Since December 2025, the following hospitals and health systems have said they plan to raise their workers’ pay.
Editor’s note: This webpage was published Jan. 9 and is updated regularly. It was last updated Oct. 12.
October
1. Workers represented by SEIU District 1199 ratified a three-year labor contract Oct. 8, ending a strike that began Sept. 23. The agreement includes wage increases totaling nearly 11%, an additional 50 cents per hour for employees with six or more years of service, new certification pay, a ratification bonus and higher shift differentials, according to the union.
September
2. More than 600 nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore ratified their first union contract Sept. 19. The three-year agreement includes a 5% to 6% pay increase over three years, along with provisions related to floating, mandatory overtime, staffing and workplace violence prevention, according to the National Nurses Organizing Committee.
3. Hartford HealthCare will raise its minimum wage to $20 an hour Dec. 27, affecting about 4,000 employees. An additional 4,000 employees will receive pay adjustments to address wage compression resulting from the increase.
4. State College, Pa.-based Mount Nittany Medical Center and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania ratified a new three-year labor contract covering union-represented employees. The agreement includes general wage increases of 3% in each of the first two years and 2% in the third year, along with additional pay increases for employees in 22 job classifications, according to the medical center.
5. Registered nurses at Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, Calif., ratified their first union contract after voting to unionize in June. The agreement includes an average wage increase of 13%, weekend differential and extra-shift bonuses, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.
6. More than 1,000 workers at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Ore., ratified their first union contract Sept. 3. The agreement establishes a $22-an-hour wage floor and includes access to an education fund that provides support for tuition, study materials and wages, according to SEIU Local 49. The contract also establishes a joint labor-management service staffing committee with 10 worker seats.
August
7. Registered nurses at Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Medical Center’s University Campus ratified a three-year contract that includes across-the-board raises of 3.25% effective April 2025, 3% in April 2026 and 3% in April 2027, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The nearly 1,800 nurses will also receive full retroactive pay dating to April 6, 2025.
8. A contract covering more than 500 resident and fellow physicians represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU Healthcare at New York City-based One Brooklyn Health was ratified Aug. 13, with 99% of voting members in favor, according to the union. The agreement includes a 14.5% wage increase over three years, retroactive pay to Jan. 1, 2026, an increase in professional education benefits to $1,350, and increased ride service reimbursement. It runs retroactive to Nov. 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2028.
July
9. A first systemwide contract covering about 6,400 interns, residents and fellows across the University of California system was ratified July 31, with 99.8% of voting members in favor, according to the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU Healthcare. The agreement replaces eight separate location-based contracts and includes an 18% salary increase, preservation of fertility benefits, improved access to radiation exposure equipment, immigrant patient protections and improvements to address emergency room capacity.
10. Resident physicians and fellows at Philadelphia-based Temple University Health System and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals ratified their first labor contracts. The agreements, which cover about 2,200 physicians, include “substantial wage increases” and increased investment in resident education, according to the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU Healthcare.
11. Employees of Sterling, Ill.-based CGH Medical Center ratified their first union contract July 13-15 after five years of negotiations. The three-year agreement includes wage increases of at least 9.75%, two additional paid days off per year, no increase in health insurance premiums in 2026, and limits on the use of temporary out-of-town workers when regular staff are available, according to AFSCME Council 31.
12. Nearly 600 nurses at Maple Grove (Minn.) Hospital, part of North Memorial Health, ratified a new three-year contract July 23, according to the Minnesota Nurses Association. The contract includes guaranteed pay raises, double-time pay after 13 consecutive hours worked, increased employer 401(k) matching up to 6% and stronger job security protections. The agreement runs through Aug. 31, 2029. North Memorial Health became part of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health on Sept. 1.
13. Skilled maintenance workers employed by MedSpace Services at six Prime Healthcare-owned Illinois hospitals ratified new collective bargaining agreements, canceling a planned strike. According to the International Union of Operating Engineers, the contracts restore seniority-based vacation accruals, raise wages toward market standards and include retroactive pay.
14. Resident physicians and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston ratified their first union contract, securing a 13% overall compensation increase, 12 weeks of parental leave, and a $15,000 annual budget for a Resident Wellbeing Committee, according to the Committee of Interns and Residents. The three-year agreement runs through June 30, 2029.
15. Nurses at Good Samaritan University Hospital/St. Charles Campus in Port Jefferson, N.Y., ratified a new three-year contract with 91% voting in favor, according to the New York State Nurses Association. The agreement includes annual base wage increases of 4%, 3% and 4% over three years, improved enforceable safe staffing standards and new workplace violence protections including personal panic buttons.
16. Registered nurses at Hemet Global Medical Center in Hemet, Calif., ratified a new three-year contract on July 7, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United. The agreement includes a 15.5% wage increase over the life of the contract, safe staffing improvements and workplace violence prevention language.
June
17. Hospital-based acute care physicians at ChristianaCare in Newark, Del., ratified a three-year labor contract with 97% voting in favor, marking the first union contract for healthcare workers in Delaware, according to Doctors Council SEIU. The agreement includes formal structures for physician input on clinical practice and patient care.
18. Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital nurses represented by Einstein Nurses United ratified a new three-year labor contract. The agreement, which covers nearly 1,200 nurses, includes an expanded experience-based wage scale with guaranteed 3% annual raises, additional experience-based pay steps, staffing provisions and protections for pension, vacation, sick leave and severance benefits, according to the union.
19. Nurses represented by Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5105 ratified a new three-year labor agreement with Virtua Mount Holly (N.J.) Hospital. The contract, which covers nearly 850 nurses at the 383-bed facility, includes enforceable nurse-to-patient staffing ratios that take effect Jan. 3, 2027, wage increases averaging about 16.5% through June 2028 and enhanced workplace safety and security measures, according to the union.
20. Members of the Wyoming Valley Nurses Association, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals representing about 240 registered nurses at Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) General Hospital, ratified a new three-year labor contract June 1. The agreement includes first-year wage increases ranging from 3% to 6%, followed by 3.5% raises in each of the second and third years, according to the union.
21. A new four-year labor contract covering about 400 hospital workers represented by 1199SEIU at Catholic Health’s Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, N.Y., and Lockport (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital was ratified June 1. The agreement includes a minimum 12% wage increase over the life of the contract, according to the union.
May
22. A labor contract covering roughly 40,000 patient care technical and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 across the University of California system was ratified, according to the union. The agreement includes annual wage and step increases totaling about 21.5% over the life of the contract.
23. Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health raised its minimum wage to $18 an hour in May. The increase affects more than 4,200 workers across the health system and includes pay adjustments for employees earning less than $23 an hour and those in flat-rate positions paid below the new minimum.
24. Members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals ratified their first labor contract, averting a five-day strike that was set to begin May 19 at Butler (Pa.) Memorial Hospital. The three-year agreement covers 235 employees, including surgical techs, respiratory therapists and radiology techs, and includes raises of at least 3% each year of the contract, according to the union.
25. Members of Northwestern Healthcare United at St. Albans, Vt.-based Northwestern Medical Center ratified their first labor contract after more than 14 months of negotiations, according to the St. Albans Messenger. The agreement raises the starting wage for registered nurses from $29 an hour to $34 to $36 an hour, the newspaper reported. The contract also includes provisions related to staffing, mandatory overtime and on-call scheduling.
April
26. Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East at Dunkirk, N.Y.-based Brooks-TLC Hospital System ratified a one-year contract extension. The agreement, which expires April 30, 2027, includes a 3.75% wage increase for union workers upon ratification, according to the union. Surgical technicians and licensed practical nurses also will receive an additional $2 per hour in base pay, while maintenance and security workers will receive an additional $1.25 per hour. Lab assistants also moved up a pay grade.
27. Kaiser Permanente employees represented by unions within the Alliance of Health Care Unions ratified 52 collective bargaining agreements across the Oakland, Calif.-based organization’s markets. The agreements, which cover more than 61,000 employees, include a 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser Permanente first proposed in October 2025. With step increases and other factors included, employees will see average wage growth of about 30% over the life of the contracts, according to the health system.
28. Registered nurses at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass., ratified a new labor contract. The deal includes improved staffing grids, wage increases of 4.25% in 2025, 3.5% in 2026 and 3% in 2027 and 2028, and a new pay scale, with many nurses expected to earn an additional $15,000 to $20,000 over the life of the contract, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
29. Members of the New York State Nurses Association at Westchester Medical Center-HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, N.Y., part of Valhalla, N.Y.-based WMCHealth, ratified a new labor contract. The contract includes wage increases ranging from 16% to 33% over the life of the agreement, according to the union.
March
30. Registered nurses at six Tenet Healthcare facilities in California ratified a new three-year labor contract. The agreement includes a dedicated rapid response nurse at every facility and a guaranteed minimum orientation for new nurses, wage increases from 11% to 18% over three years and no takeaways to healthcare benefits, according to the California Nurses Association.
31. Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is raised its minimum wage from $15 to $16 per hour, effective April 12. The increase affects about 1,800 employees across 75 positions.
32. New Orleans-based Ochsner Health is raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour, effective May 31. The change affects more than 3,000 workers, including, full-time, part-time and pro re nata employees.
33. New Orleans-based LCMC Health is raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour, effective April 5. The change affects about 2% of employees, according to the health system. More than 400 employees will see pay increases, primarily in essential support roles across the organization’s hospitals and clinics.
34. Durham, N.C.-based Duke University and Duke University Health System is raising its minimum wage for eligible employees to $20 per hour, effective July 1. The change affects more than 4,000 employees who will receive a direct pay increase, according to the health system. Additionally, approximately 9,000 employees whose wages are currently near the new minimum will receive an additional wage adjustment tied to tenure and years of service.
February
35. Members of the New York State Nurses Association ratified agreements with Montefiore Health System, Mount Sinai Health System and NewYork-Presbyterian. The contracts include salary increases of more than 12% over three years, improved staffing standards and workplace protections, according to the union.
