CMIO Compensation in Nonprofit Hospitals: A Longitudinal Study

In June 2024, BFMV analyzed Form 990 data filed by nonprofit hospitals and health systems across the country to find compensation paid to Chief Medical Informatics Officers (CMIOs). A CMIO is a licensed physician in a senior leadership role responsible for developing and implementing an organization’s clinical information systems. Form 990s include compensation data for officers, directors, trustees, and employees of an organization whose reportable compensation from the organization and related organizations exceeds certain thresholds for the tax year.

We found data for 73 CMIOs. The average annual compensation was $436,287. These numbers reflect significant increases from our previous studies of CMIO compensation conducted in 2023, 2020, and 2016. In 2023, we found that the average compensation across 52 CMIOS was $413,000. In 2020, we found data for 78 CMIOs, and the average compensation was $383,000. In 2016, the average compensation was $302,000 per year for 26 CMIOs.

On a per-bed basis, CMIO average compensation was $1,419. In 2023, it was $1,490, and in 2020, it was $1,173 per bed. Consistent with both 2023 and 2020, the 2024 data indicated an inverse relationship between compensation per bed and hospital bed size. Bed size refers to the number of staffed beds available for patients. These beds can be general medicine, surgery, or special care beds.

We found a positive correlation between the number of beds and CMIO compensation. On average, CMIOs working at larger hospitals were paid more (even though compensation per bed was lower, on average, at larger hospitals). This trend was consistent when we analyzed CMIO compensation as a function of hospital size in terms of revenue.

We found a positive correlation between the organization size in terms of revenue and CMIO compensation. Consistent with the conclusions we drew related to hospital bed size, on average, CMIOs working at hospitals with larger revenue bases were paid more.

Based on our research, the following points have held up since 2016:

• The CMIO position is here to stay at nonprofit hospitals in the US.

• CMIO compensation has been steadily increasing.

• Hospital size plays a role in how much CMIOs are paid, with larger hospitals paying more overall but with compensation per bed declining as bed size grows.