8 Salary Changes in 2022

Staff nurse salaries went up by almost $4,000 on average in 2022, while nurse executive salaries dropped $1,700, according to results from AORN’s 20th annual salary survey published in the December issue of AORN Journal. Survey results also showed ambulatory nurse salary and surgical volume both increased.  

AORN’s 2022 Salary Survey findings come from 2,557 member and non-member perioperative nurses in frontline and administrative roles across all care settings who were surveyed in June about compensation, benefits and work environments.

Here are eight ways the salary situation changed for perioperative nurses in 2022:

1. Salary Went Up for Staff Nurses, Down for Leaders

Staff nurses’ average base compensation was up by almost $4,000 more annually in 2022 at $79,400, a help after last year’s salary dip at $75,600. Unfortunately, nurse leaders in VP, assistant VP, director, and assistant director did not see more of the modest bump they received in 2021, instead their compensation went down to $123,600 ($1,700 less than 2021 and $100 less than in 2020).

Compared to the 2.5% average compound rate of inflation in 2022, the survey results show nurses in leadership roles were paid slightly below inflation at a compound annual growth rate of 2.0%, while staff nurse salary was close to the average inflation rate at a 2.4% compound annual growth rate. This is a dip for both roles compared to 2021 numbers that saw all nursing roles’ pay slightly above the inflation rate.

2. ASC Pay, Volume Went Up

While staff nurse pay for those working in a freestanding ambulatory surgery center has historically been lower than pay for acute care staff periop nurses, pay for the two settings was not significantly different in 2022. For comparison, freestanding ASC pay was lower by $8,500 in 2021 and lower by $5,600 in 2020.

Surgical volume significantly shifted to the ASC setting at a 39% increase. This is the largest single year bump in volume to ASCs found in the last five years of salary survey results.

3. Pacific Region Nurses Still Earned the Most

Regional pay differences mirrored 2021 numbers with nurses working in California, Oregon, and Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii still paid the highest at $21,000 above average national base compensation rates. Also like in 2021, compensation was up for nurses working in Mid-Atlantic states (New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, District of Columbia) who earned $19,000 above average and New England states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts) earning $14,300 more. Mountain States (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico) also saw a continued trend of higher pay by $6,100.

Differences in pay by state were also compared to cost of living. Nurses in Texas look to be in a good financial position with pay $9,500 higher than average and cost of living eight points below the national average.

4. Salary Pay Was Higher Than Hourly Pay

There hasn’t been a significant difference in salary versus hourly pay in previous years’ survey results. However, in 2022 nurses paid on salary earned $2,250 more on average in annual compensation than nurses paid on an hourly basis.

5. Call Pay Went Up

Median on-call dollar-per-hour pay went up to $4.50—up from $3.50 per hour for the past six years of survey results. More than half of nurses surveyed received time-and-a-half of base pay if they called in, while 12% received straight-time pay if they worked less than 40 hours that week and time-and-a-half pay if they worked more than 40 hours.

6. Overtime Pay, Hiring Bonuses Are Common Additional Pay Sources

Nurses are increasingly working beyond 40 hours per week, with 78% of 2022 respondents working overtime, up from 77% in 2021 and 72% in 2020. Among all respondents who reported working overtime, 69% received time-and-a-half pay for hours exceeding 40 per week.

Among the 14% of respondents who secured hiring bonuses this year, nearly half (48%) received a hiring bonus of $10,000 or more—a 9% increase in the percentage of hiring bonuses at this monetary level from 2021.

Benefits also showed modest bumps for earned time off, 401(K) contributions and reimbursement for professional association membership fees.

7. Compensation, Burnout Top Reasons for Wanting to Quit

Among 34% of surveyed nurses who are likely to quit their jobs, 52% said they want to leave because they are dissatisfied with their salary (up 17% from 2020), followed by dissatisfaction with employer and culture at 41%. Burnout was the reason 38% of surveyed nurses could quit their job (an 11% increase from 2020). Only 12% of these nurses said they would quit because they are tired of the profession.

8. Travel Nursing and Nurse Turnover

Travel nursing was discussed more in the comments of survey respondents than in previous years’ survey results. Travel nurse-related comments suggested a problematic cycle of dissatisfied nurses leaving their positions, which are filled by travel nurses; then resentment grows among remaining nurses asked to train the higher-paid travel nurses—this leads to staff dissatisfaction and turnover.

Some nurses suggested a loyalty bonus or other compensation strategy could be a beneficial solution to stem this cycle and retain perioperative nurses.

How did your paycheck potential change?

AORN members have free access to the AORN Salary Calculator that includes these 2022 salary survey results and can help negotiate pay.

Access the Salary Calculator and read the complete 2022 salary survey results in the December issue of AORN Journal.