U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 1

Occupational Earnings of Full-time Healthcare Workers in Civilian Hospitals, 2008

by Elizabeth Dietz

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Originally Posted: February 24, 2010

This article uses National Compensation Survey data to compare earnings among full-time healthcare workers in civilian

hospitals with those in the civilian sector as a whole; it also compares earnings of hospital healthcare workers by work level.

The findings show that there are significant differences in hourly earnings by work level for many of the healthcare

occupations examined in this study.

U.S. hospitals1 employ about 5.8 million workers2 in a complex work environment, providing intensive medical care to treat

acute illnesses or injuries for about 35 million patients annually.3 In 2008, hospitals took in revenues of $1.7 trillion.4

Considering the size of the hospital industry in the United States and the projected employment growth of healthcare

occupations over the next decade,5 an analysis of current wages of hospital healthcare workers is timely. This article uses

the 2008 National Compensation Survey (NCS) earnings estimates to discuss earnings differences between full-time workers

in civilian hospitals and those in the civilian sector as a whole.6 Then, the article analyzes the earnings of full-time civilian

hospital healthcare workers by occupation and work level. The article finds that there are significant differences in hourly

earnings by work level for many of the healthcare occupations studied.

U.S. hospitals employ workers in a wide variety of occupations that are found in other industries, including such occupations

as computer support specialists, human resources managers, accountants and auditors, and building and grounds cleaning

and maintenance workers; hospitals also employ workers, in occupations specific to the medical field, such as medical and

clinical laboratory technologists, radiation therapists, and diagnostic medical sonographers. Within many of the healthcare

occupations, there is a wide range of skills required and differences in on-the-job duties and responsibilities among workers.

Also, workers may work full time or part time and be unionized, and there may be institutional differences in the types of jobs

offered and pay practices between private industry and State and local government employers. Occupational earnings reflect

these factors. Furthermore, earnings are only part of the total compensation of workers; benefits represent about 32 percent

of total compensation costs in private hospitals and about 35 percent of such costs in State and local government hospitals.7

The value of the benefits package offered may affect the wages workers are willing to accept.

The National Compensation Survey (NCS), which provides comprehensive measures of occupational earnings,

compensation cost trends, the incidence of benefits, and benefit plan provisions, publishes a national annual bulletin on the

occupational earnings of civilian8 workers--defined by the NCS as those who work in private industry and in State and local

government establishments. The NCS has published national data on the occupational earnings of hospital workers annually

since the 2006 survey year.9 The most recent data, for the 2008 survey year, include hourly earnings estimates for all

workers, full-time workers, and part-time workers who are employed by hospitals in the civilian sector as a whole, those in

private industry, and those in State and local government, by work level.10 Relative standard errors are available for each

estimate.11

Earnings Of Full-time Civilian Healthcare Workers: Hospitals And All Civilian Industries

Full-time healthcare practitioners and technical occupations--professions such as physicians and surgeons, registered

nurses, medical technologists and technicians, and therapists--are found throughout the civilian sector, most commonly in

hospitals, ambulatory care centers, doctors offices, community centers, schools, nursing homes, and health units in

business establishments. As table 1 shows, healthcare practitioners and technical workers in hospitals earned an average of

$29.07 per hour, while those in the civilian sector as a whole earned $30.23 per hour.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 2

Table 1. Mean hourly earnings for selected healthcare occupations, full-time workers, civilian sector and civilian

hospitals, 2008

Occupation All industries Hospitals only

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations $30.23 $29.07

Dentists 63.24 (-)

Dentists, general 61.81 (-)

Dietitians and nutritionists 23.48 26.09

Optometrists 54.01 (-)

Pharmacists 51.54 50.45

Physicians and surgeons 76.46 46.99

Anesthesiologists 108.49 (-)

Family and general practitioners 77.95 60.00

Internists, general 74.16 30.89

Pediatricians, general 53.51 69.89

Psychiatrists 74.83 76.58

Surgeons 86.23 (-)

Physician assistants 42.58 41.43

Registered nurses 31.54 31.93

Therapists 31.11 28.57

Audiologists 33.19 (-)

Occupational therapists 34.26 32.19

Physical therapists 33.74 32.88

Radiation therapists 39.99 35.37

Recreational therapists 18.76 19.80

Respiratory therapists 24.96 25.21

Speech-language pathologists 35.01 31.02

Veterinarians 43.30 (-)

