Q&A: Health-care executives' salaries

Q: I'm looking for compensation information for a practice's chief executive officer, chief operating officer, administrator, and practice manager. What is a fair salary for these positions?

Q: Compensation varies by location, practice size, and experience, but the Medical Group Management Association's latest management compensation survey provides an excellent starting point for your question. According to the survey, a CEO/executive director averaged about $193,000 in 2007, up 4 percent from the previous year. Chief operating officers averaged about $125,000, a 13 percent year-over-year jump. Large-practice administrators (26 physicians or more) averaged $119,000, but that number dropped 13 percent from the prior year. An administrator for a small practice (six or fewer physicians) averaged about $82,000, up 4 percent. Finally, office managers averaged about $50,000, an increase of 2 percent from the prior year.