The Ten Largest Healthcare Support Occupations in the U.S.

In recently released reports, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that there were over 6.4 million people employed in healthcare support occupations as of May 2020.  This BLS employment grouping includes a variety of occupations that assist and aid healthcare practitioners, technologists, and technicians who are involved in the diagnosing or treating of medical conditions.   As of May 2020, employment in healthcare support occupations accounted for about 4.6% of total U.S. employment.  BLS data as of May 2020 reveals the following as the ten largest healthcare support occupations in the U.S.:

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Home Health and Personal Care Aide		3,211,590	$28,060
2	Nursing Assistant		1,371,050	$32,050
3	Medical Assistant		710,200	$36,930
4	Dental Assistant		312,140	$42,310
5	Phlebotomist		128,020	$37,280
6	Veterinary Assistant/Lab Animal Caretaker		98,810	$30,980
7	Physical Therapist Assistant		92,740	$59,440
8	Massage Therapist		85,040	$47,350
9	Medical Equipment Preparer		56,870	$41,070
10	Psychiatric Aide		51,550	$33,300
	All Healthcare Support Occupations		6,440,880	$32,250

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.

Medicare Long Term Care Hospital Beds in the Mid-East States

Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) serve the needs of the more than 60 million Americans having Medicare Part A long term care coverage.  LTCHs provide services to individuals with complex medical situations that require extended inpatient care (in excess of 25 days on average).  Over 6,000 hospitals in total, with more than 932,500 beds, were participating in the Medicare program as of calendar year 2019.  LTCHs accounted for about 6% of those hospitals and just over 2.7% of those hospital beds.

In calendar year 2019, the Mid-East region of the U.S. was home to 29 LTCHs, with almost 2,000 beds, who were participating in the Medicare program.  As such, the region was home to about 15% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollees, but only 8.5% of the program's long term care hospital beds.  Here is a summary look at Medicare Long Term Care hospital beds in the Mid-East states:

Medicare Long Term Care Hospital Beds in the Mid-East States

Area	# Part A Enrollees		# Hospitals	# Beds
DE	207,483		1	35
DC	92,751		2	142
MD	1,034,889		2	189
NJ	1,599,601		8	544
NY	3,604,216		2	636
PA	2,725,186		14	621
Region	9,264,126		29	2,167
National*	61,166,694		367	25,593
% of National	15.1%		7.9%	8.5%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Data Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions and Other, Calendar Year 2019

Medicare Rehabilitation Hospital Beds in the Southeast

Rehabilitation hospitals are part of the hospital infrastructure serving the needs of the more than 60 million Americans having Medicare Part A insurance coverage.  Over 6,000 hospitals of all types, with more than 932,500 beds in total, participated in the Medicare program as of calendar year 2019.  Rehabilitation hospitals accounted for about 5% of those hospitals and just over 2% of those hospital beds.

In calendar year 2019, the twelve-state Southeast region of the U.S. was home to 103 rehabilitation hospitals, with over 5,700 beds, who were participating in the Medicare program.  As such, the region was home to about 27% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollees and 30% of the program's rehabilitation hospital beds.  Here is a state-level summary look at Medicare rehabilitation hospital beds in the Southeast region of the U.S.:

Medicare Rehabilitation Hospital Beds in the Southeast

Area	# Part A Enrollees		# Hospitals	# Beds
AL	1,040,502		7	427
AR	636,495		8	521
FL	4,550,450		17	1,305
GA	1,708,820		6	324
KY	917,181		5	349
LA	867,854		22	660
MS	601,243		1	33
NC	1,978,972		3	298
SC	1,070,242		9	487
TN	1,354,299		11	612
VA	1,504,299		9	415
WV	438,435		5	280
Region	16,668,792		103	5,711
National*	61,166,694		306	19,059
% of National	27.3%		33.7%	30.0%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Data Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions and Other, Calendar Year 2019

The Ten Largest Healthcare Professional Occupations in the U.S.

