The third annual salary report by HealthITJobs.com, a free job search resource for health IT professionals, found that while health IT professionals earn impressive salaries, they expect to be making more money. The 2016 Health IT Salary Report shows that the average health IT salary is $93,469 (Median $85,000), and the average bonus earned is $7,603 (Median $4,150). The recently released survey broke down salary by job function, experience, company type, and other influential factors.

"As the healthcare industry and technology continue to evolve, health IT professionals will be in higher demand," said Tim Cannon, vice president of product management and marketing at HealthITJobs.com. "Because these professionals bring such value to organizations, employers are willing to provide desirable compensation packages to attract and keep the best talent in the field."

Notable findings from the 2016 Salary Report included the following:

• Salaries in health IT are high — but professionals want more. Although 51 percent of respondents said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their salary, the average gap between what they are making and what they feel they should be making is $15,553.

• Executives earn the most. Executives reported the highest average health IT salaries at $171,341 plus an average bonus of $27,500. However, executives accounted for just 2.5 percent of all respondents.

• Consulting companies pay the most. Consulting companies employ 30 percent of respondents and pay nearly 14 percent more than the second highest paying employer, software companies. The most common type of employer, reported by 51 percent of respondents, was hospital and healthcare organizations. On average, professionals who work in these organizations earn $86,321 each year.

• Niche experience pays. Professionals who have worked exclusively in health IT typically earn more than those who have also worked in other industries. However, regardless of the type of experience, salaries go up with each passing year..

• There's still a gender gap. Although last year's report found that women and men earned similar salaries, the data from this year found that mean earn 14 percent more than women in health IT. What's more, men are three times more likely to hold executive job titles and are more likely to hold higher paying jobs than women.

• Most professionals are satisfied with their their job. Among respondents, 79 percent are very satisfied or satisfied with their current  job. Yet, 40 percent said they will likely change jobs in the next year.

"Health IT jobs aren't easy, but the earning potential is higher than ever," Cannon said. "For those who are willing to put in the work, health IT is an exciting and rewarding field to be in. We hope job seekers, professionals, and employers can use this data to make the best decisions for their careers and organizations. "