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Nursing care facilities had about 1.5 million jobs in May 2020. Healthcare support occupations (630,550) made up 41 percent of jobs in this industry, and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (408,450) made up an additional 27 percent. Outside of the two healthcare groups, the largest occupational groups in nursing care facilities were food preparation and serving related (149,350), building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (83,880), and office and administrative support occupations (69,130).
Occupational group | Employment | Percent of total industry employment |
---|---|---|
Total industry employment |
1,534,120 | 100% |
Healthcare support |
630,550 | 41 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical |
408,450 | 27 |
Food preparation and serving related |
149,350 | 10 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance |
83,880 | 5 |
Office and administrative support |
69,130 | 5 |
Personal care and service |
47,070 | 3 |
Management |
43,420 | 3 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair |
26,000 | 2 |
Community and social service |
25,070 | 2 |
Production |
21,100 | 1 |
Business and financial operations |
16,750 | 1 |
All other occupational groups |
13,350 | 1 |
Nursing assistants (527,480) was the largest occupation in nursing care facilities, followed by licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (199,760) and registered nurses (143,250). After these three healthcare occupations, the largest occupations were maids and housekeeping cleaners (68,850), nonrestaurant food servers (54,120), and institution and cafeteria cooks (46,850).
Occupation | Employment | Annual mean wage |
---|---|---|
Management |
||
Medical and health services managers |
25,380 | $100,160 |
Community and social service |
||
Healthcare social workers |
13,680 | 56,640 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical |
||
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
199,760 | 51,200 |
Registered nurses |
143,250 | 72,090 |
Physical therapists |
12,190 | 97,390 |
Occupational therapists |
11,370 | 91,810 |
Medical dosimetrists, medical records specialists, and health technologists and technicians, all other |
9,330 | 42,810 |
Dietetic technicians |
8,280 | 30,570 |
Healthcare support |
||
Nursing assistants |
527,480 | 31,000 |
Medical assistants |
10,190 | 31,620 |
Physical therapist assistants |
9,190 | 66,620 |
Occupational therapy assistants |
7,510 | 67,300 |
Food preparation and serving related |
||
Food servers, nonrestaurant |
54,120 | 26,820 |
Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
46,850 | 29,270 |
Food preparation workers |
17,610 | 25,450 |
Fast food and counter workers |
10,320 | 25,780 |
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers |
9,010 | 45,500 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance |
||
Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
68,850 | 26,310 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
9,100 | 28,280 |
Personal care and service |
||
Recreation workers |
36,650 | 30,840 |
Office and administrative support |
||
Receptionists and information clerks |
15,580 | 29,460 |
Office clerks, general |
11,450 | 36,760 |
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants |
7,960 | 38,000 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair |
||
Maintenance and repair workers, general |
22,070 | 39,590 |
Production |
||
Laundry and dry-cleaning workers |
20,500 | 25,440 |
Five of the 6 largest occupations in nursing care facilities had annual mean wages below the U.S. average of $56,310. Registered nurses had an annual mean wage of $72,090 in this industry. Nursing assistants ($31,000), licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses ($51,200), maids and housekeeping cleaners ($26,310), nonrestaurant food servers ($26,820), and institution and cafeteria cooks ($29,270) all had below-average wages.
These data are from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. To learn more, see the May 2020 OEWS data for nursing care facilities. Also see "Occupational Employment and Wages—May 2020." May 2020 OEWS estimates do not fully reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, see the OEWS COVID-19 impact statement.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Nursing assistants was the largest occupation in nursing care facilities in May 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/nursing-assistants-was-the-largest-occupation-in-nursing-care-facilities-in-may-2020.htm (visited March 16, 2025).