Salaries, benefits surge nationwide, though regional discrepancies persist.
By Keri Forsythe-Stephens
Editor’s note: The January/February 2025 print issue will feature exclusive salary charts and regional break-downs.
Let’s start with the positive: Salaries increased in six of the seven major job categories in 24×7’s 2024 compensation and job satisfaction survey. BMET 1s, BMET 2s, BMET 3s, clinical engineers, and radiology equipment specialists reported year-over-year gains of $3,400, $2,300, $1,900, $4,000, $6,700, and $1,500, respectively. Unfortunately, directors/executives didn’t fare as well. Their average pay declined from $148,500 in 2023 to $143,600 in 2024.
These inconsistencies were also evident regionally in 24×7’s 2024 compensation and job satisfaction survey. While median salaries for directors/ executives fell in seven of the nine U.S. regions, notable improvements were seen in the Mountain West and West South Central regions. Directors/executives in both groups experienced a $14,500 year-over-year salary increase in 2024, with those in the West South Central region slightly outpacing their Mountain West peers. (The median salary for West South Central-based directors and executives rose to $154,300 in 2024, $8,500 higher than in the Mountain West.)
BMET 2s in the Mountain West bucked this trend, however. Their median salaries surged $8,000, year-over-year, in 2024 despite relatively stagnant BMET 2 salary growth in the West South Central region. Fortunately, the outlook was much rosier to the east. BMET 2s in the East South Central witnessed double-digit salary growth, with their annual wages rising $10,800, year-over-year, to $70,100.
Radiology equipment specialists also saw strong financial growth in 2024. Their salaries broke the six-figure threshold in all regions calculated—a phenomena that one radiology equipment specialist deemed appropriate due to the workload.
“I’m responsible for servicing over 70 big iron imaging equipment as the primary engineer with no full-service contracts and often no secondary trained colleagues,” the survey respondent wrote. “I work eight to 10 hours of overtime per week but often can exceed 15 hours’ overtime with tube replacements, reburns, or afternoon scheduled repairs.
Hefty workloads were a recurring theme in 24×7’s 2024 compensation and job satisfaction survey. A significant 46% of respondents described their workload as “heavy,” while a subsequent 10% labeled it “excessive.” In contrast, only 2% considered their workload “light,” and 42% rated it as “moderate.”
Not that the hard work deterred most respondents. Despite feeling stressed, the majority expressed a willingness to promote the profession to others. Nearly half—43%—reported being “very likely” to promote the HTM profession, while 30% said they were “likely” to do so. Additionally, 17% indicated they were “somewhat likely” to endorse HTM, while 10% stated they were either “somewhat unlikely” or “very unlikely” to promote it.
Telling Results
When asked about their favorite aspects of healthcare technology management, survey respondents cited the usual suspects: working with a variety of equipment, the ability to positively impact patient care, and the thrill of never knowing what each day will bring.
“No two days are ever alike,” one respondent wrote, while another praised the opportunity “to be a part of something big.”
Still, some respondents acknowledged the challenges of having a direct impact on hospital operations. “With risks ever increasing, cybersecurity, continued interoperability, and our consistent focus on patient safety, more is being asked of our industry than ever before,” one person lamented. “If you want to operate at a high level, you have to put in the work to be successful.”
Another recurring concern was the difficulty of finding qualified talent to replace those leaving the profession.One respondent described the lack of new talent entering HTM as troubling, citing an “awareness gap” about the field. Calling HTM a “relatively unknown profession,” the respondent stressed the need to attract more people—especially as medical technologies proliferate, increasing the demand for maintenance.
Attracting more women to the field is one potential solution. Not surprisingly, men accounted for the majority of survey respondents—81%—while females represented just 16% (with 3% choosing not to disclose their gender). These figures are consistent with 2023 data.
Also consistent is the percentage of respondents who are actively job hunting. Nearly one-quarter (23%) copped to exploring opportunities outside their current organization, with 41% rating their promotion prospects as “below average.” Only 12% viewed their advancement opportunities as “excellent”—unchanged from 2023.
But one data point that differed greatly from 2023 was the overall benefits picture. Benefits improved in every category—paid time off (PTO), health insurance, dental insurance, 401(k), life insurance, vision insurance, tuition reimbursement, and professional development. An overwhelming majority of respondents—96%, to be exact—enjoyed paid time off in 2024, up from 86% in 2023. Also notable was the increase in respondents receiving tuition reimbursement, rising from 55% in 2023 to 67% in 2024.
It’s yet another bright spot in an otherwise mixed report. While salary gains and enhanced benefits indicate progress, challenges such as heavy workloads, talent shortages, and limited advancement opportunities underscore the need for continued investment in workforce development and industry support, according to the respondents of 24×7’s 2024 compensation and job satisfaction survey.
Keri Forsythe-Stephens is chief editor of 24×7. Questions and comments can be directed to [email protected].