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians 20.43 20.99

Medical and clinical laboratory technologists 24.55 25.30

Medical and clinical laboratory technicians 17.50 17.39

Dental hygienists 31.32 (-)

Diagnostic related technologists and technicians 27.39 26.32

Cardiovascular technologists and technicians 26.50 26.05

Diagnostic medical sonographers 32.17 33.83

Nuclear medicine technologists 36.32 34.20

Radiologic technologists and technicians 26.01 25.28

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics 15.74 20.11

Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians 16.67 17.53

Dietetic technicians 11.05 (-)

A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 3, “Full-time civilian workers: Mean and

median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” and table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals: Mean

and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 3

Occupation All industries Hospitals only

Pharmacy technicians 14.89 15.38

Psychiatric technicians 16.89 16.76

Respiratory therapy technicians 22.53 22.52

Surgical technologists 19.32 18.99

Veterinary technologists and technicians 14.32 (-)

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses 19.04 18.45

Medical records and health information technicians 16.48 17.73

Opticians, dispensing 18.14 (-)

Miscellaneous health technologists and technicians 18.50 19.39

Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians 26.99 (-)

Occupational health and safety specialists 26.75 (-)

Miscellaneous healthcare practitioner and technical workers 20.27 22.17

Athletic trainers 18.43 (-)

Healthcare support occupations 12.90 13.34

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 11.53 12.77

Home health aides 10.24 12.20

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 11.71 12.68

Psychiatric aides 12.55 13.32

Occupational therapist assistants and aides 18.73 19.40

Occupational therapist assistants 22.05 19.75

Occupational therapist aides 12.65 (-)

Physical therapist assistants and aides 18.49 15.78

Physical therapist assistants 24.21 19.70

Physical therapist aides 11.88 12.69

Massage therapists 20.03 (-)

Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations 14.45 14.55

Dental assistants 17.24 (-)

Medical assistants 13.70 14.42

Medical equipment preparers 14.80 15.81

Medical transcriptionists 15.04 14.91

Pharmacy aides 11.99 12.02

Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers 12.56 (-)

A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 3, “Full-time civilian workers: Mean and

median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” and table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals: Mean

and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours;” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.

Full-time physicians and surgeons as a group earned an average of $76.46 per hour in the civilian economy as a whole. By

contrast, full-time physicians and surgeons in hospitals earned an average of $46.99 per hour, with a median of only $27.56.

These seemingly incongruous findings merit a closer look at the data.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 4

Earnings Of Full-time Physicians And Surgeons And Registered Nurses, In Hospitals

NCS raw data on physicians and surgeons' full-time earnings in hospitals were clustered in two areas--at about $24 per hour

and $86 per hour--rather than spread in a normal (centralized) distribution around the mean. What is a likely reason for this?

In civilian hospitals, the average full-time hourly earnings of general internists was $30.89 per hour--significantly lower than

for general internists in the civilian sector as a whole ($74.16). The relatively low earnings of full-time general internists

employed in civilian hospitals are due in part to the fact that this occupation is heavily populated by residents--medical

doctors in their first year of clinical practice, who are working towards a State licensure, or those working towards certification

in a medical specialty.12 Residents typically work long hours compared with other full-time hospital physicians and surgeons.

The number of hours worked by hospital residents is discussed more in the section of this article on work levels. The Nations 2,542,760 registered nurses,13 represent the largest healthcare occupation--more than a third of all healthcare

professionals.14 About 60 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals.15 Registered nurses who work full time in hospitals

earned $31.93 per hour--not significantly different than the average earned by their counterparts the civilian economy as a

whole ($31.54). Like physicians and surgeons, registered nurses are not a homogenous group in terms of their work

environment, duties and responsibilities, and the skills and formal education they are required to have and use on the job.16

Considering the complexity of the hospital environment, richer data can provide more useful information on the earnings of

healthcare workers. The NCS provides these data.

Earnings By Work Level Among Full-time Healthcare Workers In Civilian Hospitals

The National Compensation Survey evaluates each surveyed job for work level, which is a classification of duties and

responsibilities performed by the worker.17 Work levels are used in pay-grade systems to determine wages and salaries--

typically, the higher the work level, the higher the pay grade.18 As a worker attains more experience on the job or receives

additional training or education, the worker can take on greater responsibilities and increase the complexity or difficulty of

duties performed on the job--in turn, he or she may be evaluated at a higher work level.

