The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) released their latest annual salary survey that showed practice management salaries in 2010 changed little from 2009.
According to the report “Management Compensation Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data,” administrators in practices with six or fewer full-time-equivalent (FTE) physicians earned median compensation of $86,459, a slight decrease from 2009. Administrators in practices with seven to 25 FTE physicians reported median compensation of $115,000 – an increase of only 0.28 percent from 2009. In larger groups of 26 or more FTE physicians, administrators reported median compensation of $150,756.
“The generally static compensation of practice management professionals reflects the difficult economic environment faced by medical practices,” said MGMA president and CEO William F. Jessee, MD, FACMPE, in a press release announcing the new survey. “Flat or declining revenues in the face of continuing increases in operating costs are forcing many practices to sell or close. For those that are able to survive, compensation levels are generally flat or declining.”
[See also: MGMA: 65 percent of established doctors are in hospital-owned practices]
Some medical practice management professionals did show small growth in their salaries. Business service directors reported median compensation of $88,540 – a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year. Branch/satellite clinic managers also saw a modest increase in median compensation to $57,510, up 2.57 percent. Marketing and communications specialists earned median compensation of $49,262, up 0.74 percent since last year.
Information in the report was based on data collected from 7,240 managers in 1,287 medical practices. The report contains expanded sections on information systems managers and professionals in integrated delivery systems, including compliance directors, nursing services directors, billing managers and nursing managers. Compensation data is presented and divided into select single specialties, experience and education and retirement contributions.