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News Release Information

14-2023-BOS
Thursday, November 06, 2014

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Occupational Employment and Wages for Registered Nurses and Nursing Assistants in Connecticut’s Metropolitan Areas - May 2013

Registered nurses in five of the six metropolitan areas in Connecticut had annual wages that were significantly higher than the national average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that annual wages for nursing assistants were significantly higher than those for the nation in all six metropolitan areas in Connecticut. Nationwide, the average (mean) annual wage for registered nurses was $68,910 and for nursing assistants, $26,020. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in Connecticut, please see the Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for registered nurses and nursing assistants in the United States, Connecticut, and metropolitan areas in Connecticut, May 2013
AreaRegistered NursesNursing Assistants

United States

$68,910$26,020

Connecticut

76,280*31,950*

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk

80,280*33,250*

Danbury

75,590*30,330*

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford

74,830*31,740*

New Haven

78,050*32,500*

Norwich-New London

75,060*30,600*

Waterbury

70,21030,530*

* The mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.  

Employment for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Connecticut

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford had the highest employment for registered nurses among the state’s metropolitan areas at 12,640 in May 2013. Two other areas, Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk and New Haven, each had an employment level above 5,000 in this occupation. (See table B.)

Two of the state’s areas, Waterbury and New Haven, had employment shares significantly above the national share for registered nurses, while the employment share in the Norwich-New London area was significantly below the national share.  

Location quotients allow us to explore the occupational make-up of a metropolitan area by comparing the composition of jobs in an area relative to the national average. For example, a location quotient of 2.0 indicates that an occupation accounts for twice the share of employment in the area than it does nationally. The Waterbury area recorded a higher location quotient for registered nurses at 1.5.

Employment for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in Connecticut

Hartford had the highest employment for nursing assistants among the state’s metropolitan areas, at 7,180 in May 2013. Bridgeport and New Haven each had employment levels above 4,000 in this occupation.

Five of the six metropolitan areas in the state had employment shares significantly higher than the national share for nursing assistants. For nursing assistants, higher location quotients were recorded for Waterbury and New Haven at 1.9 and 1.5, respectively.

Table B. Employment for registered nurses and nursing assistants in the United States, Connecticut, and metropolitan areas in Connecticut, May 2013
AreaRegistered NursesNursing Assistants
Total employmentPercent of total employmentLocation QuotientTotal employmentPercent of total employmentLocation Quotient

United States

2,661,8902.0%1.01,427,8301.1%1.0

Connecticut

34,8202.11.121,8601.3*1.2

Bridegeport-Stamford-Norwalk

7,5201.80.94,8401.21.1

Danbury

1,3802.01.09301.3*1.3

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford

12,6402.31.17,1801.3*1.2

New Haven

7,3302.7*1.34,2601.6*1.5

Norwich-New London

2,3301.8*0.91,7001.3*1.2

Waterbury

1,9603.1*1.51,3002.0*1.9

* The employment for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

 

Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Connecticut

Bridgeport and New Haven were among the higher-paying areas in Connecticut for registered nurses at $80,280 and $78,050, respectively. Annual wages for registered nurses in these two metropolitan areas, as well as in Danbury, Norwich, and Hartford, were significantly above the national average. The average annual wage for registered nurses in Waterbury, at $70,210, was not significantly different than the nationwide average.

Wages for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in Connecticut

Bridgeport ($33,250) and New Haven ($32,500) were among the higher-paying areas for nursing assistants in Connecticut. Average annual wages for nursing assistants in Hartford were $31,740. In the remaining three metropolitan areas, annual wages ranged from $30,600 in Norwich to $30,330 in Danbury. Wages in the state’s six metropolitan areas were significantly above the national 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 Connecticut Department of Labor.

The OES wage and employment data for registered nurses and nursing assistants in the state and metropolitan areas were compared to their respective national averages based on statistical significance testing. Only those occupations with wages above or below the national wage after testing for significance at the 90-percent confidence level meet the criteria.

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 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. Each year, forms are mailed to two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments, one panel in May and the other in November. May 2013 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2013, November 2012, May 2012, November 2011, May 2011, and November 2010. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 75.3 percent based on establishments and 71.6 percent based on employment. 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 2013 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.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

 

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.

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Ansonia city, Bridgeport city, Darien town, Derby city, Easton town, Fairfield town, Greenwich town, Milford city, Monroe town, New Canaan town, Newtown town, Norwalk city, Oxford town, Redding town, Ridgefield town, Seymour town, Shelton city, Southbury town, Stamford city, Stratford town, Trumbull town, Weston town, Westport town, Wilton town, and Woodbridge town.

Danbury, Conn. MSA includes Bethel town, Bridgewater town, Brookfield town, Danbury city, New Fairfield town, New Milford town, and Sherman town.

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn. MSA includes Andover town, Ashford town, Avon town, Barkhamsted town, Berlin town, Bloomfield town, Bolton town, Bristol city, Burlington town, Canton town, Colchester town, Columbia town, Coventry town, Cromwell town, East Granby town, East Haddam town, East Hampton town, East Hartford town, Ellington town, Farmington town, Glastonbury town, Granby town, Haddam town, Hartford city, Hartland town, Harwinton town, Hebron town, Lebanon town, Manchester town, Mansfield town, Marlborough town, Middlefield town, Middletown city, New Britain city, New Hartford town, Newington town, Plainville town, Plymouth town, Portland town, Rocky Hill town, Simsbury town, South Windsor town, Southington town, Stafford town, Thomaston town, Tolland town, Union town, Vernon town, West Hartford town, Wethersfield town, Willington town, and Windsor town.

New Haven, Conn. MSA includes Bethany town, Branford town, Cheshire town, Chester town, Clinton town, Deep River town, Durham town, East Haven town, Essex town, Guilford town, Hamden town, Killingworth town, Madison town, Meriden city, New Haven city, North Branford town, North Haven town, Old Saybrook town, Orange town, Wallingford town, West Haven city, and Westbrook town.

Norwich-New London, Conn-R.I. MSA includes Bozrah town, Canterbury town, East Lyme town, Franklin town, Griswold town, Groton town, Ledyard town, Lisbon town, Lyme town, Montville town, New London city, North Stonington town, Norwich city, Old Lyme town, Preston town, Salem town, Sprague town, Stonington town, Voluntown town, and Waterford town in Connecticut; and Westerly town in Rhode Island.

Waterbury, Conn. MSA includes Beacon Falls town, Middlebury town, Naugatuck borough, Prospect town, Waterbury city, Watertown town, and Wolcott town.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, November 06, 2014