In the NCS, occupations are evaluated for work levels 1 through 15. In the civilian sector, occupations such as chief

executives are typically found at the highest work levels; elementary and middle school teachers and paralegals and legal

assistants are generally in the mid-range; and waiters and waitresses, crossing guards, and taxi drivers and chauffeurs are at

the lowest work levels. Some occupations are found in a wide range of work levels. For example, accountants and auditors

worked at levels 5 through 13, and engineers worked at levels 5 through 15.

For the 2008 data on civilian hospital healthcare workers, there was no occupation with publishable estimates above level 13,

and no occupation covered all 13 levels. The distribution of occupational estimates by level in table 2 shows that there is

generally a correlation of earnings with work level--the higher the work level, the higher the hourly earnings. Many

occupations encompass a range of duties and responsibilities, and earnings tend to reflect this. In this sense, earnings data

by occupational work level offer more information than occupational earnings data alone.

Table 2. Mean hourly earnings of selected occupations, by work level, full-time, civilian hospital healthcare workers,

2008

Occupation All

levels

Work level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Healthcare practitioner and

technical occupations $29.07 (-) (-)$12.89$15.37$18.73$21.66$25.53$29.99$31.83$40.12$43.74$70.31$83.80

A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:

Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 5

Occupation All

levels

Work level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Dietitians and nutritionists 26.09 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 25.06 (-) 26.34 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Pharmacists 50.45 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 49.73 49.66 50.81 (-) (-)

Physicians and surgeons 46.99 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 21.84 23.90 27.67 76.08 88.36

Family and general

practitioners 60.00 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 90.00

Psychiatrists 76.58 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 75.49 (-)

Registered nurses 31.93 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 24.06 25.86 30.49 31.46 40.25 44.03 (-) (-)

Therapists 28.57 (-) (-) (-) (-) 21.32 23.63 25.04 29.09 33.35 35.87 (-) (-) (-)

Occupational therapists 32.19 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 31.34 32.82 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Physical therapists 32.88 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 32.08 31.21 34.57 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Recreational therapists 19.80 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 19.59 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Respiratory therapists 25.21 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 21.31 24.63 27.10 29.45 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Clinical laboratory technologists

and technicians 20.99 (-) (-) 13.08 15.11 18.79 22.78 24.81 25.18 29.52 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical and clinical laboratory

technologists 25.30 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 24.27 25.23 25.14 29.52 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical and clinical laboratory

technicians 17.39 (-) (-) 13.08 15.19 18.73 22.36 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Diagnostic related technologists

and technicians 26.32 (-) (-) (-) 14.21 22.52 23.20 27.13 30.02 39.02 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Cardiovascular technologists

and technicians 26.05 (-) (-) (-) 13.77 23.19 23.21 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Diagnostic medical

sonographers 33.83 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 34.33 (-) 37.88 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Radiologic technologists and

technicians 25.28 (-) (-) (-) (-) 21.86 22.99 26.15 29.47 34.74 (-) (-) (-) (-)

Emergency medical technicians

and paramedics 20.11 (-) (-) (-) (-) 18.94 21.55 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Health diagnosing and treating

practitioner support technicians 17.53 (-) (-) 12.38 14.75 17.92 20.98 21.83 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Pharmacy technicians 15.38 (-) (-) (-) 13.93 17.62 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Psychiatric technicians 16.76 (-) (-) (-) 13.36 16.22 20.53 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Respiratory therapy

technicians 22.52 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 21.95 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Surgical technologists 18.99 (-) (-) (-) 17.12 18.14 21.09 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Licensed practical and licensed

vocational nurses 18.45 (-) (-) (-) 16.44 18.01 19.69 20.99 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical records and health

information technicians 17.73 (-) (-) 13.79 15.47 17.27 20.12 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Miscellaneous health

technologists and technicians 19.39 (-) (-) (-) 16.78 18.17 (-) 22.32 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:

Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 6

Occupation All

levels

Work level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Healthcare support occupations $ 13.34

