'I was offered $74 an hour': Penny-pinching hospital denies their top doctor a raise, he seeks another position and gets offered 3x the salary

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Nov 24, 2023 5:00 PM EST

A long time ago I was working for a small company in a niche industry. I represented 50% of the sales team and between me and my coworker, we balanced and managed a company making millions of dollars a year in sales revenue. Despite the herculean efforts between myself and my other coworker, we both took home a meager salary and made peanuts to the dollar. How is it normal that companies– even small ones –can finagle their team out of money that they're earning simply because of their title? 

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  • 01
    "I asked for a raise and was denied"
    via u/canva

  • Although every child growing up believes that doctor's are considered inherently successful, doctors are not immune to the effects of corporate greed. The higher ups, even in a hospital, seek to scrape a little off the top of every employees salary and despite doing all of the leg work, doctors and nurses often get the short end of the stick when it comes to their pay.

  • However, there is a way to combat penny-pinching managers, especially when you have the leverage to take your skills elsewhere. Scroll onward to read more about our next story, where a doctor gets denied a raise that would make his pay equivalent to others in his field, but uses the loss as an ultimate win, bringing home 3x the salary with a new company. 

  • 02
    r/antiwork. Posted by u/ZealousidealFail3179 3 hours ago D Denied a raise, took a job at the hospital down the street for 3x the pay
    via u/ZealousidealFail3179
  • 03
    I work in a small city with two hospitals. My field is very specialized and in demand. I was making 26 an hour which I thought was fair but then a market survey came out and it turns out the next city over, people in my field were pulling 50+ an hour.
    via u/ZealousidealFail3179
  • 04
    It was me and another guy who worked in my city in my field and he retired from the other hospital. I asked for a raise of 35 an hour and was denied. Applied to the other hospital and was offered 74 an hour Didn't give my two weeks. Stopped showing up to work and spent two weeks with my family and my newborn niece.
    via u/ZealousidealFail3179
  • 05
    SecureWriting8589 2 hr. ago Looks like they were "penny- wise but pound-foolish". Good on you!
    via u/SecureWriting8589
  • 06
    fadednz 2 hr. ago 74 an hour is crazy. What do you do on a day to day basis? Reply Share Vote ZealousidealFail3179 OP. 1 hr. ago Nuclear medicine. Administrating radioactice isotopes to patients to treat and diagnose diseases
    via u/fadednz
  • 07
    Capital_Routine6903 5 hr. ago Wooo hoooo Tip do not increase your lifestyle. This is your big chance to really build wealth. Make a plan and stick to it. Make sure to reward yourself and close family. 197 Reply Share Fbolanos 1 hr. ago Tip do not increase your lifestyle. They should improve their lifestyle a bit. they were severely underpaid before.
    via u/Capital_Routine6903
  • 08
    Ok Veterinarian3775 5 hr. ago Some major hospitals are so unbelievably cheap, others offer sign on bonuses of 10k if you stay there 2 years. In medical it's best to move around to make the most you can.
    via u/Ok_Veterinarian3775
  • 09
    therobshow 4 hr. ago I was given a 2% raise last year and told "it is what it is, everyone says the other companies pay more but they don't." I was one of the highest performers at my job and the best problem solver around. Statistically in the top percentile in the country. I applied for a very similar job
    via u/therobshow
  • 10
    elsewhere. Got an $72,000 a year RAISE (around 65% raise), with a full 8% 401k match (only had 3 at the old place), about the same in PTO, a better pension, and a significantly better place to live in a much more laid back environment doing less than a quarter of the work. You are for sale. You better shop around to get the highest price for you.
    via u/therobshow
  • 11
    kissyb 6 hr. ago This is how it's done, but personally, I would gladly submit my letter of resignation with immediate effect, accompanied by a smile to HR. 49 Reply Share Surrybee 4 hr. ago I'd have done the same thing, but only because apparently there are only two possible employers in town.
    via u/kissyb
  • 12
    LackOfHarmony · 5 hr. ago I did the same thing. Got tired of pay and being overworked. Now I do way less but get paid way more.It's a wonderful job and I told friends that work at my old job that I wouldn't go back there if they offered me more than I'm making now. Wasn't worth the stress.
    via u/LackOfHarmony
  • 13
    dvinz01 5 hr. ago Congratulations, you are doing life right. I wish you the best in your new job. P.S. Sometimes the bridges we burn light the way to our new path. 100 A
    via u/dvinz01
  • 14
    demons_soulmate - 3 hr. ago I work in a healthcare adjacent field and my coworker was obviously doing the work of more than one person. Management told her they were going to give her even more work and she asked for a raise of $1 per hour to take on that additional work. She was denied, so she quit and moved to a field completely unrelated. Management had to hire FIVE full- time staff to do the work she had been doing.
    via u/demons_soulmate
  • 15
    cervezaimperial 4 hr. ago Now we need to know how your old employer struggles with your leave, and beg you to come back at the same salary, and how they fail miserably trying to replace you still paying 26 per hour
    via u/cervezaimperial
  • 16
    ColossusOfKop · 4 hr. ago Well done! Who administered the survey? Seems like something your previous employer should have paid more attention to as well. Their loss! 3 Reply Share ebrowne0325. 3 hr. ago Good for you and congratulations! 666
    via u/ColossusOfKop
  • 17
    Moontouch 2 hr. ago Communist From 26 to 74 an hour is a head spinning salary increase. Your life wil change in a positive way.
    via u/Moontouch
  • 18
    Pmoneymatt 6 hr. ago I understand being upset about being underpaid. But I feel like working your 2 weeks out would benefit you just in case the new hospital ends up being beyond miserable and you need a job. I hear of this happening a lot in medicine specifically, of course I work with a lot of nurses which may be different than your field.
    via u/Pmoneymatt
  • 19
    SparkySailor 5 hr. ago For 3x the pay i'd be willing to put up with a lot 46 Reply Share Pmoneymatt 5 hr. ago I mean me too honestly, but you never know what torture coworkers or management might come up with.
    via u/SparkySailor
  • 20
    O mbspark77 This is the way 2 5 hr. ago Reply Share ultradianfreq. 4 hr. ago Props for taking the raise and extra extra props for spending two weeks with your fam.
    via u/mbspark77
  • 21
    trufas 2 hr. ago Capitalism had a 3x pay rise because of competition. Works so much Im only on top 1% of income world wide Vote so much that I just Reply Share TTVControlWarrior 4 hr. ago From close to min wage to 1% salary that nuts. Small towns rocks
    via u/trufas

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boss worker employee manager work coworkers working employees supervisor workplace coworker salary hospital doctor raise pay denied money
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