sadpainter Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I graduated last August and I am now working my first job as a Hospitalist PA with a small group. I round between a SNF and a community-based hospital, with some random clinic patients here and there. Overall, my days are 8 hours long with no weekends or call (unless I choose to help out and cover the SNF). Considering I am a relatively new graduate, I understand I am performing very well and very autonomously. I function pretty much as another doctor in the group. They are now getting into the ugly habit of using me wherever they can and want too. Since it is my first PA job I was uncertain what salary to take or how to negotiate for the job and now that I am working so independently, I am questioning whether I am being compensated appropriately or not. I was hoping someone out there could advise me whether I am in a good situation or not. Basically, I was started at an 80K base with option to collect bonus based on my productivity. It was set up that for anything I collect over 11K per month, I receive 50% of those collections. My first bonus check was 5K and my second was 3K. I think it will average about 3-5K per month at this point. If it was 3K per month, that would put my annual income at roughly 116K. My questions are: is this good? Is it competitive? Should I have arranged for a higher base and different collection threshold? Although it is nice to get a nice bonus check every month, I do feel stressed about having to make my numbers. My loans fall from grace in a few weeks. Any advice would be great. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devildog Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 That's great money (caveat, unless you live in an expensive area).. But more importantly.. do you enjoy the job- at least not hate it..there are plenty of need for PA's now so make job satisfaction an important factor- otherwise you might burn out.. best of luck Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain1028 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 3-5 K a month bonus? Brau hook a brother up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcnellie Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 What part of the country is this? I am a new grad hospitalist, working since Aug 08, have a base salary of 83,200 and then an added "call pay" of 7500. My call is 1:8. Wknds 1:4. My days are 10 hr days, night call can be done from home w/ MD back-up for vent pts. 2 night calls count towards 1 day shift off. So I end up working every other week basically and every 4th weekend, so it is also allowing me to moonlight with my hospital group, in my ER, and another urgent care. I also still get vacation days and cme days in addition to my week on/off schedule. I also round on all my own pts and function *NEARLY* independently. I am not going to ever say that I function at the same level as my MD hospitalists or the same acuity level pts, even though I do critical care also. I do not believe I will function like an MD hospitalist as a greenhorn nor will I in 10 yrs, if I did function at the same level as them I would be an MD! I am also considering my salary negotiations when I re-sign my contract in June. Anybody have thoughts on how big of an increase to go for roughly? My next contract will be for two years, so that will need to be considered in. Also, I got a good sign-on bonus...do you think I can include that into my year 1 salary when negotiating my new salary and contract? So I should ask for more then the combined of my sign-on, salary, and call pay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahbarr27 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I'm curious about which bonus schedule is better? I was informed of the 7500 quality bonus which sounds fair and consistent, but if it is possible to collect on billing, then the earning potential is much greater. Can you negotiate both into the contract? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted March 27, 2009 Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2009 I graduated last August and I am now working my first job as a Hospitalist PA with a small group. I round between a SNF and a community-based hospital, with some random clinic patients here and there. Overall, my days are 8 hours long with no weekends or call (unless I choose to help out and cover the SNF). Considering I am a relatively new graduate, I understand I am performing very well and very autonomously. I function pretty much as another doctor in the group. They are now getting into the ugly habit of using me wherever they can and want too. Since it is my first PA job I was uncertain what salary to take or how to negotiate for the job and now that I am working so independently, I am questioning whether I am being compensated appropriately or not. I was hoping someone out there could advise me whether I am in a good situation or not. Basically, I was started at an 80K base with option to collect bonus based on my productivity. It was set up that for anything I collect over 11K per month, I receive 50% of those collections. My first bonus check was 5K and my second was 3K. I think it will average about 3-5K per month at this point. If it was 3K per month, that would put my annual income at roughly 116K. My questions are: is this good? Is it competitive? Should I have arranged for a higher base and different collection threshold? Although it is nice to get a nice bonus check every month, I do feel stressed about having to make my numbers. My loans fall from grace in a few weeks. Any advice would be great. Thanks. has taken me changing job 3 times and 7+ years of working to get close to your pay.... would be very careful about saying you are not paid enough - your are paid WAY OVER the average for new grads or with one-two years. If you like it your are set - doesn't mean you are a door mat and sometimes you need to set boundries - but feel comfortable in setting reasonable limits on your working - sometimes they just push till you push back... As for pay - holllllyyyyy crap enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna22274 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 sounds like a perfect setup. In no way could you POSSIBLY be considered undercompensated. Appreciate what you have and keep doing good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookin2BaPA Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 sadpainter and xcenllie, where are you guys located? location is helpful when talking about money as it varies from state to state... