Recommendations on pay for new role as APC Supervisor and job satisfaction

[risktaker]

Hi all,

Would love some input on this. I have been working as a PA for about 9 years now. Numerous years of high acuity urgent care experience, ER experience, and small amount of occ med experience (hated it). 

I currently work for a large hospital system with a low acuity clinic wing where I currently work. There are roughly 18-20 APCs in the group with 6 locations.

 

I have been offered a position for APC supervisor where I would be .7 admin and .3 clinic work. Work about on average 35-40 hours a week between admin and clinic with 70% of that time being in admin. 

 

I would be making roughly 160k with opportunity to pick up more shifts in clinic and get paid hourly rate of $75 per hour for that. 

 

They are giving me a $10k stipend with which salary comes to 160k. With added shifts, could be 180-190k. 

 

Would get roughly 5 weeks PTO. 

 

Should I ask for a bigger stipend? This job would be relatively stress free from what I hear with occasional stressful periods like any job. I would mostly be working from home. Even some of the added clinic shifts I can choose to do as telemedicine. This is huge for me because I have a young child and would love to be home more often. 

 

However, I would need to answer a few calls a day during clinic hours which can go up to 8 pm weekdays and 5 pm weekends. Told would rarely receive calls after 5 pm on weekdays and rarely on weekends. These calls can be simple questions about what to do with patient care vs some admin issue in clinic. 

 

I would have the capability to climb the ladder in the hospital possibly with this admin role or so I am told. Medical director that I would be working with is awesome and willing to be a mentor. 

 

The big difference for me will be the learning curve of the position. I haven't really done admin work in the past. Seems like in this role, I would be working alongside leaders in different clinical areas within the hospital. I am sure overall, I will probably work more hours than I do as a clinician with a bit more stress, but way more control over my schedule. The current APC supervisor told me they work mon-thurs and have Fri-sun basically off besides taking some calls when they come in. 

 

Any thoughts on salary and the position itself? Anyone who also work in admin role, how do you like your job? Do you feel more job satisfaction than being a clinician only? Should I ask for more than 10k. I have spoken with other PAs in admin and supervisor role and they seem to still be working all clinic hours and doing their admin role on top. At least with this job, I have 70% of it designated to admin. Also, I wouldn't work Christmas or thanksgiving ever. 

 

I am in Southern California. Would appreciate any advice on this. Thank you! (Funniest thing is I made 180k per year 2 years out of PA school and salary has been going down since then, but my benefits at current job are amazing including excellent 401k match and insurance)

 

Also, I get a COLA raise every year of roughly 3%. 

 

Edit: I should have included My actual pay if you take into consideration hours worked is $95 per hour. But for hours paid beyond regular amount, they only pay us $75 per hours. Yes, weird but because it's salaried, that's how they do it. But I only work about 1689 hours a year right now. Also, this clinic is super low acuity. No procedures and hardly any musculoskeletal stuff. We only see rashes, coughs, colds, UTIs, STIs, do chest X-rays, and that's about it. No blood work. We can do point of care tests including blood glucose. 

Edited February 27 by risktaker

[EMEDPA]

You are being underpaid, but other than that, if you want to get into hospital administration this could be a good way to do so.  When I was the PA/NP lead of a community ED 25 years ago I ended up hating it because it was 100% clinical + 10% admin + mandatory meetings, etc. It was too much. I also wrote the schedule and ended up with the worst schedule every month. I lasted 2 years. The next guy lasted 3 months. 

[SedRate]

Sounds like a good opportunity for you. I can't speak to the pay or stress level, however, so will defer to someone else. 

[sas5814]

I, too, got 10% and hour for hour pay for admin responsibilities. My biggest headache was covering absences. If I couldn't find someone it fell to me to cover.

Its a good leg up to admin/leadership positions if you are so inclined.

[risktaker]

Thank you for the replies. I will most likely take the position and ask for an increased stipend and possible more CME money. If they don’t give a larger stipend, can try to get .8 admin and .2 clinic. Again, appreciate the replies and would love people in similar roles letting me know how it’s going. 
 

I agree that this could be a stepping stone to other bigger roles in the future where I could negotiate for a lot higher pay. 
 

Always thankful and grateful for my peers on this forum and the PA community. 

[Boatswain2PA]

On 2/26/2024 at 5:20 PM, EMEDPA said:

You are being underpaid, but other than that,

I don't know that $95/hr is underpaid for a very low acuity, low stress snot & sniffle clinic, especially when most of his (?) work is administrative.  I think he said they don't even do blood work other than POC glucose.

