Each of the nine metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in Kentucky had annual wages that were significantly below the national average for registered nurses, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Eight areas had below-average wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, and seven areas had below-average wages for nursing assistants. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Elizabethtown-Fort Knox was the only metropolitan area in the state to have an average wage significantly above the U.S. average for nursing assistants. Nationwide, the average (mean) 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 Kentucky, please see Technical Note.).

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected nursing occupations in the United States, Kentucky, and metropolitan areas in Kentucky, May 2016

Area	Registered Nurses	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	Nursing Assistants
United States	$72,180	$44,840	$27,650
Kentucky	59,810*	39,460*	25,160*
Bowling Green	59,270*	37,650*	22,900*
Cincinnati	65,580*	43,230*	27,080
Clarksville	57,720*	38,760*	25,310*
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox	59,940*	39,120*	30,560*
Evansville	55,660*	42,120*	26,120*
Huntington-Ashland	60,670*	36,830*	25,630*
Lexington-Fayette	60,840*	41,370*	26,410*
Louisville/Jefferson County	63,130*	41,370*	26,640*
Owensboro	55,530*	43,890	24,470*
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 nine metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in Kentucky, the Cincinnati area had the largest employment in the three selected nursing occupations at 42,040, followed by Louisville/Jefferson County at 26,620. Employment in these three occupations combined was less than 12,100 in each of the remaining metropolitan areas for which data were available. (See table B.) 

Table B. Employment of selected nursing occupations in the United States, Kentucky, and metropolitan areas in Kentucky, May 2016

Area	Registered Nurses	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	Nursing Assistants
United States	2,857,180	702,400	1,443,150
Kentucky	45,500	10,520	23,930
Bowling Green	1,570	240	1,010
Cincinnati	23,330	6,590	12,120
Clarksville	1,510	790	1,290
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox	770	170	(1)
Evansville	4,110	930	2,120
Huntington-Ashland	4,910	1,250	1,870
Lexington-Fayette	7,580	1,120	3,390
Louisville/Jefferson County	15,750	3,620	7,250
Owensboro	(1)	260	550
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Location quotients (LQs) 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.

Two metropolitan areas in Kentucky had above-average concentrations of employment for the three selected nursing occupations. In the Huntington-Ashland area, registered nurses were employed at 1.8 times the national rate. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were employed at 1.9 times the national rate in Clarksville and in Huntington-Ashland. Clarksville had a LQ of 1.5 for nursing assistants. (See table C.)

Table C. Location quotients of selected nursing occupations in the United States, Kentucky, and metropolitan areas in Kentucky, May 2016

Area	Registered Nurses	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	Nursing Assistants
United States	1.0	1.0	1.0
Kentucky	1.2	1.1	1.3
Bowling Green	1.1	0.7	1.4
Cincinnati	1.1	1.3	1.1
Clarksville	0.9	1.9	1.5
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox	0.7	0.6	(1)
Evansville	1.3	1.2	1.4
Huntington-Ashland	1.8	1.9	1.4
Lexington-Fayette	1.4	0.8	1.2
Louisville/Jefferson County	1.2	1.1	1.1
Owensboro	(1)	1.1	1.1
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Kentucky

Each of the nine metropolitan areas in Kentucky had wages significantly below the U.S. average of $72,180 for registered nurses. The lower paying areas included Owensboro ($55,530), Evansville ($55,660), and Clarksville ($57,720). 

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

Eight areas had wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses that were measurably below the national average of $44,840. The lower paying areas included Huntington-Ashland ($36,830), Bowling Green ($37,650), and Clarksville ($38,760). Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Owensboro earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average.

Wages for nursing assistants in metropolitan areas in Kentucky

The Elizabethtown-Fort Knox area had a mean annual wage of $30,560 for nursing assistants, significantly above the U.S. average of $27,650. Seven metropolitan areas had wages significantly below the national average for nursing assistants, including Bowling Green ($22,900), Owensboro ($24,470), and Clarksville ($25,310). Nursing assistants in Cincinnati earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average for this occupation.

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 Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment.

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 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 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.

• Bowling Green, Ky. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Allen, Butler, Edmonson, and Warren Counties in Kentucky.
• Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. MSA includes Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio; Dearborn, Ohio, and Union Counties in Indiana.
• Clarksville, Tenn.-Ky. MSA includes Christian and Trigg Counties in Kentucky; Montgomery County in Tennessee.
• Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, Ky. MSA includes Hardin, Larue, and Meade Counties in Kentucky.
• Evansville, Ind.-Ky. MSA includes Henderson County in Kentucky; Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties in Indiana.
• Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio MSA includes Boyd and Greenup Counties in Kentucky; Cabell, Lincoln, Putnam, and Wayne Counties in West Virginia; Lawrence County in Ohio.
• Lexington-Fayette, Ky. MSA includes Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Scott, and Woodford Counties in Kentucky
• Louisville/Jefferson, Ky.-Ind. MSA includes Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble Counties in Kentucky; Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington Counties in Indiana.
• Owensboro, Ky. MSA includes Daviess, Hancock, and McLean Counties in Kentucky.

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