Dive Brief:
- A national salary survey of more than 28,000 healthcare professionals finds that 45% have not received a raise in the past year, and that another 14% are earning less now than they were a year ago.
- Furthermore, according to Health eCareers, healthcare professionals are confident about new job opportunities and 68% say they would change jobs to obtain higher pay.
- The findings suggest that "pay trumps loyalty among most healthcare professionals," the company reports.
Dive Insight:
The report finds increasing workloads paired with stagnant pay, and attributes them, at least in part, to the allocation of funds for new employees to meet patient needs, and to IT upgrades necessary to meet legislative requirements.
However, healthcare is a job seeker's market, the report suggests, and it finds that most professionals (86%) are confident they could obtain a more favorable position within 12 months—and 34% anticipate doing so. The jobs appear to be there: The healthcare industry added 40,000 new jobs in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Despite those numbers, pay is not the only motivator. "Factors beyond salary, such as work/life balance, are becoming increasingly important to attract and retain employees," the survey finds. The top most desired benefits included flexible hours, vacation and other paid time off, and training and certification courses.