The results from the 2004 Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Compensation Survey show strong salary growth for healthcare IT professionals. But just how strong depends on your gender and the kind of company you work for.

Overall, the survey – based on 1,352 responses submitted to the association between March 31 and May 31, 2004 – found that average salaries increased by about $5,000, or 4.8 percent, in 2003. In the previous survey, the average salary was $91,268; this time around, it was $96,568. In addition, nearly half the respondents in the survey got an additional bonus of some kind.

Some 98 percent of the sample indicated they received some kind of benefit from their employer as well.

"In today's marketplace, it is even more crucial for professionals in health information technology and management systems to understand the dynamics of their salaries and related benefits," said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS president/CEO. "The 2004 HIMSS Compensation Survey provides current data to help guide our members and industry professionals in both evaluating and enhancing their compensation packages."

Wages seem almost certain to rise as money flows into the healthcare IT sector as a result of the government's push for increased adoption of information technology, payer and employer efforts to save money by reducing transaction expenses and duplicative costs and patient safety efforts. The focus on IT will, in the words of one consultant, "create a war for talent" for the remainder of 2004 and into 2005.

While wages rose across the board, certain segments of the industry did better than others. In rough terms, the rich got richer – men, who reported earning more than women, also reported receiving higher raises (5.1 percent for men compared to 4.4 percent for women). Raises among respondents at consulting firms (at 7.4 percent) and for senior managers (at 6.0 percent) topped the demographic categories of organization and position respectively.