Becker's Hospital Review

24 CFO / FINANCE 10 PA specialties that earned the most in 2021 By Erica Carbajal P hysician assistants working within cardiovascular/ cardiothoracic surgery earned $147,000 in 2021, marking it the highest paid PA specialty last year, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants salary survey published June 8. AAPA collects base pay data in the form of salaries, hourly wages, or guaranteed pay within a productivity model to assess the overall compensation across 60 PA specialties. The totals also include bonuses. Only specialties with 100 or more respondents nationwide are included in the report. Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery was also the highest paid PA specialty in 2020, with an average compensation of $130,000. 1. Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery — $147,000 2. Dermatology — $146,000 3. Emergency medicine — $129,146 4. Surgical subspecialties — $127,775 5. Occupational medicine — $125,600 6. Critical care — $124,886 7. Neurosurgery — $124,000 8. Urgent care — $123,517 9. Radiology — $122,350 10. Plastic surgery — $122,000 n People who switch jobs are earning more, Fed report says By Hayley DeSilva A ccording to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, workers who shifted jobs in April, May and June boosted their wages by 6.4 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported July 25. The current gap in wages between those who stay with an employer and those who switch is the largest it's been in two years. As of June, those who stayed with a job within the last three months saw a wage increase of 4.7 percent, according to the report. But those who switched jobs saw their wages go up 6.4 percent, the report said. With the rise in inflation, workers everywhere are seeing lower pay raises, according to the Journal. "It will put some pressure on wages for even those who are not willing or not ready to switch their jobs," Yongseok Shin, PhD, an economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told the publication. Those switching jobs can also benefit those who stay, by encouraging companies to consider raising wages. But this heightens inflation levels as well, and there are individual risks with job- switching, including a sacrifice of security and opportunity to advance in a career. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 47 million Americans changed jobs in the last year. n 5 specialties with the highest starting salaries By Hayley DeSilva A MN Healthcare's physician recruiting division Merritt Hawkins has released its 2022 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives, reviewing healthcare worker salaries, signing bonuses and recruiting trends from the past year. e report made several findings, according to information shared with Becker's. Physician demand and pay has recovered from COVID-19 declines. Orthopedic surgeons now have the highest average starting salary at $565,000. While specialists, as opposed to primary care physicians, are most in demand among physicians, Merritt Hawkins has had more search engagement for nurse practitioners than any other position for the second year in a row. e increased demand for nurse practitioners is due to an increase in urgent care-type facilities. e top five specialties with the highest starting salaries: Orthopedic surgeons Average: $565,000 High: $790,000 Low: $400,000 Year-over-year difference: +3 percent Cardiology (interventional): Average: $527,000 High: $668,000 Low: $425,000 Year-over-year difference: -16 percent Urology: Average: $510,000 High: $600,000 Low: $400,000 Year-over-year difference: +3 percent Gastroenterology: Average: $486,000 High: $600,000 Low: $375,000 Year-over-year difference +7 percent Cardiology (non-invasive): Average: $484,000 High: $1,000,000 Low: $300,000 Year-over-year difference: +8 percent n

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