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News Release Information

17-1045-NEW
Friday, July 21, 2017

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Occupational Employment and Wages for Selected Nursing Occupations in New York’s Metropolitan Areas – May 2016

Among the 12 metropolitan areas in New York, 9 had annual wages that were significantly below the national average for registered nurses, and 9 had below-average wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. No metropolitan area in New York had significantly below-average wages for nursing assistants. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that New York-Newark-Jersey City was the only metropolitan area in New York to have an average wage significantly above the U.S. average for all three of the selected occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) annual wage for registered nurses was $72,180; for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, $44,840; and for nursing assistants, $27,650. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in New York, please see Technical Note.).

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected nursing occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2016
Area Registered
nurses
Licensed practical
and licensed
vocational nurses
Nursing
assistants

United States

$72,180 $44,840 $27,650

New York

80,830* 47,170* 34,300*

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

63,990* 41,340* 27,760

Binghamton

61,070* 41,010* 28,110

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

71,540 41,260* 29,310*

Elmira

58,000* 38,000* 31,840*

Glens Falls

63,270* 47,080 29,980*

Ithaca

59,700* 39,990* 29,620

Kingston

65,030* 43,980 29,150*

New York-Newark-Jersey City

86,850* 53,600* 34,550*

Dutchess County-Putnam County

77,700 44,260 32,970*

Nassau County-Suffolk County

85,720* 53,720* 38,740*

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

88,100* 53,850* 34,910*

Rochester

62,550* 40,520* 27,880

Syracuse

63,190* 39,880* 27,810

Utica-Rome

61,770* 38,250* 26,920

Watertown-Fort Drum

69,680 39,120* 26,880

Note: An asterisk indicates that the mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.
 

Of the 12 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the largest numbers of registered nurses, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, and nursing assistants, with employment of 314,950 in the three occupations combined. Seventy percent (219,450) of these jobs were located in 1 of the area’s 4 divisions, New York-Jersey City-White Plains. Another division, Nassau County-Suffolk County, had 47,210 jobs in the selected nursing occupations. For each of the remaining metropolitan areas in New York, employment in these three occupations combined was less than 22,000. (See table B. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area’s other division, Newark, contains no counties in New York, and its data have not been presented in this release.)

Table B. Employment of selected nursing occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2016
Area Registered
nurses
Licensed practical
and licensed
vocational nurses
Nursing
assistants

United States

2,857,180 702,400 1,443,150

New York

180,730 46,990 98,040

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

10,040 2,740 5,320

Binghamton

2,590 700 1,460

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

11,840 4,170 5,380

Elmira

1,030 350 580

Glens Falls

1,100 710 720

Ithaca

710 200 340

Kingston

1,190 490 640

New York-Newark-Jersey City

176,440 35,870 102,640

Dutchess County-Putnam County

3,190 1,290 2,130

Nassau County-Suffolk County

27,580 5,550 14,080

New York-Jersey City-White Plains

123,640 25,020 70,790

Rochester

11,460 3,520 5,660

Syracuse

6,030 2,440 3,050

Utica-Rome

3,000 1,570 2,340

Watertown-Fort Drum

910 550 720
Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in New York

Registered nurses in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area earned an average of $86,850 per year, measurably above the U.S. average of $72,180 for this occupation. Annual mean wages for registered nurses were significantly below the national average in 9 of the 12 areas in New York, including Elmira ($58,000) and Ithaca ($59,700). Average wages for registered nurses in two areas were not measurably different from the national average. (See chart 1.)

Wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metropolitan areas in New York

The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had a mean annual wage of $53,600 for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, significantly above the U.S. average of $44,840. Nine metropolitan areas had below-average wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, including Elmira ($38,000), Utica-Rome ($38,250), and Watertown-Fort Drum ($39,120). Wages in two areas were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation. (See chart 2.)

Wages for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in New York

Five metropolitan areas had average wages for nursing assistants that were significantly higher than the $27,650 national average, including New York-Newark-Jersey City ($34,550) and Elmira ($31,840). Nursing assistants in the remaining seven areas in New York earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the New York State Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Note

A value that is statistically different from another does not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical significance is concerned with the ability to make confident statements about a universe based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and heterogeneity of the sample affect the relative error of the data being tested.


Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES data available from BLS include include cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 650 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), metropolitan divisions, nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industry levels; and national estimates by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Each year, two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments are contacted, one panel in May and the other in November. Responses are obtained by mail, Internet or other electronic means, email, telephone, or personal visit. The May 2016 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, and November 2013. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 73 percent based on establishments and 69 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm.

The May 2016 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties in New York.
  • Binghamton, N.Y. MSA includes Broome and Tioga Counties in New York.
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.
  • Elmira, N.Y. MSA includes Chemung County in New York.
  • Glens Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Warren and Washington Counties in New York.
  • Ithaca, N.Y. MSA includes Tompkins County in New York.
  • Kingston, N.Y. MSA includes Ulster County in New York.
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. MSA includes the following:
    • Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York.
    • Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. MD includes Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.
    • New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. MD includes Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties in New Jersey; and Bronx, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York.
    • Newark, N.J.-Pa. MD includes Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
  • Rochester, N.Y. MSA includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York.
  • Syracuse, N.Y. MSA includes Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties in New York.
  • Utica-Rome, N.Y. MSA includes Herkimer and Oneida Counties in New York.
  • Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. MSA includes Jefferson County in New York.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, July 21, 2017