ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 18, 2010 - Compensation for practice management professionals remained static since last year, according to Medical Group Management Association's (MGMA's) Management Compensation Survey: 2010 Report Based on 2009 Data. Practice administrators reported modest changes in median compensation in 2009; administrators with seven to 25 full-time-equivalent (FTE) physicians earned 0.3 percent less, while their counterparts with 26 or more FTE physicians reported a 2.3 percent increase in compensation.
Though compensation was generally static for most practice management professionals, some positions made gains in 2009 by taking on more responsibility. Five positions experienced increases in salary: assistant administrator, COO, office manager, human resources director and nursing services director.
"Clinical integration and greater complexity in healthcare appeared to drive salary increases for certain medical practice management professionals," said William F. Jessee, MD, FACMPE, MGMA president and CEO. "These professionals likely took on a broader scope of responsibility in their positions as a result of continued economic pressures and changes in the healthcare environment."
Executive managers identified as MGMA members reported greater median compensation than nonmember executives, as did senior managers and office managers who held MGMA memberships. Office managers with an MGMA membership earned $13,272 more per year than their nonmember counterparts, and finance directors with MGMA memberships earned $942 more per year than finance directors without memberships.
"It remains clear that those who strive to advance their careers through their professional affiliations with organizations such as MGMA and ACMPE have tools and educational resources that make them especially valuable in the workplace," said Jessee.
When affiliated with the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), the certification and standards-setting body of MGMA, several managerial positions enjoyed increased compensation as well. ACMPE-affiliated administrators (in practices with seven to 25 FTE physicians and 26 or more FTE physicians) earned 21.2 percent and 24.6 percent more, respectively, than their counterparts who were not affiliated with ACMPE. CFOs experienced the greatest compensation boost based on ACMPE affiliation, earning $59,328 more than their unaffiliated counterparts.
Note: MGMA surveys depend on voluntary participation and may not be representative of the industry. Readers are urged to review the entire survey report when making conclusions regarding trends or other observations.
Editorial copies of the report are available to members of the media who qualify. Please contact media relations representative Liz Boten at [email protected] to request an editorial copy. Click here to purchase a copy of the report.
MGMA is the premier membership association for professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices. Since 1926, MGMA has delivered networking, professional education and resources, and political advocacy for medical practice management. Today, MGMA's 21,500 members lead 13,700 organizations nationwide in which some 275,000 physicians provide more than 40 percent of the healthcare services delivered in the United States.
MGMA's mission is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent. MGMA promotes the group practice model as the optimal framework for healthcare delivery, assisting group practices in providing efficient, safe, patient-focused and affordable care. MGMA is headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and maintains a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. Please visit mgma.com.