DOES INCREASING YOUR CERTIFICATIONS INCREASE YOUR SALARY?

It is highly likely that many of you in this profession have asked this question. You may be lucky that your organization is on the Magnet goal structure, which involves companies increasing one's salary as he or she attains more certifications. One may also want to expand his or her job prospects or demonstrating their expertise with certifications. However, costs, time and stress are always involved in becoming certified. Some researchers have started to pint out how certification may help close the gender pay gap in nursing.

Do men make more money than women do?

Previous research studies like in the Nurse.com 2018 Nursing Salary Research Report, found, like most researchers have, that men make more money than women. Understandably, many individuals feel they know why that is the case. So Nurse.com by OnCourse Learning conducted a salary survey to help sort through the weeds to get a clearer picture. It was a recent discovery statistically that the report, which was carried, was actually true to their saying. The report suggests men worked a little more than one extra hour on average per week and were less educated, fewer were certified and they had a shorter tenure in nursing yet made significantly more ($79,688) than women ($73,090). Men were more likely to negotiate salary, but it had no statistical significance either on salary.

Many researchers have pointed out how even taking into account the total hours worked, years of nursing experience such as age, education level, and certification status, it is still obvious that men are still making more money than women. Nurse.com Executive Vice president and chief clinical executive in a statement about how salary is the most important factor for nurses across all demographics shared the same sentiments above. It is a growing trend that is not only seen in the nursing sector but also in the healthcare industry. There is usually a double-digit percentage difference between women and the men.

Medscape and HIMSS also conducted research and submitted reports where it revealed the number of male primary physicians that earned nearly eighteen percent more than their female counterparts. The same report also showed the percentage of what men in specialties earned compared to the women this year. An average of $358,000 versus $263,000 for women was evidence that a gap of more than $100,000 is visible.

Certification is an imperative way of assisting one in closing the salary gap for women in the nursing field. This has implications for both men and women. Men, who might make more, why should they care? Salary should be equal regardless of gender identity, different only for education attainable in nursing and certification.

The Nurse.com salary report did demonstrate men are more likely to consider changing positions than women. Research shows anyone who sticks with the same employer for more than two years costs the employee 50% or higher in their lifetime wages. According to the report from Nurse.com, men were more likely to negotiate salary than women. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an individual effect.

Additionally, many women have said they do not know the salary range for the jobs for which they have applied and are interviewing. Quite often most of them are afraid to ask or feel that they do not want to give the new employer the feeling that money is the most important factor. Money is a motivation, and it is okay to ask for a rise. Brent MacWilliams wanted more corporations to assess their workforce and raise some of the staffs’ salaries creating equality.