information, but also other details, such as how much experience they have, their employer type, job titles, age and gender.
[Great places to work: Meet the winners of Healthacre IT News 2015 Best Hospital IT Deparment Awards.]
The 2015 HealthITJobs.com Healthcare IT Salary Survey results showed the average health IT salary is $87,443 (median $80,000) and the average bonus is $7,990 (median $5,000).
"These numbers can swing significantly in either direction, depending on the specifics of the job in question," according to HealthITJobs.com.
[Infographic: Where is the money?]
Health IT spans a wide variety of skill sets and functions, among them are EMR analysts, project managers, software developers and informaticists.
More than two-thirds of respondents are currently working in health IT jobs, and nearly three-fourths have health IT experience. Most are permanent employees, though there were contractors among the survey takers as well.
Many health IT professionals indicated they were not getting paid what they thought they deserved. The average gap between what they earn and what they think they deserve showed an $18,000 gap. Also more than 50 percent of respondents said they would likely change jobs within the next year.
Income by Location
Salaries vary by region. Health IT jobs in New England pay the most, with jobs in the Mid-Atlantic and Mountain regions close behind. The other areas of the country were more in line with the overall average, with the exception of the Midwest, where the average health IT salary is $80,311.
Salaries also vary by job function and title. Those with "executive" in their job titles reported earning the highest health IT salaries ($182,036). However, the sample size was small.
Project managers command high salaries
For the second year in a row, project managers reported the highest average health IT salaries. This group also reported the highest average bonus of $12,702. Health IT management salaries were the next highest at $105,235 with an average bonus of $9,923.
When asked how much money they felt they deserve, the highest earners, project managers, had the highest discrepancy between their average income ($107,674) and the average income they felt they deserved ($136,218).
See also:
CISOs poised to be among highest-paid executives in healthcare
