Determine a fair healthcare salary based on job description

If you don't have job descriptions for your medical positions, create them. Things to include are job duties, skills set and expectations. Then, use online salary tools to help you decipher the average medical salary for a person that matches the job description. Be sure to keep the number of years of experience and job location in mind.

I recommend: Advance offers an easy-to-use Salary Calculator to help healthcare organizations see how their salaries for healthcare professionals match up with others locally and around the country. Select an area of specialty on PhysicianSalary.net to find the base salary for the selected position. Add a zip code and years of experience to refine the results.

Compare healthcare salaries on national job boards

You can research all day long and find plenty of hypotheticals, but sometimes real-life examples provide the best information. Check out online healthcare job boards to find average healthcare salary information from real job postings. Keep a log for a few weeks to see if a pattern emerges.

I recommend: Find salaries within postings for Nursing Jobs, MD Jobs and Other Jobs at MedHunters. MedPage Today lets you search by keywords or job ID, plus job type and location to help you determine average medical job salaries.

Evaluate current healthcare compensation packages

A healthcare salary is not the only thing that will attract and keep employees. Compensation packages that include the basics like medical insurance and vacation pay plus added value such as flexible hours, tuition reimbursement and fitness benefits are a key factor for many workers. Keep all benefits in mind when coming up with salaries for healthcare professionals.

I recommend: Compensation Resources, Inc., works with healthcare organizations to establish compensation packages for all levels of medical staff, while keeping organizational goals and objectives in mind. Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service provides consulting services on salary administration and creates custom surveys to evaluate healthcare pay in various areas.