CHIME Salary Survey Finds Modest Compensation Gains for Senior HIT Execs

Salaries among healthcare CIOs and other senior healthcare IT executives have been rising steadily, if modestly, in recent years, with a cumulative 13-percent average salary increase among senior healthcare IT leaders’ salaries, from 2012 through 2018, as revealed in the publication of the results of a survey conducted by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

CHIME staff members received responses from 266 of the association’s members, or about 11 percent of the association’s 2,300 U.S. members.

The survey found that the average base salary of its members in 2018 was $235,806, a 13-percent increase over the previous six years. Meanwhile, 18 percent of respondents had received no salary increase whatsoever in 2018. What’s more, on average, women made $257,340 while men averaged $228,217. In addition, some 6 percent of respondents reported having medical degrees, and those respondents earned about 60 percent more than those members with master’s degrees.

The press release announcing the results of the survey quoted D. Sheree McFarland, a member of the CHIME Board of Trustees and Division CIO of the West Florida Division of HCA Healthcare, as saying that, “In many organizations, the CIO is a strategic partner who works across the healthcare system to improve health and care. We are valued for our leadership skills and our ability to collaborate with everyone, from the CEO to clinicians to the finance department,” McFarland said. “As a member of Women of CHIME, it is rewarding to see that gender is not a barrier to equitable pay and that both our women and men members are recognized for their contributions.”

The survey found wide variation in base salary by region. Respondents in the Pacific region, which includes Washington, Oregon and California, made about 11 percent more in base salary than the national average. Those in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, reported base salaries that were 20 percent below the average. The Midwest and Southwest regions came in slightly above average and the Northeast and Southeast slightly below.

The following were the averages, by region: $262,272 (Pacific); $238,710 (Midwest); $238,275 (Southwest); $231,122 (Northeast); $228,125 (Southeast); $186,125 (Rocky Mountains).

Base salary increased as the number of beds in the respondent’s facility rose. Those who were at a facility with 1-25 beds reported an average salary of $136,183 while the trend capped at facilities with 400-699 beds. These respondents averaged a salary of $299,302.

Over 62 percent reported to be at a hospital or acute care facility, with an average salary of $243,035. Within this category, 58 percent worked in community hospitals; 19 percent in academic medical centers; 11 percent in a children’s hospital; 7 percent in critical access hospitals; and 4 percent in other types of healthcare organizations. Employees in children’s hospitals reported the highest average salary at $309,028. Academic medical centers came in at $287,385.

Meanwhile, when it came to job satisfaction, members were asked to rate their satisfaction with the total compensation they receive for their position. The 51 percent who responded that they were satisfied with their compensation had an average salary of $228,802. The 20 percent who chose neutral made on average $223,902. Those who were very satisfied with their compensation (16 percent) averaged $302,731 and the 9 percent who were unsatisfied made an average salary of $206,369. Three percent responded that they were very unsatisfied with their compensation, with an average salary of $168,857.

Most members reported being satisfied with their jobs, with 24 percent choosing very satisfied, 50 percent satisfied and 18 percent neutral. Six percent said they were unsatisfied with their current job and only 0.75 percent reported being very unsatisfied.

Not surprisingly, those who reported that they were “very satisfied” with their compensation, averaged much higher ($302,731) than did those who stated that they were “very unstified” with their compensation ($168,857).

But, as CHIME pointed out, high pay did not necessarily equal high job satisfaction. Those who reported to be very satisfied had the highest reported average salary of $269,310 while those who were very unsatisfied had the second highest salary at $238,500. Respondents who were unsatisfied had an average salary of $204,375.