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News Release Information

20-1368-NEW
Thursday, July 09, 2020

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  • (617) 565-4141

Occupational Employment and Wages for Selected Patient Care Occupations in New York’s Metropolitan Areas — May 2019

Among the 12 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in New York, all had annual wages that were significantly above the national average for home health and personal care aides, and five had above-average wages for nursing assistants. Eight areas had below average wages for registered nurses, and 11 areas had below average wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 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 four of the selected patient care occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) annual wage for home health and personal care aides was $26,440; for registered nurses, $77,460; for nursing assistants, $30,720; and for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, $48,500. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in New York, please see Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected patient care occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2019
Area Home health and personal care aides Registered nurses Nursing assistants Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

United States

$26,440 $77,460 $30,720 $48,500

New York

29,290* 87,840* 38,810* 49,860*

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

30,760* 71,830* 31,390 44,790*

Binghamton

30,940* 69,820* 29,140* 43,520*

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

28,200* 76,120 32,030* 44,450*

Elmira

28,750* 66,780* 33,500* 37,730*

Glens Falls

28,540* (1) 33,250* 43,290*

Ithaca

29,560* 63,520* (1) 44,020*

Kingston

29,700* 76,000 34,110* 46,860*

New York-Newark-Jersey City

28,980* 93,280* 38,250* 56,610*

Rochester

29,350* 66,890* 30,980 42,710*

Syracuse

29,250* 69,970* 30,810 43,950*

Utica-Rome

29,470* 71,140* 30,400 41,710*

Watertown-Fort Drum

27,790* 69,250* 28,150* 39,390*

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 New York-Newark-Jersey City area had a combined employment of 709,920 in the four selected patient care occupations. For the remaining metropolitan areas for which data were available, combined employment in these four occupations was less than 37,000. (See table B.)

Table B. Employment of selected patient care occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2019
Area Home health and personal care aides Registered nurses Nursing assistants Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

United States

3,161,500 2,982,280 1,419,920 697,510

New York

444,880 178,320 85,090 46,320

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

9,280 10,010 4,610 2,730

Binghamton

2,530 2,540 1,450 620

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls

13,910 12,280 5,100 4,230

Elmira

770 1,130 540 350

Glens Falls

2,740 (1) 410 430

Ithaca

890 970 (1) 290

Kingston

1,850 1,140 630 440

New York-Newark-Jersey City

404,750 174,210 93,850 37,110

Rochester

14,950 12,400 5,360 3,830

Syracuse

7,060 6,120 2,640 2,840

Utica-Rome

(1) 2,720 1,630 1,450

Watertown-Fort Drum

840 890 410 460

Footnotes:
(1) Data not available.

Wages for home health and personal care aides in metropolitan areas in New York

Home health and personal care aides in all 12 metropolitan areas in New York earned annual average wages that were significantly above the $26,440 national average for this occupation, with Binghamton ($30,940) and Albany ($30,760) among the higher paying areas.

Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in New York

New York-Newark-Jersey City ($93,280) had an annual average wage for registered nurses that was significantly above the $77,460 national average. Eight metropolitan areas had wages significantly below the national average, with Elmira ($66,780) and Ithaca ($63,520) among the lower paying areas. Average wages for registered nurses in two areas were not measurably different from the national average.

Wages for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in New York

Five metropolitan areas had annual average wages for nursing assistants that were significantly higher than the $30,720 national average, with New York-Newark-Jersey City ($38,250) and Kingston ($34,110) among the higher paying areas. Nursing assistants in Binghamton ($29,140) and Watertown-Fort Drum ($28,150) earned wages that were lower than the U.S. average. Nursing assistants in four 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 New York

The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had a mean annual wage of $56,610 for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, significantly above the U.S. average of $48,500. Eleven metropolitan areas had wages significantly below the national average for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, with Watertown-Fort Drum ($39,390) and Elmira ($37,730) among the lower paying areas.

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, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Changes to the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Data

With the May 2019 estimates, the OES program has begun implementing the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Each set of OES estimates is calculated from six panels of survey data collected over three years. Because the May 2019 estimates are based on a combination of survey data collected using the 2010 SOC and survey data collected using the 2018 SOC, these estimates use a hybrid of the two classification systems that contains some combinations of occupations that are not found in either the 2010 or 2018 SOC. These combinations may include occupations from more than one 2018 SOC minor group or broad occupation. Therefore, OES will not publish data for some 2018 SOC minor groups and broad occupations in the May 2019 estimates. The May 2021 estimates, to be published in Spring 2022, will be the first OES estimates based entirely on survey data collected using the 2018 SOC.

In addition, the OES program has replaced some 2018 SOC detailed occupations with SOC broad occupations or OES-specific aggregations. These include home health aides and personal care aides, for which OES will publish only the 2018 SOC broad occupation 31-1120 Home Health and Personal Care Aides. For more information on the occupational classification system used in the May 2019 OES estimates, please see www.bls.gov/oes/soc_2018.htm and www.bls.gov/oes/oes_ques.htm#qf10.

The May 2019 OES estimates use the metropolitan area definitions delineated in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin 17-01, which add a new Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for Twin Falls, Idaho. For more information on the area definitions used in the May 2019 estimates, please see www.bls.gov/oes/current/msa_def.htm.


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 cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 580 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-digit, most 4-digit, 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.

The OES survey is a cooperative effort between BLS and the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). BLS funds the survey and provides the procedures and technical support, while the State Workforce Agencies collect most of the data. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.1 million establishments. Each year, two semiannual panels of approximately 180,000 to 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 2019 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2019, November 2018, May 2018, November 2017, May 2017, and November 2016. The unweighted sampled employment of 83 million across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57 percent of total national employment. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 71 percent based on establishments and 68 percent based on weighted sampled employment.

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.

The May 2019 OES estimates are the first set of OES estimates to be based in part on survey data collected using the 2018 SOC. These estimates use a hybrid of the 2010 and 2018 SOC systems. More information on the hybrid classification system is available at www.bls.gov/oes/soc_2018.htm.

The May 2019 OES estimates are based on the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). More information about the 2017 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, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties in New York.

  • Binghamton, NY MSA includes Broome and Tioga Counties in New York.

  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY MSA includes Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.

  • Elmira, NY MSA is comprised of Chemung County in New York.

  • Glens Falls, NY MSA includes Warren and Washington Counties in New York.

  • Ithaca, NY MSA is comprised of Tompkins County in New York.

  • Kingston, NY MSA is comprised of Ulster County in New York.

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA MSA includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

  • Rochester, NY MSA includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York.

  • Syracuse, NY MSA includes Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties in New York.

  • Utica-Rome, NY MSA includes Herkimer and Oneida Counties in New York.

  • Watertown-Fort Drum, NY MSA is comprised of Jefferson County in New York.

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

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, July 09, 2020