Friday, September 30, 2022

Medical Assistant Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

More than half of medical assistants in the U.S. work in physician offices, but large numbers are also found working in hospitals, outpatient care centers, offices of other types of healthcare practitioners, and assisted living facilities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that, as of May 2021, more than 727,700 medical assistants were employed in the United States. According to BLS data from May 2021, the annual mean wage for medical assistants was $38,190. From region to region there was wide variation in medical assistant mean annual wages, with medical assistants in some regions of the country earning 50% or more than their counterparts elsewhere. This variation is readily visible in BLS data from May 2021, which shows the following about medical assistant pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the U.S.:

Medical Assistant Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 36,500 $42,390
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 30,700 $41,390
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 16,720 $38,910
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 19,170 $36,690
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 15,660 $36,920
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 12,900 $42,620
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 13,360 $39,450
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 15,310 $37,950
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 15,810 $36,870
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 9,640 $45,280
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 14,480 $38,630
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 13,670 $54,930
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 9,580 $39,120
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 10,580 $35,970
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 9,720 $50,820
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 6,980 $45,440
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 8,060 $41,960
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 10,310 $34,780
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 5,100 $41,870
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 6,430 $39,340
National 727,760 $38,190

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on September 26, 2022

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas

There were approximately 103,000 family medicine physicians working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Most family medicine physicians are employed at physician offices, but smaller numbers can be found working in outpatient care centers, hospitals, educational institutions, and with local government entities. Like many other health professionals with advanced education and technical skills, family medicine physicians earn higher salaries than workers in most other occupations in the United States. As of May 2021, the BLS reported that the national mean salary for family medicine physicians was $235,930 annually. Pay for family medicine physicians varies widely from region to region, with practitioners in some states making 50% or more than what their counterparts earn elsewhere. This wage variation is readily visible in BLS data from May 2021, which shows the following about family medicine physician pay in the top 20 metro areas of the U.S.:

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 3,130 $220,640
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 3,080 $261,120
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 2,010 $252,490
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 2,660 $226,070
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land n/a $172,550
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1,580 $270,280
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 3,860 $225,340
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 2,420 $184,500
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 1,550 $218,200
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 2,330 $269,230
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 2,010 $221,250
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 2,430 $275,220
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 1,230 $269,070
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 540 $240,430
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 640 $242,440
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 1,110 $231,470
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1,550 $217,910
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 840 $227,250
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 1,300 $226,330
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 580 $229,540
National 102,930 $235,930

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on September 26, 2022

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Mayo Clinic, a Trusted Source for Online Health Information

Mayo Clinic, a Trusted Source for Online Health Information

Mayo Clinic, a Trusted Source for Online Health Information

The Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minnesota with satellite locations in Arizona and Florida, is renowned for its clinical expertise.  Regularly found at or near the top of the U.S. News and World Reports' (USNWR) rankings of American hospitals, the Mayo Clinic's clinical excellence spans many medical specialties.  In the latest (22-23) USNWR rankings, it rated as the best hospital in the nation and ranked in the top 10 nationally in 14 adult specialty areas:
  • Cancer:  #3
  • Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #2
  • Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #1
  • Ear, Nose & Throat:  #6
  • Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #1
  • Geriatrics:  #4
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #6
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #2
  • Orthopedics:  #2
  • Psychiatry:  #7
  • Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #1
  • Rehabilitation:  #6
  • Rheumatology:  #4
  • Urology:  #1
  • See ranking details
While known for its clinical expertise, the Mayo Clinic is an excellent source of quality online health information.  Of course, when you visit the website for The Mayo Clinic, you may be prompted to schedule an appointment, but don't hesitate to click around and learn something. You can also subscribe to their first-rate health magazines, and you can order books on special health topics. But best of all, you can spend hours searching and learning about the leading edge of healthcare, most of it available for free.

As a website visitor, you can find a broad range of quality, free searchable information, including:
and assorted publications, some of which can be read for free:
Plus, you can find health content that you can license from the Mayo Clinic for sharing with customers of your own health practice.

