Practice Manager Salary & Bonus Survey
Practice Manager Salary & Bonus Survey 2012
To celebrate another successful year in partnership with First Practice Management, our selected insurance partner Towergate MIA are proud sponsors again for the 2012 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 2012; we received over 1300 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. For the first time this year the number of responses from Northern Ireland have enabled us to publish a sub-set of salary information specifically relating to Northern Ireland.
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. Some responses were incomplete, and we were unable to analyse these fully within the tables, however where possible these responses may have been included at a “high level”, for example in total lines only, therefore total line values may not fully reflect the values above in some tables, but do add to the accuracy of the table figures overall. 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. NAS = “Not Analysed Separately.”
Changes in 2012
In all previous years the results for Northern Ireland have been included as part of the Scotland tables. The key reason for this has been the relatively low volume of data from Northern Ireland, and the consequent difficulty in producing meaningful summary data. The 2012 survey is the first year where the volume of replies has made it possible to produce a table sub-set specifically for Northern Ireland, and this appears in the survey, although the table itself is of more basic design. To maintain consistency, Northern Ireland results are still also included within Scotland results as they have been in previous years.
Total Incomes
The average manager’s income is now £38,758 – a reduction compared to £39,059 in 2011, and £37,800 in 2010, although there are substantial differences based on location and practice size.
Greater London remains consistently the top-paying region of the UK, with average total earnings of £42,263. 58% of respondents in Greater London earn £40,000 or over.
The Scotland and Northern Ireland regions have traditionally been the lowest paying regions however for 2012 this is now Wales (average £33,906), with Northern Ireland (£34253) and Scotland (£35,227) both showing significant increases over the year.
For smaller practices (<5000 patients) the average manager’s income is now £31589, and for the very largest practices (>14000 patients) the average is £47,491.
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. In 2011 the percentage showed a slight increase to just over 3.5%, and in 2012 a similar increase brings the percentage to 3.75%. The average list size for managers with partner status is 12865 compared to an average list size of all respondents of 8685.
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 as the variation is too wide, and so we simply based the results on responses from those who carried the title “Practice Manager” or similar, or who undertake a similar role.
UK Practice Manager salary survey designed and collated by David Stephen (IT) Design First Practice Management; September 2012