Data Methodology
How HealthTal builds and maintains the most comprehensive healthcare professional database available to recruiters and hiring managers.
Provider Database: Sources & Verification
HealthTal's provider directory is built from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), the authoritative registry of all NPI-enumerated healthcare providers in the United States. We process the full NPPES data dissemination file monthly.
Primary Data Sources
- CMS NPPES NPI Registry — Provider names, credentials, taxonomy codes, practice addresses, and enumeration dates. Updated monthly from the official CMS data dissemination.
- State Licensing Boards — License status verification and disciplinary action records for applicable specialties.
- Publicly Available Professional Profiles — Contact information and practice details aggregated from public professional profiles and institutional directories.
Verification Process
NPI Validation
Every provider record is matched against the official NPPES registry using the 10-digit NPI number as the primary key.
Contact Accuracy
Email and phone records are verified through multi-source cross-referencing, achieving 98% deliverability rates.
Monthly Refresh
The full database is refreshed monthly using the latest NPPES dissemination file, adding new providers and removing deactivated NPIs.
Address Standardization
Practice addresses are standardized and geocoded for accurate geographic search and filtering.
Salary & Compensation Data
Salary data published in our salary guides and blog content is derived from official government sources and peer-reviewed industry surveys.
Compensation Data Sources
- 1Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. We use the most recent May 2024 data release for national and state-level median, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentile salaries.
- 2HRSA Health Workforce Data — Health Resources & Services Administration workforce shortage projections and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations.
- 3AAMC Workforce Studies — Association of American Medical Colleges physician supply and demand projections, residency match data, and specialty workforce studies.
- 4AANP National NP Compensation Survey — American Association of Nurse Practitioners annual compensation survey for nurse practitioner specialty-level salary data.
Projection Methodology
Where we report 2026 salary projections, we apply BLS-reported occupational growth rates and annual wage increase trends to the most recent OEWS base data. Growth adjustments factor in specialty-specific demand indicators from HRSA shortage data and industry compensation surveys. All projection assumptions are noted within individual salary guides. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, location, and individual qualifications.
Database Coverage
1.75M+
Healthcare Professionals
19
Specialty Categories
50
States + DC
Our directory covers physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, social workers, counselors, psychologists, dentists, behavior technicians, chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, and more. Each specialty page includes provider counts, city-level directories, and related salary data.
Update Schedule
| Data Type | Frequency | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Provider Directory | Monthly | CMS NPPES |
| Contact Information | Monthly | Multi-source verification |
| Salary Guides | Annually + quarterly review | BLS OEWS, AANP, AAMC |
| Workforce Projections | Annually | BLS, HRSA, AAMC |
Questions About Our Data?
If you have questions about our methodology, data sources, or would like to cite HealthTal data in your research, contact us at support@healthtal.com.
Last updated: March 2026