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.

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.

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