Samaritan Health Implements Significant Minimum Wage Increase

Published on: August 18, 2021

Investment made in response to changing market conditions and to be a leader in the region to support staffing, recruitment and retention efforts at all Samaritan Health facilities

Watertown, N.Y. – Samaritan Health today announced it is adopting a $15.00 minimum wage benefitting approximately 1,300 current employees and all new hires. The new standard raises current and starting wages by 19%. Employees working the evening and night shift will receive an additional compensating differential.

Samaritan is actively hiring staff to join the health system, recruiting talent from throughout the region and beyond. The health system has seen a 50% increase in open positions since the end of 2020, as staffing needs have grown rapidly.

“Our workforce has shown tremendous resilience, going above and beyond to serve the health care needs of our community,” said Thomas H. Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan Health. “We have instituted a substantial increase in our minimum wage from $12.61 to $15.00, allowing Samaritan to deliver continued outstanding care by ensuring we retain our talent while attracting new staff.”

Job openings at Samaritan include positions in food service, environmental services, registration, billing, office support, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and more. Interested candidates should visit samaritanhealth.com/careers.

“Beyond our competitive wages, Samaritan provides excellent benefits packages that exceed what most regional employers offer,” Carman added. “Our employees receive paid time off, employer-contributed retirement, health insurance and more. We also provide pathways to new opportunities that help our staff advance and grow their careers, offering generous tuition assistance benefits and on-the-job training to help employees reach the next level. Health care is a field where you can make a real difference in people’s lives and it can be an incredibly rewarding career path. We hope this significant investment in our workforce motivates more members of our community to consider a position in health care.”

Wage increases will be implemented immediately. Samaritan employees will still be eligible for merit-based wage increases throughout the year.