Recently released reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that, as of May 2020, there were nearly 8.6 million healthcare professionals employed in practitioner and technical occupations.  This is a BLS occupational grouping that includes most professions, which typical require advanced education and skills, involved in the diagnosing or treating of healthcare conditions.  This BLS grouping does not, however, include many support occupations involved in healthcare diagnostic and treatment processes.  As of May 2020, healthcare practitioner and technical professions employment accounted for about 6.2% of total U.S. employment.  BLS data as of May 2020 reveals the following as the ten largest healthcare professional occupations in the U.S.:

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Registered Nurse		2,986,500	$80,010
2	Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse		676,440	$50,090
3	Physician (all kinds)		663,060	(1)
4	Pharmacy Technician		415,310	$36,540
5	Clinical Lab Technologist/Technician		326,220	$55,990
6	Pharmacist		315,470	$125,460
7	EMT/Paramedic		257,700	$40,370
8	Physical Therapist		220,870	$91,680
9	Nurse Practitioner		211,280	$114,510
10	Radiologic Technologist/Technician		206,720	$64,840
	All Practitioner/Technical Occupations		8,579,180	$85,900

(1) in excess of $200,000 per year

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.

Medicare Psychiatric Hospital Beds in the Great Lakes Region

Psychiatric hospitals are part of the hospital infrastructure serving more than 60 million Americans having Medicare Part A insurance coverage.  More than 6,000 hospitals of all kinds, having over 932,500 beds in total, were participating in the Medicare program in calendar year 2019.  Psychiatric hospitals accounted for about 10% of those hospitals and just over 6.4% of those hospital beds.  

In calendar year 2019, the five-state Great Lakes region of the U.S. was home to 98 psychiatric hospitals, with over 8,100 beds, who were participating in the Medicare program.  While the region was home to about 15% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollment, it had less than 14% of the Medicare program's psychiatric hospital beds.  Here is a state-level look at Medicare psychiatric hospital beds in the Great Lakes region of the U.S.:

Medicare Psychiatric Hospital Beds in the Great Lakes Region

	# Part A Enrollees		# Hospitals	# Beds
IL	2,212,802		15	1,657
IN	1,258,716		29	1,417
MI	2,063,850		13	1,625
OH	2,326,789		29	2,332
WI	1,171,641		12	1,145
Region	9,033,798		98	8,176
National*	61,166,694		604	59,851
% of National	14.8%		16.2%	13.7%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Data Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions and Other, Calendar Year 2019

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

In Medicare parlance, a short stay hospital is a hospital that provides acute inpatient care. For Medicare program purposes, the short stay hospital designation excludes many hospitals that specialize in a particular types of care, such as psychiatric, rehabilitation, children's and long-term care hospitals. Also excluded from the short stay hospital designation are certain small hospitals, with fewer than 25 beds, that serve rural areas and who meet other criteria for categorization as a "critical access hospital" (CAH). CAH's are eligible for certain financial benefits from the Medicare program that not available to standard short stay hospitals.

Short stay hospitals are integral to the hospital infrastructure serving more than 60 million Americans having Medicare Part A insurance coverage.  Of the more than 6,000 hospitals participating in the Medicare program in calendar year 2019, over 53% were short stay hospitals.  More significantly, short stay hospitals accounted for more than 83% of the total hospital beds serving the needs of Medicare Part A enrollees.  

In the six-state Far West region of the U.S., as of calendar year 2019, there were 420 short stay hospitals, with just over 100,000 beds, participating in the Medicare program.  While the region was home to 15% of the nation's Medicare Part A enrollment, it had less than 13% of the Medicare program's short stay hospital beds.  Here is a state-level look at Medicare short stay hospital beds in the Far West region of the U.S.:

Medicare Short Stay Hospital Beds in the Far West

	# Part A Enrollees		# Hospitals	# Beds
AK	99,901		8	1,210
CA	6,145,984		294	72,287
HI	273,559		12	2,054
NV	528,844		23	6,384
OR	862,861		34	7,115
WA	1,360,244		49	10,995
Region	9,271,394		420	100,045
National*	61,166,694		3,283	779,466
% of National	15.2%		12.8%	12.8%

