ACDIS update: CDI is in a hiring boom, 2021 Salary Survey shows

Since ACDIS conducted its first CDI Salary Survey, respondents have incrementally reported higher annual salaries. Given the state of the world, and healthcare specifically, it wouldn’t be surprising to see less drastic gains in compensation and benefits over the past few years.

Yet with more than 900 respondents, the 2021 CDI Salary Survey results show that the CDI industry is starting to bounce back from pandemic-related cuts and even grow in some cases. In 2021, the largest portion of survey respondents (19.09%) reported making $90,000– $99,999 annually, slightly up from last year when only 16.80% of respondents fell into that category.

Those landing in the next largest bracket—$80,000–$89,999—decreased from 20.04% in 2020 to 18.48% in 2021. (See Figure 1.) The highest earning brackets (combining brackets of $100,000 or more per year) rose by over five percentage points in 2021, making up 42.35% of all respondents (versus 37.24% in 2020, 32.99% in 2019, and 28.15% in 2018). The percentage of those in the lowest salary bracket—$59,999 or less—remained nearly flat year-over-year (2.57% in 2021 versus 2.75% in 2020).

Regardless of where you fall in these salary brackets, the data in this report can help you take the next step in your CDI career and, if you’re in a leadership role, ensure you’re paying your staff well, according to Kerry Seekircher, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CDI director at Northwell Health-Northern Westchester Hospital and Phelps Hospital in Westchester County, New York.

“This is a valuable tool to help us ensure that we’re compensating appropriately. We can take this back, partner with our leadership and with HR,” she says. “We know that our team members and job candidates are well aware of what the salaries are out there, and we want to keep this in mind as part of our retention and recruitment strategy.” 

Click here to download the full report to read all the findings!