CALIFORNIA FACULTY TOTAL COMPENSATION STUDY
Why This Study Matters
California faces a persistent and growing nursing workforce crisis, one that is deeply linked to the ability of academic institutions to recruit and retain qualified nursing faculty. A critical gap exists in our collective understanding of how total compensation compares between academic and clinical settings, across different institution types, and across California’s diverse regional labor markets.
The FTC Study goes beyond base salary to capture the full picture of compensation — including benefits, supplemental pay, retirement contributions, paid leave, and professional development support — across both academic (faculty) and service (clinical) nursing roles.
Without this data, nursing programs, health systems, and policymakers are limited in their ability to develop evidence-based strategies to address workforce shortages. Your participation changes that.
What We Are Asking of You
We are inviting HR leaders, Chief Nursing Officers, Deans, and Program Directors to complete the California Total Compensation Scaffolding Survey. The survey is designed to be efficient and flexible:
- Stratified by workforce sector. You will only be asked questions relevant to your setting (Academic/Faculty or Service/Clinical, or both).
- Accommodates ranges. Exact figures are welcome but not required — ranges are accepted where precise data is unavailable.
- Role-specific. Structured around Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty, Lecturers, Adjunct Faculty, Clinical Faculty, Staff RN, Nurse Educators, Nurse Managers, APRNs, and more.
- Approximately 30 minutes to complete. We highly recommend completing this survey with your Benefits or HR partner.
What Your Data Contributes
- A statewide Faculty Total Compensation Calculator for regional benchmarking
- Evidence-based policy recommendations for nursing faculty recruitment and retention
- Comparative analysis of compensation equity across institution types and regions
- Resources to support your institution’s own workforce planning and advocacy
Confidentiality & Data Use
All data collected will be used solely for the purposes of this study.
Institutional responses will be aggregated and reported at the geographical labor market and statewide level only.
No individual institution will be identified in any public report without explicit consent.
How to Participate
Please complete the survey within 10 business days. A PDF guide to the survey has been provided for reference.
Please view the applicable PDF: Academia OR Service
Questions? Contact our team at HealthImpact, we are happy to schedule a brief call to walk through the survey with you.
Survey Structure at a Glance
| Section | Academic / Faculty Settings | Service / Clinical Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Section A | Institution & Program Information | Institution & Facility Information |
| Section B | Faculty Role Types & Compensation | Clinical Role Types & Compensation |
| Section C | Benefits & Employer Contributions | Benefits & Employer Contributions |
| Section D | Supplemental Pay (Overload, Stipends, Summer) | Supplemental Pay (OT, Differentials, Bonuses) |
| Section E | Leave Policies (Vacation, Sick, Holiday) | Leave Policies (Vacation, Sick, Holiday) |
| Section F | Professional Development & Tuition Support | Professional Development & Tuition Support |
Your participation is critical to the success of this work. The nursing workforce challenges facing California require bold, data-driven action, and this study is a meaningful step toward building the evidence base our profession needs.
Program Director, HealthImpact
ali@healthimpact.org
President & CEO, HealthImpact
garrett@healthimpact.org