PRACTICE
MANAGER SALARY & BONUS SURVEY 2011
To celebrate another successful year in partnership with First Practice Management, our selected insurance partner Towergate MIA are proud sponsors again for the 2011 FPM Practice Managers' Salary Survey.
Towergate MIA, one of the leading insurance specialists for medical, dental and caring professionals, continue to work with FPM to provide FPM members with high quality service and special member benefits for surgery, locum, home and travel insurance.
If you would like help with a quotation, more information or expert advice about the range of services they offer, call Towergate MIA direct on 0800 013 7777.
Alternatively email info@towergate.co.uk, or visit their website at www.towergatemia.co.uk The advisors at Towergate MIA will be very happy to help you. |
Introduction
to the survey
Our survey of Practice Managers' salaries in the UK took place in August and September 2011; we received over 1100 responses representing nearly 13% of the Practice Managers in the UK. The results are analysed by Region as well as nationally, and cover basic salary and bonus.
Methodology
All averages, numbers etc. are calculated directly from source data - there are no "averages of averages", therefore "total" lines are actual averages for the region or category, and are not averages or additions of the data lines above. Similarly, all data used relating to previous years for comparison is derived from source. Large percentage variances reported from previous year figures may often reflect significant movement of small amounts, especially where a sample size is relatively small.
Some
other points about the methodology
- Responses
are linked to counties based on postcode
-
Counties are grouped into broad geographical “Regions”
for analysis only
-
County groups within regions are based on proximity
- In
some of the bonus boxes the figure “nil” is entered –
this means that there were no declared bonuses in that category
-
Where “NAS” is used that is because there were not enough
responses in that category or location to ensure that we could protect
the anonymity of Managers.
Total Incomes
The average manager's income is now £39,060 compared to £37,800 in 2010, and £36,925 in 2009, although there are substantial differences based on location and practice size.
Greater London remains the top-paying region of the UK, with average total earnings of £43,580, and nearly 71% of managers earning £40,000 or over. The South East region historically follows closely behind this, and again this year it retains second place recording an average total income for its managers of £41,000.
The Scotland and Northern Ireland region is traditionally the lowest paying region with average total earnings at £33,125 reflects the demographic of the Region which has the highest number of small practices in the UK amongst the survey respondents, with 41% of the practices who responded having less than 5000 patients.
For smaller practices (<5000 patients) the average manager's income is now £32,235 (2010 - £31,570), and for the very largest practices (>14000 patients) the average is £46,770 (2010 - £46,710), showing little change from last year.
Bonuses
Bonus payments have been in a steady decline for the last few years, with 2011 being the first year since 2007 to show an increase at 13.62% over 2010. There is evidence that some managers have received a bonus payment rather than a pay increase, as the compound effect of a salary rise over future years is avoided (Editor's note: one-off bonus payments are not pensionable and therefore employer's contributions do not apply, and bonus payments do not add to salary as the basis of percentage rises in subsequent years).
Managers as Partners
The FPM / Towergate MIA Practice Manager Salary Survey in 2010 was the first year to include an overview of the income of Managers as Partners in their practices. From the responses received then, less than 3% of Managers had Partner status. This year the percentage shows a slight increase to just over 3.5%.
Prevalence is towards the medium to larger sized practices but this is not exclusive. 70% of managers with partner status work in practices with over 8000 patients. Total average earnings by those managers with Partner status is £53,695, substantially higher than for non-partner responders, and at a level up by 11% from last year. For the largest practices (>14000 patients) the average manager / partner income is circa £60,000 and this compares with non-partner manager income of £46,770. The findings are analysed within the Salary Index.
Responsibilities
of the post of 'Practice Manager'
There
is of course the hugely vexed question of the responsibilities a post
carries, which has the title “Practice Manager”. We know
responsibilities range widely. While it was suggested to us that we
should first agree and define the responsibilities, we concluded that
this was simply not possible for our purposes, and so we simply based
the results on responses from those who carried the title “Practice
Manager” or similar.
Go
to the survey
UK
Practice Manager salary survey designed and collated by
David
Stephen (IT) Design for First Practice Management;
September 2011