* National totals include U.S. territories

Source:  CMS Program Statistics, Table: MDCR PROVIDERS 4. Medicare Providers:  Number of Medicare Certified Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Number of Beds, by State, Territories, Possessions and Other, Calendar Year 2019

Physician Employment in the U.S.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released by-occupation employment and wage data from its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey from May 2020.  This employment survey estimated that there were just over 663,000 physicians employed in the U.S. as of May 2020.  This represented approximately 7.7% of total U.S. employment in all healthcare practitioner and technical occupations, a broad BLS occupational grouping that excludes many healthcare support occupations.  BLS data reported the following about physicians employment in the U.S. (ranked by number employed) as of May 2020:

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Physicians (all other) & Ophthalmologists		375,390	$218,850
2	Family Medicine Physicians		98,590	$214,370
3	General Internal Medicine Physicians		50,600	$210,960
4	Surgeons, except Ophthalmologists		37,900	$251,650
5	Anesthesiologists		28,590	$271,440
6	Pediatricians, general		27,550	$184,570
7	Psychiatrists		25,540	$217,100
8	OB/GYNs		18,900	$239,120
	All Physicians		663,060	N/A
	All Practitioner/Technical Occupations		8,579,180	$85,900

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

According to certified bed count data from the 2020 Medicare Provider of Services file, the following are the ten largest hospital providers in the Southeast U.S.:

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Southeast

1. AdventHealth Orlando
   Location:  Orlando, FL
   Bed Count:  2,891
   
   
2. Jackson Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Miami, FL
   Bed Count:  2,137
   
   
3. Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center
   Location:  Orlando, FL
   Bed Count:  1,738
   
   
4. North Healthcare / Norton Hospital
   Location:  Louisville, KY
   Bed Count:  1,730
   
   
5. Methodist Healthcare / Methodist University Hospital
   Location:  Memphis, TN
   Bed Count:  1,593
   
   
6. Baycare / St. Joseph's Hospital
   Location:  Tampa, FL
   Bed Count:  1,353
   
   
7. UofLHealth Jewish Hospital
   Location:  Louisville, KY
   Bed Count:  1,261
   
   
8. UAB Hospital
   Location:  Birmingham, AL
   Bed Count:  1,157
   
   
9. Cone Health Moses Cone Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Greensboro, NC
   Bed Count:  1,122
   
   
10. UF Health Shands Hospital
    Location:  Gainesville, FL
    Bed Count:  1,095
    

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Southeast

Nursing Related Employment in the U.S.

Recently released reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that there were more than 3.9 million nursing related positions in the U.S, excluding support occupations such as nursing assistants and aides, as of May 2020.  Employment in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations, a BLS occupational grouping that excludes many healthcare support occupations, totaled about 8.6 million at that time.  So, as of May 2020, nursing related employment represented more than 45% of total U.S. employment for all healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.  BLS data reveals the following about nursing related employment in the U.S. (ranked by number employed) as of May 2020:

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Registered Nurses		2,986,500	$80,010
2	Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses		676,440	$50,090
3	Nurse Practitioners		211,280	$114,510
4	Nurse Anesthetists		41,960	$189,190
5	Nurse Midwives		7,120	$115,540
	All Nursing Related Occupations		3,923,300	N/A
	All Practitioner/Technical Occupations		8,579,180	$85,900

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Great Plains Region

Based on certified bed count data from the 2020 Medicare Provider of Services file, these institutions are the ten largest hospital providers in the Great Plains region of the U.S.:

The Ten Largest Hospital Providers in the Great Plains Region

1. Mayo Clinic Hospital - Rochester
   Location:  Rochester, MN
   Bed Count:  2,059
   
   
2. Barnes Jewish Hospital
   Location:  St. Louis, MO
   Bed Count:  1,737
   
   
3. University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview
   Location:  Minneapolis, MN
   Bed Count:  1,700
   