There's a massive amount of health information available online, and some of it is inaccurate or misleading.  But if you want quality evidence-based health information, a trip to the Mayo Clinic website is worth the visit.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Gun Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

Gunfire incidents, ranging from homicides and suicides to accidents and other incidents, accounted for more than 45,200 deaths in the United States in 2020. This number was up about 13.9% from a year earlier. The national gun death rate in 2020 was 13.7 deaths per 100,000 population as compared to a rate of 12.1 deaths per 100,000 population the prior year.  The twelve-state Southeastern U.S. totaled 15,457 deaths by gunfire in 2020. At 18.1 gunfire deaths per 100,000 population in 2020, the region's gun death rate was about 32% higher than the national average.  In fact, six Southeastern states recorded a gun death rate in 2020 that was more than 50% above the national average.  A deeper inspection of 2020 data from the National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about gun death rates in the Southeastern U.S.:

Gun Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

Gun Death Rates in the Southeastern U.S.

State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Alabama 1,141 4,921,532 23.2
Arkansas 673 3,030,522 22.2
Florida 3,041 21,733,312 14.0
Georgia 1,897 10,710,017 17.7
Kentucky 902 4,477,251 20.1
Louisiana 1,183 4,645,318 25.5
Mississippi 818 2,966,786 27.6
North Carolina 1,699 10,600,823 16.0
South Carolina 1,131 5,218,040 21.7
Tennessee 1,473 6,886,834 21.4
Virginia 1,174 8,590,563 13.7
West Virginia 325 1,784,787 18.2
     Region 15,457 85,565,785 18.1
U.S. Totals 45,222 329,484,123 13.7

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

Report Period: 2020

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on September 24, 2022

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Registered Nurse Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

There were approximately 3,047,500 registered nurses (RNs) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  The majority of registered nurses work in hospitals, with smaller numbers employed in physician offices, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. Like many other healthcare professionals with advanced education and skills, RNs usually earn higher salaries than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for registered nurses was $82,750 per year.  While registered nurses earn better than average pay, there is much variation from region to region in how much registered nurses earn.  This variation is readily evident from BLS data of May 2021, which shows the following about registered nurse pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 180,540 $98,460
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 113,890 $116,110
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 96,750 $81,300
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 62,840 $82,260
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 54,540 $83,890
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 43,560 $89,060
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 73,510 $81,860
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 53,110 $74,220
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 42,420 $80,760
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 66,120 $99,950
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 40,120 $82,630
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 41,160 $151,640
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 30,570 $111,700
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 43,810 $77,180
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 35,070 $99,310
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 41,850 $86,690
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 27,200 $113,150
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 30,940 $73,380
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 27,860 $82,860
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 30,990 $83,080
National 3,047,530 $82,750

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on September 21, 2022

Friday, September 23, 2022

Gun Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

Deaths attributable to gunfire accounted for over 45,200 deaths in the United States in 2020, an increase of almost 13.9% from 2019 levels. This figure included suicides, homicides, accidents, and other gunfire-related incidents in 2020.  At 13.7 deaths per 100,000 population, the U.S. gun death rate rose from 12.1 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019.  The five-state Great Lakes region recorded 6,839 deaths in 2020 that were attributable to gunfire.  With 14.6 gun-related deaths per 100,000 population in 2020, the region's gun death rate was about 6.6% higher than the national average.  Only one state in the region, Wisconsin, recorded a gun death rate in 2020 that was below the national average.  A closer look at data from the National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about gun death rates in the Great Lakes region in 2020:

Gun Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

Gun Death Rates in the Great Lakes Region

State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Illinois 1,745 12,587,530 13.9
Indiana 1,159 6,754,953 17.2
Michigan 1,454 9,966,555 14.6
Ohio 1,764 11,693,217 15.1
Wisconsin 717 5,832,655 12.3
     Region 6,839 46,834,910 14.6
U.S. Totals 45,222 329,484,123 13.7

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

Report Period: 2020

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on September 20, 2022

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Paramedic Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