$

9.91

$

11.38

$

12.55

$

14.13

$

15.71

$

18.99

$

21.41

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Nursing, psychiatric, and home

health aides 12.779.9211.21 12.57 14.01 14.10 16.97 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Nursing aides, orderlies, and

attendants 12.689.9211.16 12.50 14.23 14.62 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Psychiatric aides 13.32 (-)12.13 13.25 13.18 13.97 16.97 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Occupational therapist

assistants and aides 19.40 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) 19.31 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Physical therapist assistants and

aides 15.78 (-) (-) 12.22 13.76 18.91 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Physical therapist assistants 19.70 (-) (-) (-) (-) 18.91 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Physical therapist aides 12.69 (-) (-) 12.22 12.25 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Miscellaneous healthcare

support occupations 14.55 (-)12.47 12.51 14.38 16.56 19.21 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical assistants 14.42 (-) (-) 11.68 14.77 13.80 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical equipment preparers 15.81 (-) (-) 13.60 15.28 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Medical transcriptionists 14.91 (-) (-) (-) 14.24 17.61 (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

A dash (-) indicates that no statistically reliable or otherwise publishable estimate is available for the occupation.

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:

Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.

The value of earnings data by work level is perhaps best illustrated for the earnings of registered nurses. A person using the

title “registered nurse” must be registered in the State in which he or she works and must have a recognized degree in

nursing.19 Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse

specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists; APRNs hold a post-graduate degree and specialized certification.

Greater levels of education make it possible for registered nurses to take on greater on-the-job duties and responsibilities--

thus, to work at higher work levels and earn higher pay rates.

Formal training and education aside, more years of experience on the job also makes it possible for registered nurses to

assume greater duties and responsibilities. Entry-level registered nurses provide care such as administering prescribed

drugs, recording case histories, and taking blood pressure, pulse, and temperature readings. Nurses at higher levels consult

with attending physicians to reevaluate medical treatment and may conduct established clinical procedures and provide

specialized nursing care--for example, for heart and vascular disease patients. Some nurses may also supervise others on

staff to ensure appropriate care for each patient. Certain hospital settings, such as intensive care units, operating and

recovery rooms, emergency rooms, childbirth labor and delivery sections, and outpatient units, require specialized knowledge

in addition to the formal education required for basic nursing.20

The NCS does not collect demographic data on surveyed workers, such as years of education completed, professional

degrees achieved, or years of job experience. However, by assessing the work-level of the job--the actual duties performed

and the responsibilities borne by the worker--the earnings estimates by work level take into account the de facto results of

education, experience, and any other qualities of the worker. Considering all of these factors, it is not surprising that earnings

and work levels of registered nurses vary widely. Full-time registered nurses in civilian hospitals earned, on average, $31.93

per hour, with a range of $24.06 at level 6 to $44.03 at level 11.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 7

The average earnings of civilian hospital physicians and surgeons are also made clearer using work-level data. Full-time

hospital physicians and surgeons earned an average of $46.99 per hour, ranging from $21.84 at level 9 (typically residents)

to $88.36 at level 13 (typically surgeons and specialists). Level-9 hospital physicians and surgeons worked an average of

46.2 hours per week, for weekly earnings of $1,008. By contrast, level-13 hospital physicians and surgeons worked an

average of 40 hours per week, for weekly earnings of $3,534.

Full-time hospital workers in healthcare support occupations earned an average of $13.34 per hour, ranging from $9.91 at

level 1 to $21.41 at level 7. Hourly earnings ranged from $12.68 per hour for nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants to

$19.70 per hour for physical therapist assistants. Healthcare support occupations generally showed less variation in earnings

by work level than healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.

Table 3 lists the hourly earnings of full-time healthcare workers in civilian hospitals at the lowest and highest publishable work

levels.21 The occupations selected for this table are those in which there was a significant earnings difference between the

highest and lowest publishable work levels. This table is included to show that earnings estimates by work level give greater

information than earnings estimates by occupation alone.

