2001 Salary Survey Results
Family planners continue salary course, hold steady on staffing
Advanced practice providers look to boost visibility
How did your paycheck fare in 2001? For family planners who participated in the 2001 Contraceptive Technology Update Salary Survey, most reported slight salary gains and no decreased hiring trends at their respective facilities.
The results reflect a continued trend of modest increases and steady staffing, particularly for administrators/coordinators and nurse practitioners. The two groups comprised the majority of respondents to the survey, which was mailed in July 2001 to 1,436 readers and had a response of 89, for a response rate of 6%.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) saw a continuance of a three-year climb in annual salary figures, according to the CTU survey. (See "What is Your Salary Level?".) Average salary for NPs was $53,043, up from $50,003 in 2000. Median salary also increased; $48,333 in 2001, compared to $47,857 in 2000. More than half of the responses (52%) came from nurse practitioners.
Average salary for administrators/coordinators rose slightly, from 2000’s $53,538 to $53,571 in 2001; however, median salary dipped from $48,000 to $47,857. The group represented 31% of 2001’s total responses.
Overall, 43% of survey respondents reported increases of 1%-3% in the past year, with 24% receiving a 4%-6% bump in pay. (See "In the Past 12 Months, How Has Your Salary Changed?".) Six percent of those surveyed said they received a 7%-10% increase.
Employment figures at family planning facilities remain steady, survey respondents report. More than half (54%) say no changes have taken place, while 28% say employee numbers have increased. Less than one-fifth (18%) of those surveyed said staffing levels had declined. About half (44%) of responses came from those employed by state/city/county government, with 34% from nonprofit agencies and 14% from college or university settings.
What is Your Salary Level?
In the Past 12 Months, How Has Your Salary Changed?
Check national figures
The 2001 Physician Compensation Report, compiled by Modern Healthcare magazine, looks at 10 national data tracking sources to gain insight on physician’s financial health.1 According to the report, compensation for OB/GYNs ranged from $138,000 to $250,000, with four sources showing pay increases, three groups reporting decreases, and three with figures not available.
While median gross income in 2000 climbed 19% for OB/GYNs, their net income rose only by 1%, according to Medical Economics magazine’s Continuing Survey, which samples providers in office-based private practice.2 These physicians make almost 7% percent less than they did in 1996, according to the report.2
Physicians’ assistants (PAs) are reporting slight increases, as noted by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) in Alexandria, VA. Results of its 2000 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey show the median income for clinically practicing PAs working full time is $65,177, up from $64,780 in 1999.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) are making strides in salary gains. According to an analysis of the Washington, DC-based American College of Nurse-Midwives’ membership survey, the 1999 salary for CNMs with full-time employment fell into the $60,000-$69,000 range, up from 1995 levels.3
Registered nurses also are recording slight pay increases. According to the most current federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses was $40,690 in 1998.4 The middle 50% earned between $34,430 and $49,070 a year, the lowest 10% earned less than $29,480, and the highest 10% earned more than $69,300 a year. Allied Consulting, an Irving, TX-based professional search firm, reports that the average salary for its RN candidates was $43,000 in 2000, up from $41,300 in 1999.
One way to enhance the value of any profession is to raise awareness of its role in the marketplace. The newly formed Nurse Practitioner National Marketing Campaign is seeking to raise visibility and representation of nurse practitioners among major employers, legislators, regulators, and health maintenance organizations/health insurance industry executives.
The campaign is the outgrowth of a privately sponsored professional "think tank" held in March 2000 in Annapolis, MD. Nationally-recognized NP leaders from clinical practice, education, research, administration, and health policy looked at the challenges facing nurse practitioners, including such issues as lack of reimbursement for clinical services and barriers to designation as primary care providers. Groups participating in the campaign include the American College of Nurse Practitioners, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), and the National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners, all based in Washington, DC; and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners in Cherry Hill, NJ.
The campaign’s agenda is to disseminate information about the positive role that NPs play in the provision of comprehensive health care services, including improved patient access, satisfaction, and outcomes, via advertisements in critical media markets across the country. A national NP speakers bureau database also has been established so that media may access NP spokespersons at the local, state, regional, and national level.
NPs are being asked to support the awareness program through financial donations, says Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, NPWH president and CEO.
"If every nurse practitioner in the country gave $20, we would have it beat, but unfortunately, not everyone contributes," Wysocki observes. "The board of directors of NPWH each individually gave $50 or more; we would love others to match that amount and take up the NPWH challenge." (See "Resources" for contact information on contributions and participation in the speakers’ bureau.)
Nurse midwives are raising visibility of their profession through the launch of MidwifeJobs.com, sponsored by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The web site, designed to connect midwives, hospitals, birth centers, physicians, and any health care organization seeking midwives to expand their services, was unveiled during the organization’s 2001 annual meeting and exhibit.
It is free for job seekers to search the listings, and the cost to advertise on MidwifeJobs.com is $250 for a four-week job posting, says Eric Dyson, ACNM communications manager. The organization has helped numerous midwives find new placements, he states.
"Statistics show that the demand for midwife care has increased steadily every year since 1972, and with more public awareness of midwifery care, the numbers are sure to continually rise," said ACNM executive director Deanne Williams, CNM, MS, FACNM. "By providing a comprehensive career web site, we not only help midwives find positions, but bring about awareness of the growth of one of the most rewarding careers anyone could choose."
What is Your Highest Academic Degree?
How Many Hours a Week Do You Work?
How Long Have You Worked in Positions with the Same or Similar Responsibilities as Your Current Position?
How Many People Do You Supervise, Directly or Indirectly?
Resources
For donations to the Nurse Practitioner National Marketing Campaign, checks should be made payable to NP-PR Campaign, contact:
- NP National Marketing Campaign, P.O. Box 337, Water Mill, NY 11976.
To become a local spokesperson for the Nurse Practitioner National Marketing Campaign, contact:
- Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. Telephone: (202) 543-9693. E-mail: NPWHDC@ aol.com.
For more information on MidwifeJobs.com, contact:
- Jonathan Sakai, On-line Services Manager, American College of Nurse-Midwives, 818 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006. Telephone: (202) 728-9714. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.midwife.org.
References
- Romano M. 2001 physician compensation report. Unequal opportunities. Anesthesiologists, radiologists lead the pay parade, while generalists lag behind. Mod Healthc 2001; 31:30-34.
- Crane M. Survey report — earnings: Time to call a code? Medical Economics 2001; 18:74.
- Kovner CT, Burkhardt P. Findings from the American College of Nurse-Midwives’ Annual Membership Survey, 1995-1999. J Midwifery Women’s Health 2001; 46:24-29.
- U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2000-01 Edition.
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