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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations (Major Group)

Healthcare Support Occupations comprises the following occupations: Home Health and Personal Care Aides; Psychiatric Aides; Orderlies; Nursing Assistants; Occupational Therapy Aides; Occupational Therapy Assistants; Physical Therapist Aides; Physical Therapist Assistants; Massage Therapists; Healthcare Support Workers, All Other; Pharmacy Aides; Medical Transcriptionists; Medical Equipment Preparers; Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers; Phlebotomists; Dental Assistants; Medical Assistants


National estimates for Healthcare Support Occupations
Industry profile for Healthcare Support Occupations
Geographic profile for Healthcare Support Occupations

National estimates for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
6,603,680 0.2 % $ 16.02 $ 33,330 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.00 $ 13.72 $ 14.37 $ 17.91 $ 22.58
Annual Wage (2) $ 22,890 $ 28,540 $ 29,880 $ 37,240 $ 46,960


Industry profile for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Healthcare Support Occupations are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Healthcare Support Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Individual and Family Services 1,699,470 63.97 $ 14.20 $ 29,540
Home Health Care Services 964,760 63.69 $ 13.96 $ 29,030
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 717,000 12.81 $ 18.01 $ 37,450
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 561,500 39.89 $ 15.83 $ 32,920
Offices of Physicians 501,600 18.60 $ 18.04 $ 37,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Individual and Family Services 1,699,470 63.97 $ 14.20 $ 29,540
Home Health Care Services 964,760 63.69 $ 13.96 $ 29,030
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 304,400 49.67 $ 14.25 $ 29,640
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 397,920 44.65 $ 14.54 $ 30,250
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 561,500 39.89 $ 15.83 $ 32,920

Top paying industries for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Direct Selling Establishments 30 0.02 $ 37.31 $ 77,600
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 2,570 0.23 $ 30.98 $ 64,450
Spectator Sports 90 0.08 $ 29.38 $ 61,110
Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance 170 0.16 $ 27.72 $ 57,670
Insurance Carriers 1,030 0.09 $ 25.05 $ 52,100


Geographic profile for Healthcare Support Occupations:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Healthcare Support Occupations are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Healthcare Support Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of healthcare support occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Healthcare Support Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 1,056,580 63.92 1.36 $ 17.22 $ 35,820
New York 661,830 76.34 1.63 $ 17.30 $ 35,990
Texas 552,120 45.16 0.96 $ 13.69 $ 28,470
Pennsylvania 331,260 59.33 1.27 $ 15.25 $ 31,720
Florida 285,180 33.14 0.71 $ 15.90 $ 33,070


Map of location quotient of healthcare support occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Healthcare Support Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 661,830 76.34 1.63 $ 17.30 $ 35,990
New Mexico 52,950 68.18 1.45 $ 13.86 $ 28,840
California 1,056,580 63.92 1.36 $ 17.22 $ 35,820
Minnesota 162,530 59.42 1.27 $ 16.32 $ 33,950
Pennsylvania 331,260 59.33 1.27 $ 15.25 $ 31,720


Map of annual mean wages of healthcare support occupations by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Healthcare Support Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 12,830 43.36 0.92 $ 20.23 $ 42,080
Washington 137,220 42.80 0.91 $ 19.38 $ 40,320
Massachusetts 187,330 55.19 1.18 $ 18.41 $ 38,290
Oregon 78,710 43.12 0.92 $ 18.40 $ 38,280
Hawaii 21,030 38.35 0.82 $ 18.21 $ 37,870



Map of employment of healthcare support occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 646,130 74.46 1.59 $ 17.50 $ 36,400
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 421,890 73.76 1.57 $ 16.53 $ 34,390
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 173,990 41.10 0.88 $ 16.64 $ 34,610
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 170,600 64.27 1.37 $ 15.81 $ 32,880
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 129,960 57.96 1.24 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 122,140 47.25 1.01 $ 18.79 $ 39,090
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 121,430 33.84 0.72 $ 15.32 $ 31,860
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 115,190 39.76 0.85 $ 14.40 $ 29,950
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 106,810 58.59 1.25 $ 16.51 $ 34,340
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 101,720 66.48 1.42 $ 16.14 $ 33,570


Map of location quotient of healthcare support occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 45,740 174.67 3.73 $ 11.03 $ 22,930
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 21,670 153.40 3.27 $ 11.06 $ 23,000
Grants Pass, OR 3,390 120.39 2.57 $ 17.25 $ 35,870
El Centro, CA 6,930 118.10 2.52 $ 15.11 $ 31,420
Las Cruces, NM 6,810 99.94 2.13 $ 12.61 $ 26,220
Chico, CA 7,230 96.99 2.07 $ 15.96 $ 33,190
Midland, MI 3,310 95.35 2.03 $ 13.85 $ 28,800
Sherman-Denison, TX 4,550 94.57 2.02 $ 11.99 $ 24,950
Laredo, TX 9,050 93.14 1.99 $ 11.09 $ 23,060
Redding, CA 5,790 88.89 1.90 $ 16.88 $ 35,120


Map of annual mean wages of healthcare support occupations by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 78,960 41.18 0.88 $ 20.36 $ 42,360
Fairbanks, AK 1,350 39.16 0.84 $ 20.28 $ 42,190
Anchorage, AK 8,230 50.88 1.09 $ 19.89 $ 41,360
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 129,960 57.96 1.24 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 9,110 70.31 1.50 $ 19.54 $ 40,640
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 40,840 36.39 0.78 $ 19.42 $ 40,380
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 2,170 33.90 0.72 $ 19.19 $ 39,910
Napa, CA 3,550 51.53 1.10 $ 19.17 $ 39,870
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 4,570 40.80 0.87 $ 19.09 $ 39,710
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 1,840 39.16 0.84 $ 18.91 $ 39,330

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 17,860 47.55 1.01 $ 13.33 $ 27,730
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 12,500 88.61 1.89 $ 11.63 $ 24,190
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 12,490 46.97 1.00 $ 12.72 $ 26,460
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 12,320 51.26 1.09 $ 13.00 $ 27,050
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 12,310 39.17 0.84 $ 14.95 $ 31,100

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Healthcare Support Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 9,080 90.90 1.94 $ 16.02 $ 33,320
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 12,500 88.61 1.89 $ 11.63 $ 24,190
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 4,820 86.39 1.84 $ 11.40 $ 23,710
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 6,260 81.79 1.74 $ 12.88 $ 26,790
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 8,710 75.19 1.60 $ 15.16 $ 31,540

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Healthcare Support Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 3,230 33.20 0.71 $ 21.09 $ 43,870
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 2,410 20.63 0.44 $ 19.04 $ 39,600
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 4,460 37.28 0.80 $ 18.49 $ 38,460
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 3,610 62.46 1.33 $ 18.29 $ 38,050
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 2,900 30.81 0.66 $ 18.25 $ 37,960


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022