Workers and wages in selected healthcare occupations
When it comes to employment, one of the healthiest
occupational groups is…well, healthcare. More than 7
million workers were employed in these occupations in
May 2008, second only to education-related occupations.
But, as data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) show, there is diversity—in both employment levels
and in wages—among healthcare occupations.
The chart highlights May 2008 employment and
wages for selected healthcare occupations. (For example,
doctors and dentists, many of whom are self-employed, are
excluded.) Registered nurse was the occupation with the
most jobs—more than 2.5 million. And registered nurses’
median annual wage of $62,450 was among the highest
of occupations with more than a million workers. More
than half the occupations shown had median annual wages
above $32,390, the national median for all occupations
in May 2008. Pharmacists topped the list with a median
annual wage of $106,410.
As they have in the recent past, healthcare occupations
will continue to grow; all of the occupations shown are
projected to experience faster than average growth over the
2008–18 decade. Registered nurses are expected to add the
most new jobs between 2008 and 2018, followed by home
health aides.
Data in the chart come from the Occupational Employment Statistics survey. For more information, write to the
Division of Occupational Employment Statistics, Suite
2135, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.
20212; call (202) 691-6569; or visit its Web site at
www.bls.gov/oes. To learn more about the 2008–18
projections, visit www.bls.gov/emp.
Employment and wages in selected healthcare practitioner and technical occupations
and healthcare support occupations, May 2008
$120,000
Pharmacists
Median annual wages
$100,000
$80,000
Physical therapists
Dental hygienists
$60,000
Registered
nurses
Radiologic technologists and technicians
Licensed practical nurses and
licensed vocational nurses
$40,000
$20,000
Pharmacy
technicians
Medical
assistants
Home
health
aides
Nursing aides,
orderlies,
attendants
$0
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
Employment (size of circle represents employment)
60 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2010
2,500,000
3,000,000