36. Nurses at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., ratified a three-year labor contract. The agreement covers 630 registered nurses at the 373-bed hospital. It includes base wage increases of up to 17% over three years and higher shift differentials for evening, night, weekend and pool nurses, according to the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents the workers.
37. Members of the Michigan Nurses Association at Beacon Kalamazoo (Mich.) Hospital ratified a new labor contract. The agreement covers 378 nurses at the hospital and includes a 14% total raise over three years, plus incentive pay for extra shifts, according to the union.
38. Registered nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare facilities across Kentucky and West Virginia ratified a three-year contract extension. The agreement covers more than 700 nurses and runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. It includes wage increases for all nurses — including step increases and cost-of-living adjustments each year — with an average increase of nearly 10% over three years, as well as holiday pay for nurses regardless of shift, according to the National Nurses Organizing Committee.
39. Registered nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., ratified a new three-year labor agreement covering more than 2,200 nurses. The contract, which will run from March 2026 through February 2029, includes wage increases of nearly 24% over the life of the agreement, according to National Nurses United.
40. Members of the Washington State Nurses Association ratified a new labor contract with Seattle Children’s. The agreement includes market-based adjustments to the wage scale that raise average wages by 15% by March 2028, according to the union. Individual nurses are expected to see an average wage increase of more than $13 per hour over the life of the agreement.
January
41. Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals ratified a new labor contract with San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare. The four-year agreement covers about 5,700 registered nurses and includes base pay increases of 5% in the first year and 4% in each of the three subsequent years, according to the union.
42. Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health is investing $776 million in workforce compensation this year, marking one of the largest single-year compensation increases in the organization’s history. As part of the effort, a unified $18.85 minimum wage takes effect Jan. 30 across the system’s six-state footprint, covering roles such as environmental services technicians, food service assistants, and patient and equipment transporters.
43. Baton Rouge, La.-based FMOL Health is implementing a systemwide market compensation adjustment and raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour across all markets. The system said the changes follow an analysis of thousands of roles across the health system, using national and regional data to benchmark positions against competitive rates from comparable organizations.
44. Members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania at Geisinger Lewistown (Pa.) Hospital approved a new labor contract. The agreement, which runs from Jan. 15, 2026, through Nov. 14, 2028, covers 160 workers and includes total wage increases ranging from 9.25% to 20%, a ratification bonus of up to $700 and improvements to workplace safety, scheduling, and on-call processes, according to the union.
45. Members of the Michigan Nurses Association ratified a new labor contract with Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. The contract maintains a wage structure that rewards experience and guarantees annual across-the-board raises, according to the union.
46. Hundreds of nurses represented by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania approved a new labor contract with UPMC Altoona (Pa.). The agreement, which covers 500 nurses, includes an average wage increase of more than 18% over three years, with a maximum raise of more than 27%, according to the union.
47. Members of the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee at Portland-based Maine Medical Center approved a three-year labor contract. The agreement includes a 21% wage increase over the life of the deal, according to the union.
48. Renton, Wash.-based Providence is committing more than $600 million in merit and market adjustments for staff in 2026. The health system, which employs 125,000 caregivers across 51 hospitals, 1,014 clinics and a range of health and social services in seven states, announced the investment as part of its strategic overview.
December 2025
49. Emergency medical services workers at University Hospital in Newark, N.J., ratified their first labor contract as a distinct collective bargaining unit represented by Teamsters Local 97. The contract includes “improved wages and benefits to account for the increased cost of living in the area, as well as better vacation and holiday pay,” according to the union.
50. Daviess Community Hospital in Washington, Ind., shared plans to invest $1.6 million in employee wage increases. The initiative includes raising the inpatient registered nurse pay scale from $33 to $45 per hour, along with other systemwide adjustments.
Frequently asked questions
How many hospitals and health systems are raising workers’ pay in 2026?
As of Sept. 28, 2026, Becker’s has tracked 49 hospitals and health systems raising workers’ pay, with entries dating from December 2025 through September 2026.
How are hospitals and health systems raising workers’ pay?
Most of the 49 hospitals and health systems on the list are raising pay through newly ratified union contracts, many of them first contracts for nurses, resident physicians and other workers. Others are raising their minimum wages or making systemwide investments, such as Advocate Health’s $776 million in workforce compensation in 2026 and Providence’s commitment of more than $600 million in merit and market adjustments for 2026.
Which pay agreement on the list covers the most workers?
Kaiser Permanente’s 52 collective bargaining agreements cover more than 61,000 employees and include a 21.5% wage increase over four years. A University of California system contract covering roughly 40,000 patient care technical and service workers includes wage and step increases totaling about 21.5%.
Which health systems are raising their minimum wage to $20 an hour?
Duke University and Duke University Health System raised the minimum wage for eligible employees to $20 an hour effective July 1, 2026, which gave more than 4,000 employees a direct pay increase. Hartford HealthCare will raise its minimum wage to $20 an hour Dec. 27, 2026, which affects about 4,000 employees.
Cite this: Becker’s Healthcare, October 2026
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