While many health systems spent 2026 balancing financial strain against workforce needs, several still put significant dollars toward compensation and raised wage floors.
Since January, more than 60 hospitals and health systems have announced job cuts, with executives citing lower reimbursement, rising labor and supply costs and the need to realign operations. Workforce spending was the largest expense for hospitals in 2025, according to the American Hospital Association.
Meanwhile, workforce pressures have not eased. Of 103 C-suite leaders Becker’s asked about their biggest 2026 workforce challenges, many pointed to shortages in hard-to-fill roles, burnout-driven turnover and wage inflation. Facing those pressures, many health system leaders have protected programs such as apprenticeships, tuition assistance and well-being benefits, and have targeted pay dollars toward the roles with the most market pressure.
Below are five of the largest workforce investments Becker’s has reported this year. This list is based on Becker’s coverage and is not a comprehensive accounting of industry investments.
1. Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.): The system invested $776 million in workforce compensation in 2026, one of the largest single-year increases in its history. The total includes a unified $18.85-per-hour minimum wage across its six-state footprint, which took effect with Jan. 30 paychecks for roles such as environmental services technicians, food service assistants and transporters. The system also plans to invest $1.24 billion more in its employees in 2027.
2. Providence (Renton, Wash.): The system committed more than $600 million to merit and market pay adjustments in 2026, President and CEO Erik Wexler said in a Jan. 5 internal message. Mr. Wexler tied the investment to difficult choices made in 2025, including a restructuring that affected 600 full-time equivalent positions. Providence employs about 125,000 caregivers.
3. FMOL Health (Baton Rouge, La.): The system put $38 million toward market-based pay adjustments and a $15-per-hour minimum wage. The changes followed a review of 3,406 roles that led to market adjustments for more than 80% of team members.
4. Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare: The system is raising its minimum wage to $20 per hour, effective Dec. 27. About 4,000 employees will move up to the new minimum, and roughly 4,000 more will receive wage-compression adjustments.
5. Duke University Health System (Durham, N.C.): Duke raised its minimum wage to $20 per hour, effective July 1. More than 4,000 employees received a direct pay increase, and about 9,000 received related adjustments.