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baja81 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Location, location, location. Your $ depends on where you are at. That is pretty good for working 40 hours/week. Not to mention being a new grad (and functioning nearly autonomously!) I am a hospitalist PA just 6 months out of school and I only recently began to feel comfortable...and I still find myself triple checking my orders and notes. Hospitalist is a LOT of recall. That is awesome you function so independently (and comfortably!) fresh out of school. I certainly think your salary is *more* than fair! I'm making $120k, BUTTTTTT that is working full time PLUS a per diem job once/week at another hospital...total work 48-50 hours/week. No productivity bonus at all for me. I'd LOVE to make $116k and work 40 hours/week like you. Consider yourself fortunate... especially in this economy. I'm just curious, are you doing your own billing and lots of procedures or just high volume, high acuity patients? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookin2BaPA Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 baja, 120k is awesome, congrats! i'm curious to your location....i'm hoping you'll say texas so i can expect something like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
familygal Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I graduated last August and I am now working my first job as a Hospitalist PA with a small group. I round between a SNF and a community-based hospital, with some random clinic patients here and there. Overall, my days are 8 hours long with no weekends or call (unless I choose to help out and cover the SNF). Considering I am a relatively new graduate, I understand I am performing very well and very autonomously. I function pretty much as another doctor in the group. They are now getting into the ugly habit of using me wherever they can and want too. Since it is my first PA job I was uncertain what salary to take or how to negotiate for the job and now that I am working so independently, I am questioning whether I am being compensated appropriately or not. I was hoping someone out there could advise me whether I am in a good situation or not. Basically, I was started at an 80K base with option to collect bonus based on my productivity. It was set up that for anything I collect over 11K per month, I receive 50% of those collections. My first bonus check was 5K and my second was 3K. I think it will average about 3-5K per month at this point. If it was 3K per month, that would put my annual income at roughly 116K. My questions are: is this good? Is it competitive? Should I have arranged for a higher base and different collection threshold? Although it is nice to get a nice bonus check every month, I do feel stressed about having to make my numbers. My loans fall from grace in a few weeks. Any advice would be great. Thanks. 8 hrs per day....no weekends or call.....new grad.....$110k+ per year!? Are you kidding!? Take that and run with it. I'm jealous. New grads in my area of the country (southwest) make about an avg of $75,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn1122 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Basically, I was started at an 80K base with option to collect bonus based on my productivity. It was set up that for anything I collect over 11K per month, I receive 50% of those collections. My first bonus check was 5K and my second was 3K. I think it will average about 3-5K per month at this point. If it was 3K per month, that would put my annual income at roughly 116K. Any advice would be great. Thanks. Isn't the base salary of 75K - 80K the norm for a new PA? Anyone can make lots of money when there are monthly bonuses involved. Also, can someone explain how you get "bonus" money when you work in a hospital? Depending on the area of the hospital, isn't the amount of people you treat fixed on a daily basis? Do you get bonus checks in ER since people are in and out through out the day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftworthentpa Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Had a "recruiter" call me for a hospitalist position here in the Ft Worth area. "You only work 26 weeks a year! One week on and off the next week. Oh, the hours? 7-7 7 days a week. And it's $100,000 a year!" Hum, 84x26=2184. 100000/2184=$45.78. No vacation "cause you get two weeks off a month!" And no benefits/bonus potential. I told him they don't even work residents like that anymore. No thanks dingleberry. He really didn't understand why that was bad. Feel bad for any PA that thinks that's a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Savage Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I will make about 120 next year... but my call is like one and three, on top of one full weekend a month. I average about 80-90 hours a week. So I would say that is very nice my friend (even in an expensive area... as long as its not San Fransisco) Cheers man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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