Category: Salary

BE SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATING YOUR NEXT SALARY

 

You learn a lot in school becoming an Advanced Practice Provider. But they don’t teach you how to negotiate your salary and contract. It’s takes time, research and practice but not negotiating should never be an option.  Don’t let fear stop you for getting what you’re worth.

Here are some negotiating tips to help you get the best package:

Know what is important to you –  You need to think of the full compensation package – salary, call pay, bonus, benefits, time off, tuition reimbursement, continuing education, retirement, etc. What are the most important, the deal breakers? And what ones are you will more willing to consider – for example would you be willing to take a lower base salary if there’s a bonus or for full health benefits for you and your family? Less for a day shift?   Knowing what’s important will assist you in the process of getting the best package.

 

Preparation – Research salaries in the city/region to get an idea of what your job is worth.  Different states/cities offer different salaries. Use AANP and AAPA salary surveys and other sites to get salary information. Ask friends and colleagues, it can be touchy to ask people about salary but getting the right information will help you. Don’t forget about call pay and bonuses as well.

 

Don’t assume you have to take their first offer – you may be leaving money or other benefits on the table. Most companies expect a counter offer so give them one. Your counter can include base salary, bonus, vacation time, CME money, etc.

 

Be confident – you know you can do the job, you’ve shown them your value however, be careful not to come across as arrogant.

 

Keep your emotions in check – deep breath, don’t panic and don’t get angry if the first offer is low. This is a business transaction.

 

Practice – your goal is to present why you are worth (based on your research) the salary you are asking. Since most of us are uncomfortable asking for money; it really helps to practice it with friend you trust. Do a few runs with a friend.

 

Remember do not make demands – Always appear to be open to discuss it further – remember – you are negotiating.

 

These tips can help you the next time you have to negotiate your salary. Get what you’re worth!

 

ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDER JOB OPENINGS

As an Advanced Practice Provider negotiating your salary will be something that you will need to do many times in your career. It’s important to know how to do it well so that you’re successful.

Negotiating tips to get the salary you want:

 

Be upbeat – show enthusiasm so the employer knows that you are interested and excited about the possibility of joining their team.

 

Keep your emotions to yourself – this is a business transaction and don’t forget that. Don’t get upset or emotional. Be clear, concise and professional throughout the process.

 

Communicate – good communication is so important when discussing salary, benefits, etc. Don’t be vague when specifics are required. Clearly express your requirements, failing to do so can slow down the process or even turn the employer off. Effective communication is the key.

 

Know your worth – it’s vital. They don’t say knowledge is power for nothing. The more you know about salaries in your city, state and region the better you will be at negotiating. In addition, it’s good to know salaries by specialty as well. AANP and AAPA have salary surveys and you can also visit Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on wages as well.

 

Resist being first – when possible try not to be the first one to say a number. They might ask what you’re looking for; you can say a fair offer based on my years of experience, the value you bring to the job. If they ask for number, use a range.  So if for example you really want $95,000 but can live with $90,000. You would say you were looking to be in the range of $90,000 – $100,000. That $10,000 range gives you both wiggle room to come to terms. Counter offers can use ranges as well. Ranges are very effective, makes you look reasonable and thoughtful. Note: Be sure the lower number in the range is a number you can live with.

 

Don’t forget benefits in your negotiation – there are other ways to improve your compensation package – benefits, relocation assistance, sign on bonus, CMEs budget and time off, vacation days or even holidays, etc. Or consider asking for something that’s important to you – example I got an employer to pay for sick child day care so that I could come work and know my son was cared for. It became a company benefit because it decreased sick days. Not all items are up for negotiation but the employer might open to discussing some of their perks. Ask.

 

You might hear about internal equity – which means the employer probably won’t make an offer that’s higher than someone who is on staff with the same amount of experience as you have. Though there can be situations when the internal person’s salary is raised to meet the demand of the market and you can benefit from that.

 

Practice makes perfect – You don’t negotiate every day, so work on what you want to say so that you’re comfortable with your research, reasons and the amount you’re asking for.

 

These tips can be used for new offers and negotiating your next raise, try them to help you get the salary you want.

 

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OPEN JOB LISTINGS

Knowing what the market and salary range you can expect is important whether you’re job hunting or in negotiation for a raise. There are many sources to figure out salaries including various salary surveys, asking friends (not always reliable), and articles and sites online. A sometimes forgotten source is The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that publishes wages for just about every job we have.

Take a look at their recent published salary data they gathered for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.

 

Wonder where your salary lands?

 

National Salary Estimates / Mean Wage Estimates:

 

Physician Assistants Salaries:

 

Employment	Employment RSE	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage	Wage RSE
109,220	1.4 %	$50.37	$104,760	0.4 %

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$32.01	$42.30	$50.41	$59.71	$70.32
Annual Wage	$66,590	$87,980	$104,860	$124,200	$146,260

 

 

Nurse Practitioners Salaries:

 

Employment	Employment RSE	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage	Wage RSE
166,280	1.3 %	$51.68	$107,480	0.4 %

 

 

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$35.98	$42.70	$49.94	$59.17	$70.01
Annual Wage	$74,840	$88,810	$103,880	$123,070	$145,630

The Salary Reports by the BLS also include:

• Industry profiles – work locations physician offices, hospitals, etc.
• Geographic profiles – including information with the most PA and NPs, Hourly mean and Annual Salary mean
• Geographic profiles also includes: top paying states, metro areas and non metro areas.
• In addition, you can review past salary reports.

 

To read the full Salary Reports:

Full Report – Physician Assistant

 

Full Report – Nurse Practitioner

 

Hopefully this information is helpful.

 

 

NURSE PRACTITIONER AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT JOB LISTINGS