The most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational reports estimated that there were approximately 96,500 paramedics working in the U.S. as of May 2021.  Paramedics mostly work for ambulance service providers and local government agencies, with smaller numbers employed in hospital environments or elsewhere. Paramedics earn more modest salaries and wages than workers in many other healthcare occupations.  According to BLS data, as of May 2021 the national mean wage for paramedics was $49,500 annually.  Pay for the profession varies widely from region-to-region, with paramedics in some areas making 50% or more annually than their counterparts elsewhere. This salary and wage disparity is readily seen in BLS data from May 2021, which reports the following about paramedic pay in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the U.S.:

Paramedic Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 4,050 $65,490
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 1,370 $59,990
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 3,310 $63,180
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 2,250 $48,340
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 1,930 $44,400
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 970 $65,170
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 1,510 $60,140
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 1,080 $47,920
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 2,280 $46,670
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 1,540 $59,860
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 1,010 $44,740
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 590 $69,470
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 650 $52,710
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 1,020 $47,850
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 960 $94,290
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 930 $61,690
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 410 $52,780
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 670 $46,400
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 820 $55,380
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 1,330 $59,950
National 96,510 $49,500

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on September 17, 2022

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Emergency Medical Technician Pay in the Top 20 Metro Markets

There were approximately 160,400 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) employed in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports.  EMTs mostly work for ambulatory healthcare service providers, local government agencies and hospitals. Emergency medical technicians typically earn lower salaries and wages than many other healthcare workers.  According to BLS data, as of May 2021 EMTs earned, on average, $36,690 per year.  Pay for the profession varies widely from region-to-region, with EMTs in some parts of the country making substantially more annually than their peers elsewhere. This salary and wage variation can be easily seen in BLS data from May 2021, which reports the following about emergency medical technician pay in the top 20 metro markets in the U.S.:

Emergency Medical Technician Pay in the Top 20 Metro Markets

Metropolitan Area # Employed Mean Annual Wage
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City 12,090 $43,310
2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 5,350 $39,930
3 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 5,400 $50,820
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 2,290 $36,370
5 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 2,350 $36,640
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1,820 $56,130
7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 3,790 $39,070
8 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach 1,210 $34,370
9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta 2,950 $34,440
10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 2,920 $43,390
11 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler 1,740 $33,370
12 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley 2,850 $55,620
13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 1,890 $38,230
14 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn 1,250 $33,530
15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 1,150 $39,250
16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 1,290 $41,170
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1,250 $36,620
18 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 980 $31,590
19 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 1,370 $35,010
20 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 1,420 $43,000
National 161,400 $36,690

Report Period:  May 2021
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on September 17, 2022

Monday, September 19, 2022

Gun Death Rates in New England

In 2020, gun-related deaths totaled over 45,200 in the United States. This figure, which included gun-related deaths from homicides, suicides, accidents, and other firearm incidents, was up nearly 13.9% from the prior year. The U.S. gun death rate in 2020 stood at 13.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2020, up from 12.1 deaths per 100,000 population the prior year.  The six-state New England region recorded 898 gun-related deaths in 2020, or about 6.0 gun deaths per 100,000 population. As such, in 2020 the region's gun death rate was more than 50% lower than the national average.  This favorable comparison to the national average was due in part to low gun death rates in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, three states which have among the more restrictive gun control laws in the nation.  Further review of 2020 data from the National Center for Health Statistics provides the following details about gun death rates in New England:

Gun Death Rates in New England

Gun Death Rates in New England

State Deaths Population Death Rate*
Connecticut 219 3,557,006 6.2
Maine 153 1,350,141 11.3
Massachusetts 268 6,893,574 3.9
New Hampshire 128 1,366,275 9.4
Rhode Island 54 1,057,125 5.1
Vermont 76 623,347 12.2
     Region 898 14,847,468 6.0
U.S. Totals 45,222 329,484,123 13.7

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

Report Period: 2020

Source: CDC Wonder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed on September 14, 2022