Few bonuses were paid to executives at some of the country's largest for-profit health systems in 2022 as hospital margins plummeted due to labor challenges, declining patient volumes, inflation and the rising costs of medical products. 

King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services executives saw their total compensation shrink by millions in 2022, in line with what other for-profit health systems reported, according to a proxy statement filed April 6 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Pharmaceutical and health insurance CEOs were among the highest-paid executives of the largest U.S. companies in 2022, according to Equilar. 

The average hourly pay for registered nurses in the U.S. is $42.80, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey, but wages can vary based on the cost of living in every state.

Physician pay increases have not kept up with inflation rates in recent years, with average physician compensation declining by 2.4 percent in 2022 — compared with an increase of 3.8 percent the prior year, according to Doximity's 2023 "Physician Compensation Report."

Oral and maxillofacial surgery was the specialty with the largest pay disparity between male and female physicians in 2022, according to Physicians Thrive's annual compensation report. 

Kentucky and Tennessee have the highest median salary for physicians, according to Physicians Thrive's "2023 Physician Compensation Report."

Orthopedic physicians receive the highest average incentive bonuses and pediatric specialists the lowest.

Male physicians earned $122,000 more on average than their female counterparts in 2022, according to Physicians Thrive's annual physician compensation report. 

Surgeons continue to be among the highest-paid physicians while pediatricians and those who practice family medicine remain among the lowest-paid specialists, according to Physicians Thrive's "2023 Physician Compensation Report."

The types of jobs available at hospitals vary widely, and so do the highest-paying states for those jobs. 

Researchers have confirmed a link between CEO pay and consumers' trust of their organizations, according to a series of studies published in the Journal of Business Ethics. 

Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health is offering registered nurses $3,000 to $15,000 sign-on bonuses to address staffing shortages at its hospitals in the state, The Piscataquis Observer reported May 5.

Despite economic uncertainty, the U.S.' highest-earning CEOs saw their pay climb in 2022, according to the 2023 edition of the Equilar 100.

Physician assistants across the U.S. saw an average salary increase of 4.3 percent to a base salary of $120,000, according to a report from the American Academy of Physician Associates that surveyed 12,180 in the field.

There's a $17,000 difference between the highest-paying and lowest-paying state for pharmacy technicians, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average weekly travel nurse pay in April in the U.S. was $2,529, down 12.76 percent from $2,899 during the same month in 2022, according to a report from Vivian Health, a national healthcare hiring marketplace.    

The following hospitals and health systems have announced or shared plans for raising workers' pay since April 10.

Pharmacists in the U.S. make an average of $129,410 annually, according to the latest data released April 25 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Per the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses in the U.S. earn an average of $89,010 annually. Registered nurses in California earn the highest average salary, coming in at $133,340. Hawaii is second at $113,220, flanked by Oregon at $106,610.