Health IT Field Growing Quickly According To Professional Survey

By Jeremiah Shea, contributing writer

By Jeremiah Shea, contributing writer

HIT professionals can rest comfortably knowing that over the next decade, the field is only expected to grow. According to survey data from 404 respondents compiled by Bisk Education in conjunction with USF Health’s Morsani College Of Medicine, HIT trends are by and large, pointing upwards.

Key Findings

• Job satisfaction is high: According to the survey job satisfaction looks strong with 140 respondents indicating they were very satisfied working in health informatics, with only 18 describing themselves as being very dissatisfied. The data showed a correlation between education and job happiness levels — respondents who had advanced degrees were more likely to indicate higher levels of satisfaction, or at least that they were somewhat satisfied.
• Advanced degrees pay off: As expected, the correlation with advanced degrees extends to compensation. The survey found that earning additional credentials (such as professional certifications) roughly doubled the chances that a respondent earned more than $130,000 annually. Of the respondents, 43 (29 percent) said they made over $130,000 while only 12 percent who did not have credentials reported falling in the same income bracket. Women came in with the most certifications, with 232 reporting holding credentials compared to 150 of their male counterparts.
• Salaries remain strong: As hard as it can be to evaluate pay in a field when factoring in variables including education, location, experience, and job title (more than 303 were named by respondents), the survey found that the majority of professionals involved reported salaries over $80,000.
• Things look stable: Of the professionals who responded, more than 100 had over 10 years of experience. Additionally, experienced professionals exhibited long and stable careers, with 160 of those responding having worked in their current role between six and ten years.
• Health informatics is booming in Florida: A full quarter of the respondents hailed from the Sunshine state, but still, every major region in the U.S. showed strong populations, with Indiana, Washington State, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico standing out the most.
• Everyone is optimistic: Those currently working in HIT expect to see career growth over the next five years, with 337 respondents seeing a positive future, and only 41 percent who did not.

About The Survey
The survey questioned 404 currently employed professionals and asked questions around salaries, job satisfaction, education level, credentials, and job type. You can view the full infographic here.