1. Nurse salaries increased from 2009-2010. Registered nurse salaries increased by 1.1 percent over 2009 to a median salary of $60,500, according to data from the ASC Association salary survey. This increase represents a greater jump than the salary movement of other ASC positions, including administrator (1 percent increase), business office manager (stagnant), operating room technician (stagnant), instrument technician (stagnant) and medical director (4 percent decrease).
2. Nurse wages are highest in the West. According to data from VMG Health, ASC nurses who work in the West make more money than nurses in other parts of the country, at an average wage of $35.33. By comparison, nurses in the Southwest earn $31.34, followed by nurses in the Northeast ($31.32), the Southeast ($29.36) and the Midwest ($27.51).
3. ASC nurses earn more than administrative and tech staff. ASC nurses earn significantly higher wages than administrative and tech staff, according to data from VMG Health. The average ASC nurse salary is $31.11, while tech staff members earn $19.76 and administrative staff make $22.69.
4. ASC nurses work approximately six hours per case. Out of all ASC employees, staff hours per case are highest for ASC nurses, who work 6.1 hours per case, according to VMG Health. The number is higher than the hours per case for techs, administrative staff and administrators, who work 2.5 hours, 4.1 hours and 0.5 hours per case, respectively.
5. Nurses in small ASCs earn more money. According to data from VMG Health, nurses in ASCs with 1-2 ORs earn more than their counterparts in ASCs with 3-4 ORs or more than four ORs. In ASCs with 1-2 ORs, the average nurse wage was $31.57. Centers with more than four ORs came in second with an average wage of $31.14, and centers with 3-4 ORs distributed an average wage of $30.88.
6. Nurses earn less in orthopedic-driven ASCs. Nurses earn less than the national average in centers that perform more than 50 percent orthopedics, according to data from VMG Health. The average nurse wage in ASCs with more than 50 percent orthopedics was $30.89, compared to the industry average of $31.11.
7. Northeast ASCs employ the most nurses. According to VMG Health, ASCs in the Northeast staff more nurses than centers in other parts of the country. Northeast ASCs staff an average of 13.1 nurse full-time equivalents, followed by Southeast ASCs (11.7), Midwest ASCs (10.7), West ASCs (10.1) and Southwest ASCs (10.0).
8. Higher net revenue means more nurse FTEs: According to VMG Health, centers that broughtn over $6.99 million in annual net revenue staffed an average of 16.7 nurse FTEs, compared to 11.5 for centers with $4.5-$6.99 million in net revenue and 7.2 for facilities with under $4.5 million.
9. Net revenue is not necessarily correlated with nurse wages. While the highest-paid nurses ($31.65/hour) worked at ASCs with over $6.99 million in net revenue, nurses at the lowest-revenue ASCs (under $4.5 million) made more than their counterparts at ASCs with $4.5-$6.99 million in revenue.
10. Orthopedic-driven surgery centers staff slightly more nurses. The average at ortho-driven centers was 12.8, compared to an industry mean of 12.7.
About the 2010 ASC Employee Salary & Benefits Survey
This publication provides national salary and benefits data for 17 ASC positions. Publication includes bonus data for several managerial positions, salary comparisons of selected positions by number of employees, rooms, patient encounters, ASC type and ASC location. State-specific data available for 33 states. Regional data is available for five states and the Washington D.C. region.
To order a copy of the 2010 ASC Employee Salary & Benefits Survey, call (703) 836-8808 or visit www.ascassociation.org/store.
About the Multi-Specialty ASC Intellimarker 2010
VMG information comes from VMG Health’s Multi-Specialty ASC Intellimarker 2010 benchmarking study. VMG Health is a leading valuation and transaction advisory firm in healthcare.
