Thursday, September 30, 2021

Physical Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

Recently published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data put the number of physical therapists (PTs) employed in the U.S. at nearly 221,000 as of May 2020.  The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for about 9,800 physical therapist jobs according to the BLS data.  The Rocky Mountain region is a relatively poor one for physical therapist pay, with no states in the region having PT annual mean wage levels higher than the national average.  Moreover, two states in the region ranked among the ten worst states in the nation physical therapist annual mean wages.  A deeper look at BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about physical therapist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

Physical Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region


State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
CO 5,130 $87,250 32nd
ID 1,190 $82,470 49th
MT 1,120 $84,600 45th
UT 1,840 $86,780 35th
WY 480 $90,140 24th
U.S. 220,870 $91,680 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 2, 2021

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Cancer Deaths in New England

Responsible for more than 599,000 deaths in 2019 (about 21% of all deaths in the United States that year), cancer is the second leading cause of death in the nation.  Thanks to advancements in treatment and early diagnosis, the cancer death rate has declined modestly in the twenty years from 1999 to 2019. At 197.0 cancer deaths per 100,000 population in 1999, by 2019 the death rate from cancer had dropped 7.3%, to 182.7 deaths per 100,000 population.  The favorable trend in the cancer death rate at the national level was also seen in the New England region.  The region, which historically has a higher cancer death rate than most other regions of the country, saw its cancer death rate drop more than 10% between 1999 and 2019, from 217.3 deaths per 100,000 population to 194.7 deaths per 100,000 population.  A closer look at data from the National Center for Health Statistics details the following about cancer deaths in New England:

Cancer Deaths in New England

Cancer Deaths in New England

Area/Deaths 1999 2009 2019
CT 7,054 6,819 6,496
MA 13,853 13,112 12,582
ME 3,035 3,133 3,413
NH 2,408 2,562 2,819
RI 2,463 2,220 2,210
VT 1,255 1,254 1,378
Region 30,068 29,100 28,898
U.S. 549,838 567,628 599,601
Area/Death Rate* 1999 2009 2019
CT 208.3 191.4 182.2
MA 219.3 201.2 182.5
ME 239.6 235.6 253.9
NH 197.1 194.7 207.3
RI 236.7 210.7 208.6
VT 207.5 200.7 220.8
Region 217.3 202.0 194.7
U.S. 197.0 185.0 182.7

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on July 17, 2021

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Pharmacist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

May 2020 data published earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the number of pharmacists working in the United States at over 315,000.  The twelve-state Southeastern U.S. was home to over 82,000 employed pharmacists as of May 2020.  With only one state having a pharmacist annual mean wage level above the national average, and four states in the region ranking among the bottom ten states nationally for pharmacist annual mean wages, the Southeastern U.S. is a generally subpar region for pharmacist pay.  A more detailed examination of BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about pharmacist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Pharmacist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.
Pharmacist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AL 4,680 $124,170 22nd
AR 3,010 $120,040 42nd
FL 20,200 $121,310 33rd
GA 8,700 $118,900 45th
KY 4,940 $121,680 31st
LA 5,440 $123,350 26th
MS 2,560 $121,100 37th
NC 10,110 $123,770 24th
SC 5,370 $119,090 44th
TN 7,620 $118,880 46th
VA 7,810 $125,390 17th
WV 2,000 $129,440 9th
U.S. 315,470 $125,460 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 2, 2021

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Heart Disease Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

Heart disease is the foremost cause of death in the U.S., accounting for more than 659,000 deaths in 2019, or approximately 23% of all deaths in the United States that year.  Despite its top position, the nation's heart disease death rate has dropped since the late 1990s thanks to advancements in medical knowledge and technology. From its 1999 level of 259.9 deaths per 100,000 population, the heart disease death rate had dropped to 200.8 deaths per 100,000 population by 2019, a decline of nearly 23%.  The twelve-state Southeastern U.S. saw its heart disease death rate drop about 22% in the twenty years from 1999, a slightly smaller improvement than the country as a whole. In both 1999 and 2019, the region's heart disease death rate was slightly worse than the national average.  A deeper look into data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, reveals the following about the trend in heart disease deaths in the Southeastern U.S. region:

Heart Disease Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.
Heart Disease Deaths in the Southeastern U.S.

