Important Notice: NCRA has changed the name of its credential. Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) is the new name for the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) credential. Please note that any reference to the CTR credential should be understood to be the ODS credential. For more information regarding the name change, visit ODS Name Change. 

Salary Considerations for Cancer Registrars: 2022

NCRA has released its Salary Considerations for Cancer Registrars: 2022 to provide registrars and human resource departments with accurate and timely salary information to inform the hiring practices of cancer registrars.  The salary data was collected in 2022 as part of the most recent Role Delineation Study (RDS) of cancer registry professionals. NCRA’s Council on Certification conducts a Role Delineation Survey every five years to inform the process of updating the test content for the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR®) exam.

In addition to questions about the skills, activities, and job tasks of cancer registry professionals across the range of registry roles and settings, the 2022 RDS contained questions about the demographic characteristics of respondents, including education level, income, benefits, and employer information. NCRA used the data to conduct further analyses of demographic and job characteristics related to income within the cancer registry workforce.

The Salary Considerations for Cancer Registrars: 2022 presents the 2022 survey results and compares the data collected from the 2017 Role Delineation Survey. While the comparisons show increases from 2017 to 2022, the analysis does not reflect the impact that high inflation causes. NCRA added an Inflation Impact on Wages and Salaries section to the report to help cancer registrars better understand the impact inflation has on real salaries and wages. Registrars are encouraged to use the salary data and inflation analysis as they negotiate future compensation packages.

Key survey findings:

• Respondent average annual salaries increased from $71,429 to $82,683 from 2017 to 2022 – a 15.8% increase.
• Respondent average mean hourly wage increased from $26.09 to $30.61 from 2017 to 2022 – a 17.3% increase.
• Respondents who hold the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) credential have a 9.5% higher hourly wage than non-CTRs. CTRs reported a mean hourly wage of $30.75; non-CTRs reported a mean hourly wage of $28.07.
• On average, cancer registrars/abstractors are salaried at $60,644 compared to mid-management positions (analyst/coordinator/supervisor/consultant) at $75,627, or about 25% more than cancer registrars/abstractors. Registry managers/directors make $98,230 annually on average, or about 30% more than mid-management and 62% more than registrars/abstractors.
• Respondents who primarily work in the Western region have the highest average incomes at $37.06 for hourly wage workers and $94,709 for salaried workers, while those respondents who primarily work in the South/Southwest have the lowest average incomes at $28.62 for hourly wage workers and $73,951 for salaried workers. Respondents in the West earn 29.5% higher hourly wages and 28.1% higher annual salaries than respondents from the South/Southwest.

Additional Resources

Human Resources: A Fact Sheet on Cancer Registrars and the Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) Credential

NCRA’s fact sheet on cancer registries and the work of cancer registrars can be shared with human resources departments to outline the work of registrars and the value of the Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) credential. Download the HR Fact Sheet.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) for Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars - SOC 29-9021

To assist NCRA members in self-advocating for the proper classification of their position, NCRA created a fact sheet to explain the current classification by the Department of Labor of the cancer registry profession and the importance to workforce planning, recruitment, and retention. It is important that facilities are using the Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars Standard Occupational Classification number 29-9021 to accurate capture salary information for cancer registrars. Please download this document and share with your program administrator or HR department.

Workforce Resources and Research

HR FACT SHEET

Standard Occupational Classification