Staffing Industry Analysts conducted its inaugural 2019 Per Diem Nurse Benchmarking Survey. The full results of the survey were published in July directly to the respondent organizations. Thirteen companies participated in the survey, reporting a total of $713 million in US per diem nurse staffing revenue for 2018, which represented 20% of the estimated $3.6 billion market size in 2018. Key findings from the survey are below:

• Among survey respondents, 2018 aggregate per diem nurse staffing revenue grew 3%, with a 1% decline in hours billed volume during the same period. The revenue growth was in relative alignment with the 4% per diem nurse staffing revenue growth estimated for 2018 in SIA’s April 2019 Staffing Industry Forecast. Revenue growth reported in the survey varied widely with respondents at the 75^th percentile experiencing double-digit growth and respondents at the 25^th percentile experiencing single-digit contraction.
• 23% of aggregate 2018 revenue was reported as being generated through a managed service provider. An additional 4% of aggregate 2018 revenue was reported as being generated through a standalone vendor management system. In total, 27% of 2018 per diem nurse revenue was reported as being generated through an MSP and/or VMS. This remained steady from the 27% reported for 2017.
• Of the 2018 per diem nurse revenue reported in the survey, 41% was in registered nurses, 23% in nurse assistants and orderlies, and 18% in LPN/LVNs.
•  The 2018 aggregate bill rate reported across respondents was $44.35, up from $42.76 reported for 2017. Aggregate gross margin and SG&A expense were 26.8% and 19.7% of 2018 revenue, respectively, leaving aggregate EBITDA margin of 7.1%.
• Aggregate gross margin of 26.8% was up 60 basis points from 2017, due mainly to lower wages, bonuses and payroll taxes reported as a percentage of revenue. 

Highlights from the study will be discussed at SIA’s 2019 Healthcare Staffing Summit, which is being held Nov. 6 through Nov. 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The full report is available only to healthcare staffing companies that completed the survey. Companies interested in participating in next year’s annual survey should contact Amy Chang, healthcare analyst, at achang@staffingindustry.com.