The Health care industry is extremely diverse, both in the number of different types of health careers and their vast range of salaries. Even within a particular type of job classification, such as Physical Therapy, there are many specializations each with different salary ranges. A Physical therapist for example, may specialize in Neurology, Pediatrics, or Geriatrics. Although there is nation-wide average salary in the Nursing field, some RN’s specialize in Critical care, some in trauma. Another factor in determining Health care salaries is the facility. Hospitals pay their medical staff a salary which can be quite different than ones paid by Private clinics. What I have tried to accomplish is to gather current salary information pertaining to various Health care careers, hopefully providing some insight into the industry.
Salaries of Hospital Administrators:
The job of a Hospital administrator is to oversee the business-side of a hospital’s day-to-day operations. This would include budgeting as well as any necessary expansion planning. Much of their job involves formulating and enforcing the policies of the Health care facility, as well as ensuring a positive public image is maintained. Some administrators oversee simple hospital operations; some are involved in much larger facilities which might include multiple clinics, treatment centers, labs and hospices.
To illustrate the growth in Hospital administration, figures show an average salary of about $91,000, while the current stats show many being paid as much as $132,000 yearly. The range for administrators in their first year is $41,000 – $70,000, administrators with only four years enjoyed an increase resulting in salaries of $50,000 – $83,000, and after nine years the figures increase to as much as $61,000 – $108,000.
The type of Health care facility has a significant impact on salary level. Although the average salary for a Hospital administrator is around $91,000, those employed by the Federal government are paid $60,000 – $95,000. State and Local governments provide salaries of $40,000 – $95,000, while colleges and universities offer $40,000 – $95,000 yearly.
Salaries of Physicians:
The salary of the physician will be determined by the area of specialization along with the type of facility in which he or she practices. Another factor is the size of his community. Figures show doctors practicing in towns with a population of between 50,000 and 250,000 earn the most. Competition in one reason population affects salaries; the fact reimbursements from Insurance carriers are typically higher in this size community is another.
According to National figures, Cardiologists earn an average of $415,000 to $535,000 yearly. Oncologist’s salaries are very similar at $449,000 – $528,000. While Cardiac surgeons average around $479,000, Orthopedic surgeons can earn as much as $600,000. All physicians spend years in training, some of this time spent completing a term of Residency. Residents are paid a small salary to assist in living expenses, typically $40,000 – $50,000. A General Practitioner will earn an average of $204,000, a Neurologist $228,000, and a doctor specializing in Obstetrics around $260,000.
Salaries of Nurses:
A nurse’s salary is determined by level of education, field of specialty, years of experience, the type of facility and geographical location. There are different types of Education programs, for both LPNS’s and RN’s. An LPN can choose to enter either a one or two year program, although both will generally require two years to complete in order to complete the programs’ pre-requisites. An RN can elect to enroll in a two-year or four-year program, earning either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
In regards to experience, logically the more years spent in nursing the higher the salary. Although geographical location will affect these figures, an LPN with less than a year’s experience will average between $20,000 and $45,000. With five to nine years the salary range will increase to $24,000 – $51,000, and after ten years $26,000 to $59,000 annually.
To give you an idea of how geography impacts salaries, an RN employed in New York state could expect to earn around $76,000. Florida pays an average of $65,000, while Nebraska is much lower at slightly more than $50,000. Texas and California pay the nation’s highest salaries of $71,000 and $90,000 respectively. The Pacific Northwest, Washington specifically, pays their RN’s an average of $58,000.
Many nurses, like physicians, choose to specialize in a specific area of patient care. Their salaries can differ significantly according to which area of nursing they choose. A Critical care nurse, for example, would have an average base salary of about $74,000. With the addition of benefits, the annual compensation would be slightly over $100,000. According to nation-wide figures, Intensive care nurses receive total yearly compensation of over $111,000 with a base salary of approximately $81,000. The base salary of a Head Nurse averages almost $158,000, with a total compensation of just over $226,000.
Salaries of Radiologists:
Radiology is another area of specialization practiced by physicians. Radiologists use the results from X-rays, CT scans, MRI’s and other technology to diagnose and treat patients. After becoming familiar with the patient’s Medical history and reviewing the test results, the radiologist will meet with the referring physician and suggest a treatment plan.
The salary range of a radiologist is $335,000 to $455,000, with an average salary of about $402,000 with only two to four years’ experience in the field. As with any area of medicine, geographical location has a great deal to do with salary level. Although the Nation-wide average salary of a radiologist in slightly above $400,000, salaries in the Southeast region of the country are around $50,000 less. Surprisingly, Chicago only offers their radiologists an average wage of just over $210,000
Salaries of Lab Technicians:
Lab technicians are responsible for performing diagnostic tests on bodily fluids, human tissue, and other types of samples in order to identify an illness or disease. To be more specific, Lab techs perform and analyze tests that look for microorganisms, parasites and abnormal cells in samples taken from patients. They must stay abreast of all new technology, new testing procedures, and constantly maintain laboratory safety standards and testing protocol.
Some of what determines the salary of a Lab technician is time spent in the field. A beginning salary for a new technician can range from $22 – 35,000. After five years, the level increases to around $25,000, after ten years the range will be from $30 – $50,000. Although there are differences in average salaries, according to geographical area, the differences aren’t as significant as in other areas of Health care. For instance, the average salary of a Lab tech in Birmingham is $38,000, salaries in Indianapolis average $41,000, and New York City pays just slightly more at $48,000. In the southwest region, Dallas Lab techs earn on the average $41,000. On the West Coast, Los Angeles offers salaries averaging $46,000.
Salaries of X-ray Technicians:
X-ray techs have a great deal of direct contact with patients, calming them before the procedure as well as making sure the patient in properly positioned. Through the use of either portable or fixed machines, the tech’s job is to capture an image of the patient’s bones, tissues, or organs so as to enable the radiologist to diagnose the illness or disease. These technicians can be found working in hospitals, laboratories, outpatient care centers, clinics, and diagnostic imaging centers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary range for X-ray technicians is between $43 and $52,000. These figures also show techs working in diagnostic labs can earn in excess of $50,000, while those employed by a Private physician’s practice earned only around $48,000. Hospitals were very close to labs, paying an average of $53,000. Geographically speaking, Boston area techs earned slightly over $70,000 while Florida pays the least at $43,000.
Salaries of Dietary Manager:
One of the most important positions in any hospital is that of the Dietary manager. As a nutritionist, this Health care professional is responsible for designing nutritional menus for patients as well as staff members on a daily basis. They must be knowledgeable in all types of “special diets” in order to satisfy the dietary requirement of all patients. For example, this can involve monitoring each meal of a specific patient for the purpose of controlling the intake of salt and caffeine. In most cases, in order to be certified in Dietary management, a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition is required. Some states do allow a degree in Food service management or in some cases the Culinary arts, but the majority of hospitals require courses focusing on nutrition.
The nation-wide average salary of a Dietary manager is $38,618. To break-down the bottom 25% of Dietary managers earn under $30,000 yearly, the upper 75% receive salaries closer to $50,000. Salary levels will vary according to the state, and will even vary to some degree city to city. Tennessee, for example, has an average salary of slightly over $33,000 which is about $5,000 lower than the National average. Within the state, Chattanooga Dietary managers are paid salaries averaging $30,000, Knoxville and Nashville salaries are a little larger at over $33,000.
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