Salary Surveys Report Declines in Pulmonologist, Allergist and Nurse Incomes

The 2016 Medscape Physician Compensation Report relates that orthopedic surgeons and cardiologists earn on average the most of those physicians surveyed ($443,000 and $410,000 annually) (1). Pulmonologists and critical care physicians fell in the middle of the spectrum of physician incomes ($281,000 and $306,000 respectively). Allergists were at the lower end ($205,000). Physicians in each category earned more or the same in 2016 than in 2015 except pulmonologists and allergists which were down compared to 2015 incomes of $296,000 ($15,000 decline) and $243,000 ($38,000 decline). As in years past, the survey is nonscientific. Physicians were asked to provide their annual compensation for patient care including salary, bonus, and profit sharing if employed, earnings after taxes, and deductible business expenses (but before income tax) if in private practice. 

The reason for the decrease is unclear but self-employed physicians (i.e., private practice) earned substantially more than employed physicians ($64,000 more for men, $44,000 more for women) (1). If more pulmonary physicians are becoming employed, this could be one reason for the decline in income. In 2016, the Medscape survey reported 59% of men and 72% of women were employed (1).

Nurses also made less on average in 2016. Incomes decreased from $79,000 annually for RNs in 2015 to $78,000 in 2016 (2). LPNs had a more substantial decrease from $46,000 to $43,000. RN’s not employed full time made the same hourly wage as those employed full time ($37/hour) and LPNs not employed full time actually made more per hour than those employed full time ($23 compared to $21/hour). The two most common reasons that nurses gave for decreased income was switching jobs or working less overtime.

Richard A. Robbins, MD

Editor, SWJPCC

References

1. Peckham C.  Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2016. Medscape. April 1, 2016. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/compensation/2016/public/overview#page=1 (accessed 2/9/17).
2. Yox SB, Stokowski LA, McBride M, Berry E.  Medscape RN/LPN Salary Report 2016. Medscape. November 2, 2016. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/nurse-salary-report-2016?src=WNL_specrep_nursesalary_170209_MSCPEDIT_usmds&uac=9273DT&impID=1286926&faf=1#page=1 (accessed 2/9/17).

Cite as: Robbins RA. Salary surveys report declines in pulmonologist, allergist and nurse incomes. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2017;14(2):68. doi: https://doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc018-17 PDF 

Hospital Executive Compensation Act Dropped from Ballot

The Hospital Executive Compensation Act did not qualify for the November 8, 2016 ballot in Arizona as a state statute (1). The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) dropped the initiative just before arguments were to begin in a lawsuit that challenged the legality of signature gatherers who failed to register with the state. The measure would have limited total pay for executives, administrators and managers of healthcare facilities and entities to the annual salary of the President of the United States. A similar measure in California was also dropped by the SEIU in 2014.

Supporters of the proposal said it would decrease escalating healthcare costs. Opponents of the measure, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce who filed the suit challenging the proposition, alleged that it would lead to poorer healthcare. However, a survey conducted by the Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care showed that most supported the measure and felt that it would not lead to poorer healthcare (2).

References

1. Ballotpedia. Arizona hospital executive compensation act (2016). Available at: https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Hospital_Executive_Compensation_Act_(2016) (accessed 8/22/16).
2. Robbins RA. Survey shows support for the hospital executive compensation act. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2016;13:90. [CrossRef] 

Cite as: Robbins RA. Hospital executive compensation act dropped from ballot. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2016;13:91. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc081-16 PDF