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

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

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

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

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.

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

Licensed Practical Nurse Pay in the Southwest

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data published earlier this year put licensed practical nurse (LPN) employment at more than 676,000 as of May 2020.  Also known as license vocational nurses (LVNs) in some areas of the country, licensed practical nurses make up one of the biggest healthcare occupations in the U.S.  As of May 2020, nearly 92,000 LPNs were working in the four-state Southwestern region of the country. Further examination of May 2020 BLS data reveals the following about licensed practical nurse pay in the Southwest:

Licensed Practical Nurse Pay in the Southwest

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	7,440	$55,820	13th
NM	1,900	$50,480	21st
OK	12,850	$43,250	44th
TX	69,650	$48,380	27th
U.S.	676,440	$50,090	-------

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

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

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Far West U.S.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released earlier this year indicated that, as of May 2020, there were over 126,600 occupational therapists (OTs) at work in the United States.  As that time, occupational therapist employment in the Far West U.S. totaled just over 15,100.  BLS data reveals the Far West region to be one of the best in the nation in terms of OT pay.  More than 80% of OTs working the region lived in a state where the OT annual mean wage level was above the national average.  This included two states, Nevada and California, that ranked as the two best states in the nation for occupational therapist annual mean wages.  A deeper dive into the BLS data reveals the following about occupational therapist pay in the Far West U.S. as of May 2020:

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Far West U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	270	$93,980	7th
CA	9,840	$101,080	2nd
HI	300	$85,900	22nd
NV	850	$111,270	1st
OR	1,320	$90,940	12th
WA	2,590	$87,320	17th
U.S.	126,610	$87,480	-------

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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	4,336	5,727
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	9.7	9.4	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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Dental Assistant Pay in the Great Lakes Region

Data published recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that over 312,000 dental assistants were working in the United States as of May 2020.  Almost 40,000 dental assistants employed in May 2020 lived in the five-state Great Lakes region of the country.  BLS data reveals the Great Lakes region to be a modestly weak one for dental assistant pay.  Although the average annual mean wage for dental assistants in Indiana and Ohio topped the national average, about 60% of the region's dental assistants lived in states where the annual mean wage for dental assistants was lower than the national average.  Further examination of May 2020 BLS data shows the following about dental assistant pay in the Great Lakes region:

Dental Assistant Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	11,390	$40,780	29th
IN	5,980	$42,600	23rd
MI	6,900	$40,470	31st
OH	9.780	$43,090	20th
WI	5,840	$40,740	30th
U.S.	312,140	$42,310	-------

(*) 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

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

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

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

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