Healthcare Matters

Supply chain salaries in healthcare averaged $83,391 in 2012, an increase of 6% over 2011 levels, according to the latest Healthcare Purchasing News’ annual salary survey. Not bad. If you’re interested in doing some real investigative work (i.e. you’re on tap for a salary review), both HPN’s survey and the AHRMM survey  are not to be missed –truly outstanding resources.

For example, the HPN salary survey results are broken out by geographic region, urban/suburban/rural status, non-profit/for-profit/government, gender, education, type of facility, hospital bed size, years of experience, and by these job title groupings:

• Corporate/executive/senior VP, materials/supply chain management/support services
• Director of materials management/material manager
• Administrator/CEO/COO
• Value analysis coordinator
• Purchasing director/manager
• Contracts management
• MMIS/materials IT systems manager
• Operating room materials manager/business manager
• Contract/service line manager
• Assistant materials management/other materials management
• Senior buyer/buyer
• Purchasing agent
• Other

Need a little coaxing?  If you’re a procurement agent or a buyer and don’t earn in the mid 40’s, you’re likely underpaid. If you’re a relatively experienced contract management specialist or director level purchasing manager and your salary doesn’t fall somewhere in the low-to-mid 70’s (even the low 80′s in the West), it’s probably time for a raise. Change management experts (VAT leaders) and senior executive leaders earn from the mid 80’s thru 150K, so make sure you’re paying attention –there’s a lot of room there.

Be sure to check out both sources (Healthcare Purchasing News and AHRMM). They did a nice job slicing and dicing data that bodes well for the health of the profession –especially now (and finally) in healthcare.

—Tom Finn