Area/Deaths 1999 2009 2019
AL 13,419 12,021 13,448
AR 8,315 7,295 8,669
FL 51,434 41,274 47,144
GA 17,597 16,165 19,543
KY 12,098 9,728 10,742
LA 12,007 10,169 11,302
MS 9,336 7,530 7,997
NC 19,191 17,203 19,617
SC 9,981 9,068 10,579
TN 16,280 14,257 16,814
VA 15,329 13,397 15,062
WV 6,822 5,038 5,087
Region 191,809 163,145 186,004
U.S. 725,192 599,413 659,041
Area/Death Rate* 1999 2009 2019
AL 302.9 252.7 274.3
AR 313.6 251.8 287.3
FL 326.4 221.3 219.5
GA 218.7 168.0 184.1
KY 301.1 225.3 240.4
LA 269.2 226.4 243.1
MS 330.1 254.5 268.7
NC 241.4 182.1 187.0
SC 251.1 197.6 205.5
TN 288.7 226.1 246.2
VA 219.0 169.0 176.5
WV 376.5 272.7 283.8
Region 279.7 209.7 219.1
U.S. 259.9 195.4 200.8

(*) number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 9, 2021

Friday, September 17, 2021

Surgical Technologist Pay in New England

May 2020 data published recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that over 107,000 surgical technologists were employed in the United States. With just over 4,600 surgical technologists employed, the six-state New England region accounted for about 4.3% of U.S. surgical technologist employment. New England is one of the best regions in the country for surgical technologist pay, with two states in the region ranked among the ten best states in the nation for surgical technologist annual mean wages. From May 2020 BLS data, here is a closer look at surgical technologist pay in New England:

Surgical Technologist Pay in New England

Surgical Technologist Pay in New England

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
CT 1,030 $62,310 4th
MA 2,410 $59,330 11th
ME 500 $50,010 24th
NH 430 $51,800 20th
RI 190 $59,410 9th
VT 70 $47,750 33rd
U.S. 107,400 $51,510 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 7, 2021

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Massage Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

Data released earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that, as of May 2020, there were over 85,000 massage therapists employed in the United States.  The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for a bit more than 7,000 of those massage therapist jobs.  A deeper look look at the BLS data from May 2020 revealed the following about massage therapist pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Massage Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

Massage Therapist Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region


State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
CO 5,240 $46,020 26th
ID 350 $49,820 15th
MT 210 $42,490 35th
UT 1,290 $46,730 21st
WY 80 $50,990 12th
U.S. 85,040 $47,350 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 5, 2021

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Firearm Deaths in the Great Lakes Region

In 2019 there were over 39,700 deaths caused by firearm incidents in the United States. That put the 2019 firearms death rate at about 12.1 deaths per 100,000 population.  By comparison, twenty years earlier, in 1999, the national firearms death rate was about 15% lower at 10.3 deaths per 100,000 population.  While the national firearms death rate surged between 1999 and 2019, in the Great Lakes region the increase in the death rate was more severe.  From a region where the firearms death rate was nearly 6% below the national average in 1999, by 2019 the Great Lakes region had a firearms death rate that was on par with the national average.  The surge in the firearms death rate from 1999 to 2019 was particularly severe in Ohio.  A closer examination of data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a unit of the CDC, reveals the following about firearm deaths in the Great Lakes region:

Firearm Deaths in the Great Lakes Region

Firearm Deaths in the Great Lakes Region

State/Deaths 1999 2009 2019
IL 1,209 1,058 1,367
IN 680 735 958
MI 1,085 1,095 1,220
OH 939 991 1,578
WI 448 457 604
Region 4,361 4,3365,727
U.S. 28,874 31,347 39,707
State/Death Rate* 1999 2009 2019
IL 9.8 8.3 10.8
IN 11.2 11.4 14.2
MI 11.0 11.1 12.2
OH 8.3 8.6 13.5
WI 8.4 8.1 10.4
Region 9.79.4 12.2
U.S. 10.3 10.2 12.1

