SullivanCotter Reports Median Base Pay for Health Care Staff Rose 4.3% in 2025, Up from 2.7% in 2024

September 03, 2025 at 09:32 AM EDT

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and data products for health care and not-for-profits, has released the latest benchmarks from its 2025 Health Care Staff Compensation Survey.

This year’s results show that the median base pay for health care staff positions rose 4.3% in 2025, up from 2.7% in 2024 — a notable increase reflecting ongoing labor market pressures and the need to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining talent. This survey includes data from more than 2,660 organizations on nearly 2.5 million clinical and non-clinical employees, representing the largest and most comprehensive health care staff compensation resource for hospitals and health systems.

Health care organizations continue to face significant frontline staffing shortages. According to SullivanCotter’s 2025 Frontline Staffing and Solutions Pulse Survey, health care organizations reported the highest level of staffing concerns with surgical techs, respiratory therapists, radiology/medical imaging techs and security officers. Data from the 2025 Health Care Staff Compensation Survey reflects these challenges, showing more substantial pay increases for several of these harder-to-fill roles — with hourly base pay for clinical technician positions, for example, rising by 5.5% over the prior year.

Beyond these critical frontline roles, the survey also highlights notable trends in compensation strategies for other key positions, including registered nurses (RNs). This year’s data shows that median base pay for RNs is up nationally by 3.1%. While most organizations (75%) reported using a single market pay strategy for all non-executive employees, RNs are the most likely to have a separate pay structure. 56% of organizations report a pay strategy for RNs that targets above the 50th percentile.

However, significant geographic pay variation adds complexity to evaluating market rates. Differences in base pay between urban, rural, and major metro areas within each region can be substantial. For example, the survey shows that RNs in the Greater New York City metro area have median base pay rates that are 45% higher than the national median, while those in the greater Los Angeles metro area earn 48% above the national median. Similar geographic pay differentials are also observed in other job families, including research and academics, supply chain, ancillary diagnostics, and medical specialties.

As organizations prepare for 2026, many are already taking steps to control costs while remaining competitive in attracting and retaining talent. In the near term, this includes modest adjustments to premium pay policies to limit eligibility, refining how these policies are administered, and being more selective in awarding market and annual increases. Moving forward, organizations should conduct more comprehensive reviews of pay programs to identify cost-saving opportunities and refine compensation strategies to target base pay adjustments for roles that have historically received less focus.

“Looking ahead to the coming year, it will be important for organizations to sharpen their market compensation strategy, reallocate budget resources, invest in compensation expertise, and continue building advancement opportunities to keep employees engaged and retained,” said Steve Meyers, Consulting Principal, SullivanCotter. “These steps can help health care organizations balance financial sustainability with the imperative to reward and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive labor market.”

For more information on SullivanCotter’s surveys, please visit our website at http://www.sullivancotter.com or contact us via email or by phone at 888.739.7039.

Note to media: Additional data and interviews are available on request.

About SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improves outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, and data products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives–enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision, and values.