Wages in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations

Physicians and surgeons earned more per hour in nonprofit establishments ($54.62) in 2007 than they did at State and local government establishments ($40.41). However, physicians and surgeons employed by private establishments earned considerably more per hour ($86.63) than those employed by nonprofits.

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Registered nurse is the largest healthcare occupation in terms of employment, with 2.5 million workers. Hourly wages for registered nurses were similar at nonprofits ($30.80), all private establishments ($30.58), and State and local governments ($29.60).

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are supervised by physicians and registered nurses. They provide basic care to patients and assist other healthcare providers. Average hourly earnings of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were lower at State and local governments ($16.68 per hour) than they were at nonprofits ($18.95 per hour). Wages at nonprofits for this occupation were similar to those at all private establishments ($18.79 per hour).

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians perform medical laboratory tests used to diagnose various diseases and other ailments. These workers are employed by hospitals, clinics, or establishments that provide medical testing services. Hourly wages of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians were similar at nonprofits ($19.87), in private industry as a whole ($19.60), and in State and local governments ($18.85).

These data are from the BLS National Compensation Survey program. To learn more, see Wages in the Nonprofit Sector: Healthcare, Personal Care, and Social Service Occupations, by Amy Butler, Compensation and Working Conditions Online, January 2009. (Note: This Editor’s Desk article was revised April 21, 2009 after the CWC Online article it is based on was updated to correct private industry data.)