OBJECTIVES: The development of the healthcare professional (HCP) career model is priority issue from the point of view of safe patient care. In our research, we aimed to examine the average monthly income (AMI) of HCPs employed full-time in Hungary between 2004-2021.

METHODS: Data were derived from the database of the National Directorate General for Hospitals (OSAP Nr. 1626 data collection programme). HCP employed full-time in all public health institutions were included in our time-series analysis, for the period 2004-2021. We took into account the full-time HCPs of all public health institutions providing acute and/or chronic inpatient care. Each healthcare institution was grouped according to the type of institution and we calculated the average income weighted by types. We have also given our results in euros at the annual average exchange rates of the Hungarian National Bank.

RESULTS: The AMI of full-time HCPs in Hungary increased by 3.65 times between 2004-2021. In 2020, the AMI of HCPs at the national level was 447,956 Ft/1,276 €, while in 2021, it was 495,933 Ft/1,383 € (+11%). In 2021 this was 561,412 Ft/1,566 € (n=9; SD=88,395) in national institutes, 538,055 Ft/1,501 € (n=4; SD=33,149) in Clinical Centers, 536,196 Ft/1,496 € (n=8; SD=23,792) in capital hospitals, 473,044 Ft/1,319 € (n=17; SD=31,577) in county hospitals and 456,946 Ft/1,275 € (n=44; SD=53,697) in city hospitals. The difference between the highest and lowest AMI was 1.73 times in national institutes, 1.14 times in Clinical Centers, 1.14 times in capital hospitals, 1.25 times in county hospitals and 2.00 in city hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS: Between 2004-2021, the AMI of full-time HCPs in Hungary increased by 3.65 times. In 2021, the AMI of HCPs was the highest in national institutes. There is a great difference between the lowest and the highest income.