Among the eight metropolitan areas in Minnesota, five had annual wages that were significantly above the national average for nursing assistants and three had above-average wages for nurse practitioners. Two of Minnesota’s metropolitan areas had above-average wages for registered nurses, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington was the only metropolitan area to have an average wage significantly above the U.S. average for each of the four selected nursing occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for registered nurses was $69,790; for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, $43,420; for nurse practitioners, $97,990; and for nursing assistants, $26,250. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in Minnesota, please see Technical Note.).

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected nursing occupations in the United States, Minnesota, and metropolitan areas in Minnesota, May 2014

Area	Registered Nurses	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	Nurse Practitioners	Nursing Assistants
United States	$69,790	$43,420	$97,990	$26,250
Minnesota	71,450	42,000*	102,640*	27,800*
Duluth	66,780	40,460*	101,300	26,920
Fargo	60,820*	37,890*	87,050*	28,250*
Grand Forks	57,750*	38,370*	(1)	28,510*
La Crosse	54,740*	39,900*	(1)	27,140
Mankato-North Mankato	55,740*	43,060	(1)	27,900
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington	75,560*	44,430*	103,450*	30,110*
Rochester	65,650	45,800	102,710*	30,980*
St. Cloud	79,700*	39,820*	109,620*	28,100*
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.
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.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area had a combined employment of 58,550 in the four selected nursing occupations, the largest number among the eight metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state. With the exception of Rochester (9,430), combined employment for the four nursing occupations was less than 8,000 in each of the remaining metropolitan areas for which data were available in Minnesota. (See table B.)

Table B. Employment of selected nursing occupations in the United States, Minnesota, and metropolitan areas in Minnesota, May 2014

Area	Registered Nurses	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	Nurse Practitioners	Nursing Assistants
United States	2,687,310	695,610	122,050	1,427,740
Minnesota	56,000	17,680	2,910	29,320
Duluth	3,430	1,320	250	2,020
Fargo	2,580	1,250	280	1,500
Grand Forks	1,040	480	(1)	830
La Crosse	3,550	140	(1)	1,360
Mankato-North Mankato	1,470	350	(1)	620
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington	33,410	8,930	1,520	14,690
Rochester	6,720	750	700	1,260
St. Cloud	2,320	1,150	120	1,210
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

Registered nurses in the St. Cloud and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan areas earned $79,700 and $ 75,560, respectively, per year, significantly above the U.S. average of $69,790. Wages were significantly below the national average for this occupation in 4 of the 8 areas in Minnesota: Fargo ($60,820), Grand Forks ($57,750), Mankato-North Mankato ($55,740), and La Crosse ($54,740). Registered nurses in the two remaining areas earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation.

Wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area had a mean annual wage of $44,430 for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, significantly higher than the U.S. average of $43,420. Five metropolitan areas had wages significantly below the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, ranging from $40,460 in Duluth to $37,890 in Fargo. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the two remaining areas earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation.

Wages for nurse practitioners in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

Three metropolitan areas had average wages for nurse practitioners that were significantly higher than the $97,990 national average: St. Cloud ($109,620), Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington ($103,450), and Rochester ($102,710). Fargo ($87,050) was the only area with an annual wage for nurse practitioners that was significantly lower than the national average. Nurse practitioners in the remaining areas for which data were available earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average.

Wages for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

Five metropolitan areas had average wages for nursing assistants that were significantly higher than the $26,250 national average. Rochester ($30,980) and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington ($30,110) were among the higher-paying areas. Nursing assistants in three areas earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average.

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 Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development, Job Service North Dakota, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are also surveyed, but their data are not included in the national estimates. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 sampled establishments in May and November each year. May 2014 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, November 2012, May 2012, and November 2011. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 74.3 percent based on establishments and 70.5 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.1 percent of total national employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and 821 detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas. In addition, employment and wage estimates for 94 minor groups and 458 broad occupations are available in the national data. OES data by state and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area are available from www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm and www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm, respectively.

The May 2014 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.

• Duluth, Minn.-Wis. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Carlton and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin.
• Fargo, N.D.-Minn. MSA includes Cass County in North Dakota and Clay County in Minnesota.
• Grand Forks, N.D.-Minn. MSA includes Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota.
• La Crosse, Wis.-Minn. MSA includes Houston County in Minnesota and La Crosse County in Wisconsin.
• Mankato-North Mankato, Minn. MSA includes Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties in Minnesota.
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. MSA includes Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright Counties in Minnesota and Pierce and St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin.
• Rochester, Minn. MSA includes Dodge, Olmstead, and Wabasha Counties in Minnesota.
• St. Cloud, Minn. MSA includes Benton and Stearns Counties in Minnesota.

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