(*) number of firearm-caused deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 2, 2021

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published reports earlier this year indicating that almost 148,500 speech language pathologists (SLPs) were employed in the United States as of May 2020.  More than 33,000 of those employed in the U.S. as SLPs resided in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the country.  The Southeast region is one of the weakest regions in the country for speech language pathologist pay.  Outside of Virginia, which had the 6th best SLP annual mean wage level in the nation, all states in the region registered SLP annual mean wage levels below the national average.  This included four Southeastern states that ranked among the ten worst states in the country for SLP annual mean wages.  A closer look at BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about speech language pathologist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.
Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AL 1,640 $66,400 50th
AR 1,940 $73,630 40th
FL 8,370 $81,000 20th
GA 3,430 $78,140 29th
KY 2,310 $74,520 39th
LA 1,160 $81,780 17th
MS 1,310 $67,250 48th
NC 4,610 $73,400 41st
SC 1,660 $71,340 45th
TN 3,150 $75,430 35th
VA 2,940 $92,520 6th
WV 800 $67,010 49th
U.S. 148,450 $83,240 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 2, 2021

Monday, September 13, 2021

Recreational Therapist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released data that put recreational therapist employment in the United States at more than 20,000 as of May 2020.  About 2,100 recreational therapists worked in the four-state Southwestern region according to BLS data.  Relative to the rest of the nation, BLS data shows the region to be a poor one for recreational therapist pay, with all states in the region registering an annual mean wage for recreational therapists below the national average.  A closer examination of May 2020 BLS data reveals the following about recreational therapist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Recreational Therapist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Recreational Therapist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.


State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AZ 310 $48,300 27th
NM 120 $40,100 44th
OK 170 $40,700 43rd
TX 1,520 $42,980 42nd
U.S. 20,080 $51,260 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 29, 2021

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Drug Induced Deaths in the Rocky Mountain Region

U.S. drug induced deaths totaled over 74,500 in 2019, or about 22.7 deaths per 100,000 population.  Drug overdoses, both accidental and intentional, accounted for almost 95% of these fatalities.  In the twenty years from 1999, the number of drug induced deaths in the U.S. per 100,000 population more than tripled.  While all regions of the country witnessed sharp increases in drug induced deaths in the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, the experience in the five-state Rocky Mountain region was less severe.  Even so, the region's drug induced death rate more than doubled, from 7.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 1999 to 18.1 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.   A review of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reveals the following about drug induced deaths in the Rocky Mountain region.:

Drug Induced Deaths in the Rocky Mountain Region

Drug Induced Deaths in the Rocky Mountain Region


Area/Deaths 1999 2009 2019
CO 375 784 1,118
ID 66 181 280
MT 48 147 153
UT 212 508 614
WY 21 63 81
Region 722 1,683 2,246
U.S. 19,128 39,147 74,511
Area/Death Rate* 1999 2009 2019
CO 8.9 15.8 19.4
ID 5.2 11.6 15.7
MT 5.3 14.9 14.3
UT 9.6 18.7 19.2
WY 4.3 11.3 14.0
Region 7.9 15.6 18.1
U.S. 6.9 12.8 22.7

(*) number of drug induced deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on June 5, 2021

Friday, September 10, 2021

Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the U.S. Far West

May 2020 data recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that almost 93,000 physical therapy (PT) assistants were employed in the U.S. at that time.  Approximately 9,000 physical therapy assistants were employed in the six-state Far West region of the U.S. as of May 2020. BLS data shows the Far West to be a relatively strong region for physical therapy assistant pay.  Although three states in the region had average annual mean wage levels for PT assistants that were below the national average, over 90% of the region's PT assistants lived in a state where the annual mean wage exceeded the national average.  This included California, the #1 state in the country in terms of PT assistant annual mean wages.  BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about physical therapy assistant pay in the U.S. Far West:

