MDS Coordinators Just Beat Nursing Home Executives for the Biggest Raises This Year

Washington, D.C. — In a surprising twist to the nursing home compensation landscape, MDS coordinators have emerged as the top earners of 2026 salary increases, outpacing even executive directors and CEOs.

According to industry reports, MDS coordinators saw their average pay jump by 4.25% in facilities reporting data for both 2025 and 2026. That marks the largest increase among any position tracked in the annual Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Services survey, which covers more than 111,000 employees across 917 nursing homes nationwide.

The raise pushes the national average salary for MDS coordinators to approximately $92,666, with some sources citing figures closer to $93,302. But the real headline is regional. In the Pacific region, the top-paid MDS group averaged more than $125,000 — a figure that puts them firmly in executive territory.

Why MDS Coordinators Are Winning

The outsized raises reflect growing recognition of just how critical these roles have become. MDS coordinators manage the Minimum Data Set assessments that determine Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. Their work directly impacts a facility’s revenue, making them among the most financially consequential non-executive positions in skilled nursing.

“It’s been a non-stop ebb and flow of rate increases since COVID,” said Rosanne Zabka, director of reports at HCS. “After each of the departments received their increases, last year the top executives finally saw an increase.”

But this year, the data tells a different story. While executive directors and CEOs did see meaningful raises — 4.08% on average, bringing their salaries to roughly $173,884 — they couldn’t match the MDS coordinators’ gains.

The Bigger Picture

The findings come from the 2025-2026 Nursing Home Salary & Benefits Report, published in cooperation with LeadingAge and supported by the American Health Care Association. The report is widely regarded as the industry standard for compensation benchmarking.

For operators, the data signals a shift in how facilities value different roles. As financial pressures facing operators continue to mount, accurate MDS documentation has become increasingly vital to maintaining revenue streams. Facilities appear to be putting their money where their margins are.

The raises also reflect a tightening labor market for specialized clinical staff. MDS coordinators require specific certifications and expertise in regulatory compliance — skills that aren’t easily replaced. As one industry observer noted, when your reimbursement depends on someone’s paperwork, you pay them accordingly.

For nursing home leaders, the report offers a clear takeaway: the back-office roles that drive revenue are starting to command the compensation traditionally reserved for the front office.