Table 3. Mean hourly earnings of full-time workers in selected healthcare occupations, highest and lowest publishable

work level, civilian hospitals, National Compensation Survey, 2008

Occupation Lowest level Highest level

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations $ 12.89 (level 3) $ 83.80 (level 13)

Physicians and surgeons 21.84 (level 9) 88.36 (level 13)

Registered nurses 24.06 (level 6) 44.03 (level 11)

Therapists 21.32 (level 5) 35.87 (level 10)

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians 13.08 (level 3) 29.52 (level 9)

Medical and clinical laboratory technologists 24.27 (level 6) 29.52 (level 9)

Medical and clinical laboratory technicians 13.08 (level 3) 22.36 (level 6)

Diagnostic related technologists and technicians 14.21 (level 4) 39.02 (level 9)

Cardiovascular technologists and technicians 13.77 (level 4) 23.21 (level 6)

Radiologic technologists and technicians 21.86 (level 5) 34.74 (level 9)

Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians 12.38 (level 3) 21.83 (level 7)

Psychiatric technicians 13.36 (level 4) 20.53 (level 6)

Medical records and health information technicians 13.79 (level 3) 20.12 (level 6)

Healthcare support occupations 9.91 (level 1) 21.41 (level 7)

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides 9.92 (level 1) 16.97 (level 6)

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants 9.92 (level 1) 14.62 (level 5)

Psychiatric aides 12.13 (level 2) 16.97 (level 6)

Physical therapist assistants and aides 12.22 (level 3) 18.91 (level 5)

Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations 12.47 (level 2) 19.21 (level 6)

Source: National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, table 34, “Civilian full-time workers in hospitals:

Mean and median hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and mean weekly and annual hours” on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.

The release of the 2008 National Compensation Survey occupational earnings data on workers in hospitals is the third

annual presentation of such data, which add greater detail to an already rich source of data. Occupational earnings by work

level, a measure unique to the NCS, reveals a wide range in earnings for several healthcare occupations in civilian hospitals.

Work-level data provide particular insight into the pay of full-time physicians and surgeons and registered nurses employed

by civilian hospitals (private and State and local combined). The NCS also provides earnings estimates of workers in private
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 8

hospitals and in State and local government hospitals separately, including those who work part time (a topic that warrants

further study.)22 BLS plans to release the 2009 NCS national earnings data in a summer 2010 publication.

Elizabeth Dietz

Economist, Division of Compensation Data Analysis and Planning, Office of Compensation and Working Conditions, Bureau of

Labor Statistics.

Telephone: (202) 691-5177; E-mail: Dietz.Liz@bls.gov. End Notes

1 The term hospitals is used throughout the article to denote hospital employers within the scope of the National Compensation Survey (NCS).

The NCS collects wage data on workers in hospitals defined under NAICS code 622000, which includes general medical and surgical

hospitals, psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, and specialty hospitals. Under the NCS, Federal government, military, and prison

hospitals are excluded.

2 Hospitals (NAICS code 622000) employed 5,782,200 employees in August 2009, according to the BLS Current Employment Statistics

survey. This figure includes employment in total private hospitals, State government hospitals, and local government hospitals. See 

Employment and Earnings, November 2009, table B-12, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by Detailed Industry,” pp. 91, 93, on the Internet at

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ee/empearn200911.pdf.

3 American Hospital Association, 2008 survey, “Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals,” Health Forum LLC, 2009, November 11, 2009 update, on the

Internet, at http://www.aha.org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/fast-facts.html. The American Hospital Association (AHA) defines 

community hospitals as “all nonfederal, short-term general, and other special hospitals. Other special hospitals include obstetrics and

gynecology; eye, ear, nose, and throat; rehabilitation; orthopedic; and other individually described specialty services. Community hospitals

include academic medical centers or other teaching hospitals if they are nonfederal short-term hospitals. Excluded are hospitals not accessible

by the general public, such as prison hospitals or college infirmaries.” AHA 2008 data show that there are 5,010 community hospitals and 447

nonfederal psychiatric hospitals, for a total of 5,457 hospitals that, in general terms, approximate the NCS scope and definition of hospital

employers.

4 Gross patient revenues, 2008, American Hospital Directory, Hospital Statistics, available on the Internet at http://www.ahd.com/

state_statistics.html, September 24, 2009 update. According to this publication, there were 4,037 nonfederal, short-term, acute care hospitals

in the United States in 2008.

5 Employment Projections, 2008-18, USDL-09-1503 (U.S. Department of Labor), December 11, 2009, Occupational Employment, p. 3, on the

Internet at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf.