Physical Therapy Assistant pay in the U.S. Far West

Physical Therapy Assistant Pay in the U.S. Far West

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AK 120 $59,230 18th
CA 5,860 $70,570 1st
HI 160 $57,560 25th
NV 500 $59,160 19th
OR 810 $61,370 11th
WA 1,630 $61,850 9th
U.S. 92,740 $59,440 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 29, 2021

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Radiologic Tech Pay in the Great Plains Region

Data published earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that, as of May 2020, there were about 207,000 radiologic technologists and technicians employed in the United States.  The Great Plains region of the U.S. held about 16,600 of the country's radiologic tech jobs at that time.  BLS data revealed the region to be one of the weakest in the nation for radiologic tech pay.  Although Minnesota ranked in the top 15 nationally for radiologic tech annual mean wages, nearly three-fourths of the region's radiologic techs lived in a state where the average annual mean wage was below the national average for radiologic techs.  Moreover, five of those Great Plains states ranked among the 15 worst states in the nation for radiologic tech annual mean wages.  More examination of May 2020 data from the BLS tells us the following about radiologic tech pay in the Great Plains region:

Radiologic Tech Pay in the Great Plains Region
Radiologic Tech Pay in the Great Plains Region

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
IA 2,470 $53,400 46th
KS 1,990 $55,770 42nd
MN 4,520 $70,570 13th
MO 4,190 $55,880 41st
NE 1,630 $57,480 35th
ND 900 $56,250 39th
SD 950 $54,610 43rd
U.S. 206,720 $64,840 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 26, 2021

Monday, September 6, 2021

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in the U.S. Mid-East Region

Over 326,000 clinical laboratory technicians and technologists were working in the U.S. as of May 2020 according to data released earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  At that time, just under 47,000 of the nation's clinical lab techs were working in the U.S. Mid-East region, an area which encompasses five states and the District of Columbia.  For clinical lab techs, the Mid-East is one of the better paying regions in the nation.  The average annual mean wage for clinical lab techs in every state in the region, except for Pennsylvania, was higher than the national average. Moreover, three states in the region ranked among the ten best states in the country for clinical lab tech annual mean wages.  Further examination of BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about clinical lab tech pay in the U.S. Mid-East region:

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in the U.S. Mid-East Region

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in the U.S. Mid-East Region

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
DC 990 $66,350 7th
DE 590 $58,600 16th
MD 6,900 $57,470 18th
NJ 7,300 $65,260 8th
NY 17,470 $68,630 3rd
PA 13,440 $54,560 26th
U.S. 326,220 $55,990 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 18, 2021

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Cancer Deaths in the Southwestern U.S.

Accounting for over 599,000 deaths in 2019, or about 21% of all deaths in the U.S. that year, cancer is the number two cause of death in United States.  Thanks to advancements in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the cancer death rate has dropped modestly in the twenty years from 1999. From 197.0 cancer deaths per 100,000 population in 1999, the cancer death rate had dropped to 182.7 deaths per 100,000 population by 2019, a decline of 7.3%.  The favorable trend in cancer deaths at the national level was also seen in the four-state Southwestern U.S. region.  The region, which historically has lower cancer death rates than most sections of the country, saw its cancer death rate drop 7.6% between 1999 and 2019, from 168.5 deaths per 100,000 population to 155.7 deaths per 100,000 population.  A further examination of data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reveals the following about cancer deaths in the Southwestern U.S.:

Cancer Deaths in the Southwestern U.S.

Cancer Deaths in the Southwestern U.S.


Area/Deaths 1999 2009 2019
AZ 9,006 10,271 12,503
NM 2,857 3,202 3,614
OK 7,312 7,639 8,309
TX 32,755 35,591 41,489
Region 51,930 56,703 65,915
U.S. 549,838 567,628 599,601
Area/Death Rate* 1999 2009 2019
AZ 179.3 161.9 171.8
NM 158.0 157.2 172.4
OK 212.7 205.5 210.0
TX 159.3 143.5 143.1
Region 168.5 153.7 155.7
U.S. 197.0 185.0 182.7

(*) number of cancer deaths per 100,000 population

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on July 17, 2021