I'm seeing a lot of $45/hr job listings for things like that (minute clinics, etc), however I'm in a VLCOL area.

BTW E - planning a trip to drive up your coast this July.  Buy you a beer?

To the OP:  You also ask about job satisfaction.  Your moniker is "risktaker".  If that is accurate, then healthcare administration is often not congruent with your personality type. 

Edited February 28 by Boatswain2PA

[EMEDPA]

4 hours ago, Boatswain2PA said:

I don't know that $95/hr is underpaid

BTW E - planning a trip to drive up your coast this July.  Buy you a beer?

 

I was basing that on the $75/hr they mentioned.

Sure, let's try to make that beer happen.

[Farafish260]

On 2/26/2024 at 5:45 PM, risktaker said:

Hi all,

Would love some input on this. I have been working as a PA for about 9 years now. Numerous years of high acuity urgent care experience, ER experience, and small amount of occ med experience (hated it). 

I currently work for a large hospital system with a low acuity clinic wing where I currently work. There are roughly 18-20 APCs in the group with 6 locations.

 

I have been offered a position for APC supervisor where I would be .7 admin and .3 clinic work. Work about on average 35-40 hours a week between admin and clinic with 70% of that time being in admin. 

 

I would be making roughly 160k with opportunity to pick up more shifts in clinic and get paid hourly rate of $75 per hour for that. 

 

They are giving me a $10k stipend with which salary comes to 160k. With added shifts, could be 180-190k. 

 

Would get roughly 5 weeks PTO. 

 

Should I ask for a bigger stipend? This job would be relatively stress free from what I hear with occasional stressful periods like any job. I would mostly be working from home. Even some of the added clinic shifts I can choose to do as telemedicine. This is huge for me because I have a young child and would love to be home more often. 

 

However, I would need to answer a few calls a day during clinic hours which can go up to 8 pm weekdays and 5 pm weekends. Told would rarely receive calls after 5 pm on weekdays and rarely on weekends. These calls can be simple questions about what to do with patient care vs some admin issue in clinic. 

 

I would have the capability to climb the ladder in the hospital possibly with this admin role or so I am told. Medical director that I would be working with is awesome and willing to be a mentor. 

 

The big difference for me will be the learning curve of the position. I haven't really done admin work in the past. Seems like in this role, I would be working alongside leaders in different clinical areas within the hospital. I am sure overall, I will probably work more hours than I do as a clinician with a bit more stress, but way more control over my schedule. The current APC supervisor told me they work mon-thurs and have Fri-sun basically off besides taking some calls when they come in. 

 

Any thoughts on salary and the position itself? Anyone who also work in admin role, how do you like your job? Do you feel more job satisfaction than being a clinician only? Should I ask for more than 10k. I have spoken with other PAs in admin and supervisor role and they seem to still be working all clinic hours and doing their admin role on top. At least with this job, I have 70% of it designated to admin. Also, I wouldn't work Christmas or thanksgiving ever. 

 

I am in Southern California. Would appreciate any advice on this. Thank you! (Funniest thing is I made 180k per year 2 years out of PA school and salary has been going down since then, but my benefits at current job are amazing including excellent 401k match and insurance)

 

Also, I get a COLA raise every year of roughly 3%. 

 

Edit: I should have included My actual pay if you take into consideration hours worked is $95 per hour. But for hours paid beyond regular amount, they only pay us $75 per hours. Yes, weird but because it's salaried, that's how they do it. But I only work about 1689 hours a year right now. Also, this clinic is super low acuity. No procedures and hardly any musculoskeletal stuff. We only see rashes, coughs, colds, UTIs, STIs, do chest X-rays, and that's about it. No blood work. We can do point of care tests including blood glucose. 

I would ask for a higher base salary. I am a PA in hospital med. I did 1 year post graduate training "residency" in HM and my current job pays 145K, with all the other benefits etc. plus a 7$/hr raise if I stay for 3 years. I do not do any admin work. Except for my residency I have no years of experience as a PA. I work in very affordable state, nothing like Cali or NY. So my salary goes a long way. I'm also salaried and I can leave early or come in late within an hour. If I stay later than 30 min I bill at 73$/hr. Ask for more pay. The admin work alone justifies a base of at least 180K. Don't get tricked into them saying you can pick up more hours for a 75hr etc. no one should have to work that much. Honestly, I'd want at least 200K to supervise PAs. Docs break 300K easy when they get into admin. NPs can get up in the 200K also when they do. PAs in admin in my opinion are horribly under paid. You'll be over worked and exhausted and bitter after a while. But if you want the leadership experience for your resume go for it.