6 Differences in earnings between healthcare workers in private industry and those in State and local government hospitals, and differences in

earnings between full-time and part-time hospital healthcare workers are surely grounds for additional study; however, this article focuses on

the earnings of full-time healthcare workers in civilian hospitals.

7 Employee Costs for Employee Compensation, Historical Listing, March 2004-September 2009, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, table 8,

“State and local government workers, by industry group: employer costs per hours worked for employee compensation and costs as a

percentage of total compensation, 2004-2009,” p.69, Hospitals, December 2008; and table 28, “Private industry workers, hospitals by

occupational group: Employer costs per hours worked for employee compensation and costs as a percentage of total compensation,

2004-2009,” p.288, December 2008; on the Internet, at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ocwc/ect/ececqrtn.pdf.

8 The NCS defines civilian sector workers as those employed in State and local government and those in private industry; it excludes

agricultural, Federal, military, household, and self-employed workers.

9 National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2006, Bulletin 2590 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, September

2007), on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2006.htm. For NCS national earnings archives, see 2009 National Compensation

Survey Publications List, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncspubs.htm.

10 See tables 34, 35, and 36, respectively, of National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 2720

(Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#Wage_Tables.

11 See relative standard error (RSE) table 34 in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin

2720 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#RSE. (There are no RSE tables

35 and 36 because the relative standard errors are included in data tables 35 and 36, respectively.)

12 For more information on medical residency, see Becoming a Physician on the American Medical Association Web site at http://www.amaassn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician.shtml.

13 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data show that a total of 2,542,760 registered nurses worked in nonfarm establishments

throughout the United States in May 2008. See: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes291111.htm.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Page 9

14 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey data show that in May 2008 there were 7,076,800 employed in healthcare practitioner

and technical occupations. See Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes290000.htm.

15 The May 2008 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey data show that 1,458,520 registered nurses work in general medical and

surgical hospitals (NAICS code 622100); see Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oes/

2008/may/naics4_622100.htm#b29-0000; 33,100 were employed in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals (NAICS code 622200); see the

page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/naics4_622200.htm#b29-0000; and 43,820 in specialty hospitals (NAICS code 622300); see the

page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/naics4_622300.htm#b29-0000; for a total of 1,535,440 in all hospitals (NAICS code 622000).

Registered nurses working in hospitals make up approximately 60 percent of all registered nurses ((1,535,440/2,542,760)*100=60). For more

information, see that page at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes291111.htm. There are some differences in the scope of the NCS and the

OES, which affect the proportion noted here. See the technical notes of the May 2008 Occupational Employment Survey annual wage survey

at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_tec.htm.

16 According to SOC code 29-1111 (posted October 21, 2001; 2000 edition of the SOC), registered nurses assess patient health problems

and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or

disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration

required. Include advance practice nurses such as: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified

registered nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nursing is practiced by registered nurses who have specialized formal, post-basic education

and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles. See Standard Occupational Classification, “29-1141 Registered Nurses,” on the

Internet at http://www.bls.gov/soc/soc_291141.htm.

17 For detail on job leveling, see National Compensation Survey: Guide for Evaluating Your Firm's Jobs and Pay, (Bureau of Labor Statistics,

October 2003), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/ncbr0004.pdf.

18 See “Basics of Grade Structures,” by David Creelman, 2004, posted on the Internet at http://www.speedeeo.com/Library/

BasicsofSalaryGrades.pdf.

19 To become a registered nurse, an individual must graduate from a State-approved school of nursing--either a 4-year university program, a

2-year associate degree program, or a 3-year diploma program--and pass a State licensing examination called the National Council Licensure

Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). See American Nursing Association, Nursing World, “Nursing Education,” on the Internet at

http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/StudentNurses/Education.aspx (accessed January 28, 2010).

20 see National Compensation Survey: Guide for Evaluating Your Firm's Jobs and Pay, (Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 2003), on the

Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/ncbr0004.pdf.

21 Among occupations with two or more published estimates by work level.

22 See tables 34, 35, and 36 in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 2720 (Bureau of

Labor Statistics, August 2009), on the Internet, at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm#Wage_Tables.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Division of Information and Marketing Services, PSB Suite 2850, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC

20212-0001 | www.bls.gov/OPUB | Telephone: 1-202-691-5200 | Contact Us