With a lot of significant changes coming to the healthcare industry, largely due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), healthcare companies will need to rely on data to stay ahead of competitors. When it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, that means having access to reliable, up-to-date compensation data.
Modern Healthcare stands out as one of the most trusted sources of industry data because it offers newsletters, blog posts, data insights, and editorials written by experts. That makes Modern Healthcare an invaluable destination for anyone trying to keep up with the latest in healthcare salaries and similar topics.
Key Takeaways From Modern Healthcare’s Compensation Insights
Modern Healthcare’s August 1, 2025, Staffing & Compensation report provides important data about trends in healthcare compensation. Some highlights from the report show that:
- The number of healthcare employees in the U.S. has grown steadily after a 9.25% decrease in April 2020.
- The number of healthcare employees has increased every month in 2025 (except for April, when it decreased by just 0.18%).
- About 18,1986,000 healthcare professionals were working in the U.S. as of July 2025.
- Ambulatory healthcare services employ about 9 million people, while hospitals employ about 5.7 million, and nursing/residential healthcare facilities employ about 3.4 million.
- The average compensation for healthcare CEOs grew from $1,637,000 per year in 2020 to $2,527,500 per year in 2025, a 54.4% increase.
- The median salary for physicians grew from $406,338 in 2020 to $467,198 in 2025, a 15% increase.
- Orthopedic specialists earn the highest salaries ($789,298, on average), and pediatrics specialists earn the lowest salaries ($244,000, on average, according to one source).
What It Means for Healthcare Hiring Trends
Data-driven insights reveal much about evolving healthcare hiring trends, making it possible for employers to stay ahead of their competitors and offer patients higher levels of service.
Registered Nurse Pay Has Grown Considerably
The 9.25% drop in healthcare employment that happened in April of 2020 shows that a lot of professionals chose to leave the industry at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them saw that they would face enormous hardships during the pandemic, so they shifted their careers away from patient services. Although it took more than two years to replace those people, increased hiring has made the healthcare industry more resilient than ever.
Higher pay has played an important role in attracting more professionals. In 2020, registered nurses earned a median salary of $75,330. In 2024, the median pay reached $93,600, a 24.3% increase. Granted, that’s considerably lower than the pay increases executives have seen. At the same time, the compensation for RNs has grown more than that of most physicians. That highlights the critical roles registered nurses play throughout the healthcare system.
Flexible Compensation Packages
Successful employers have largely adopted flexible compensation packages that give healthcare professionals more control over their pay and benefits.
Today’s employees often get to choose from various benefits, including:
- Signing bonuses (many exceed $50,000)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
- Commuter benefits that pay for gas, public transit, parking, etc.
- On-site or subsidized childcare
- Professional development opportunities
- Healthcare expense accounts
Healthcare companies and organizations that don’t offer competitive compensation packages with flexible benefit options will likely find it hard to attract professionals. There’s already fierce competition between employers in this sector. As companies prepare for the changes OBBBA will make in 2026, it will probably become even harder for some employers to attract necessary workers, especially in areas like emergency medicine.
Why MRINetwork’s Healthcare Experts Matter Now
Many HR departments already struggle to identify, recruit, and onboard qualified healthcare professionals. Evolving demands will make those jobs even harder.
MRINetwork’s healthcare experts can resolve these issues by using data-driven strategies that attract top talent while managing budgets. Our network already has connections to thousands of professionals eager to explore new opportunities in the healthcare industry. Whether you need a temporary employee or a temp-to-hire, MRINetwork likely has someone who can fit those needs.
Find an MRINetwork office in your area to connect with a healthcare expert who understands your company’s evolving concerns. With the right assistance, your company can stay ahead of competitors even as the industry undergoes rapid changes.
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