   
4. Ascension Via Christi Hospitals
   Location:  Wichita, KS
   Bed Count:  1,268
   
   
5. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
   Location:  Iowa City, IA
   Bed Count:  1,103
   
   
6. Abbott Northwestern Hospital
   Location:  Minneapolis, MN
   Bed Count:  952
   
   
7. Hennepin County Medical Center
   Location:  Minneapolis, MN
   Bed Count:  894
   
   
8. Wesley Medical Center
   Location:  Wichita, KS
   Bed Count:  859
   
   
9. Mercy Hospital St. Louis
   Location:  St. Louis, MO
   Bed Count:  859
   
   
10. Mercy Hospital Springfield
    Location:  Springfield, MO
    Bed Count:  814
    

Supplemental resource:  Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Great Plains Region

Dental Practitioner Employment in the U.S.

Recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports estimate that, as of May 2020, there were more than 306,000 dental practitioner positions in the U.S, including dental hygienists. Dental practitioner employment thus accounted for about 3.6% of total U.S. employment for all healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. May 2020 BLS data details the following about dental practitioner employment in the U.S. (ranked by number employed):

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Dental Hygienists		194,830	$78,050
2	General Dentists		95,920	$180,830
3	Dentists, all other specialties		5,610	$194,930
4	Orthodontists		5,040	$237,990
5	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons		4,120	$234,990
6	Prosthodontists		530	$214,870
#	All Dental Practitioner Occupations		306,050	$186,300
	All Practitioner/Technical Occupations		8,579,180	$85,900

# Annual Mean Wages figure for "All Dental Practitioner Occupations" line item excludes dental hygienists 

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.

The Ten Largest Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

Based on the 2020 Medicare Provider of Services file, certified bed count data, the following are the ten largest hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States:

The Ten Largest Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

1. Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center
   Location:  Denver, CO
   Bed Count:  680
   
   
2. Centura Health St. Anthony Hospital & Medical Center
   Location:  Lakewood, CO
   Bed Count:  593
   
   
3. UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central
   Location:  Colorado Springs, CO
   Bed Count:  583
   
   
4. University of Colorado Hospital Authority
   Location:  Aurora, CO
   Bed Count:  568
   
   
5. Saint Joseph Hospital
   Location:  Denver, CO
   Bed Count:  565
   
   
6. St. Luke's Medical Center
   Location:  Boise, ID
   Bed Count:  544
   
   
7. Centura Health Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
   Location:  Colorado Springs, CO
   Bed Count:  522
   
   
8. Intermountain Medical Center
   Location:  Murray, UT
   Bed Count:  520
   
   
9. University of Utah Hospital
   Location:  Salt Lake City, UT
   Bed Count:  425
   
   
10. Rose Medical Center
    Location:  Denver, CO
    Bed Count:  422
    

Supplemental resource:  Top Teaching Hospitals by Region

Healthcare Therapist Employment in the U.S.

Recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that, as of May 2020, there were more than 684,000 healthcare therapist jobs in the U.S, excluding mental health professionals and therapy support occupations.  As such, healthcare therapist employment accounted for approximately 8% of the total U.S. employment in all healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. May 2020 BLS data reported the following about healthcare therapist employment in the U.S. (ranked by number employed):

	Occupation		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Physical Therapists		220,870	$91,680
2	Speech-Language Pathologists		148,450	$83,240
3	Respiratory Therapists		131,890	$65,640
4	Occupational Therapists		126,610	$87,480
5	Recreational Therapists		20,080	$51,260
6	Radiation Therapists		17,390	$94,300
7	Therapists, all other		11,710	$62,090
8	Exercise Physiologists		7,330	$54,020
	All Healthcare Therapy Practitioners		684,330	$82,030
	All Practitioner/Technical Occupations		8,579,180	$85,900

Source: BLS Economic News Release, March 31, 2021.