In the 2024-25 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) survey of American hospitals, only 160 hospitals surveyed received national recognition in at least one of the 15 adult specialties examined in the USNWR study. The five-state Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. is home to multiple teaching hospitals, but no teaching hospital in the region earned a spot in the survey's honor roll of the top hospitals in the nation.  As such, the Rocky Mountain region was the only region of the country without at least one hospital that made the honor roll  However, two teaching hospitals in the region earned national distinction in at least two adult specialties.  For receiving such recognition in the latest USNWR survey, these two hospitals stand out as the top-ranked teaching hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region:

Top Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Rocky Mountain Region

University of Colorado Hospital
Location:  Aurora, CO

Nationally Ranked Adult Specialties:  4

• Cancer:  #38
• Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #27
• Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #36
• Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #13
• See ranking details

University of Utah Hospital

Location:  Salt Lake City, UT

Nationally Ranked Adult Specialties:  2

• Ophthalmology:  #10
• Rehabilitation:  #27
• See ranking details

To find other teaching hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region and elsewhere, visit our U.S. Teaching Hospitals resource page.

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 2023, more than 763,000 medical assistants were employed in the United States. According to BLS data from May 2023, the annual mean wage for medical assistants was $43,350. 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 2023, 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		45,350	$47,780
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		34,330	$46,480
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		16,210	$44,200
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		17,280	$40,560
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		15,820	$40,670
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		13,870	$46,770
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		12,720	$44,990
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		15,190	$41,830
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		14,490	$41,760
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		11,910	$49,440
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		15,850	$44,210
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		14,590	$62,160
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		11,290	$44,580
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		12,420	$39,770
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		9,730	$58,070
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		7,900	$51,170
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		9,620	$48,610
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		8,870	$40,200
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		5,790	$48,190
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		6,830	$43,660
	National		763,040	$43,350

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 31, 2024

There were approximately 112,000 family medicine physicians working in the U.S. as of May 2023 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 2023, the BLS reported that the national mean salary for family medicine physicians was $240,790 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 2023, 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		6,530	$214,370
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		5,790	$237,290
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		1,870	$148,410
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		n/a	n/a
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		2,170	$160,140
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		1,720	$259,090
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		3,370	$278,720
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		n/a	$234,180
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		1,250	$314,810
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		2,850	$271,370
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		3,180	$295,830
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		1,640	$275,330
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		1,230	$248,940
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		1,760	$157,850
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		720	$236,250
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		1,800	$238,780
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		1,440	$284,940
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		1,330	$257,150
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		1,450	$228,390
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		850	$269,250
	National		112,010	$240,790

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 31, 2024

There were more than 3,175,000 registered nurses (RNs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023 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 2023, the national mean wage for registered nurses was $94,480 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 2023, 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		184,360	$111,210
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		123,940	$121,440
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		102,330	$90,810
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		72,910	$94,240
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		61,860	$94,390
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		43,360	$99,000
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		72,060	$94,850
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		56,660	$87,710
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		51,820	$95,000
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		64,120	$111,930
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		46,350	$92,540
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		40,620	$174,370
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		31,140	$129,310
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		43,270	$87,620
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		38,500	$115,170
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		39,370	$98,550
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		24,420	$133,790
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		34,240	$86,060
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		29,460	$93,190
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		29,390	$92,810
	National		3,175,390	$94,480

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 31, 2024

Only 160 hospitals, out of more than 5,000 studied, earned national distinction in at least one of the 15 adult specialties covered in the most recent (24-25) U.S. News & World Report survey of American hospitals.  Six teaching hospitals based in the Mid-East region of the country, an area that encompasses the District of Columbia and five states, earned a spot in the survey's honor roll of the very best hospitals in the United States.  Let's take a summary look at these six top-ranked teaching hospitals in the Mid-East region of the country and where they excelled in the latest USNWR survey:

Top-Ranked Teaching Hospitals in the Mid-East Region

Based in New York City, NYU Langone Medical Center ranked nationally in 13 adult specialties, including a top 10 national rank in eleven specialties.  The following specialties are where NYU Langone earned national rankings:

Cancer:  #17

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #2

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #5

Ear, Nose & Throat:  #10

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #5

Geriatrics:  #2

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #1

Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #19

Orthopedics:  #3

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #1

Rehabilitation:  #4

Rheumatology:  #9

Urology:  #2

See ranking details

Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital earned distinction in 14 adult specialties studied in the survey, including top 10 national rankings in 12 specialties.  Here's where Johns Hopkins rated by specialty:

Cancer:  #6

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #10

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #12

Ear, Nose & Throat:  #3

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #6

Geriatrics:  #7

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #5

Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #2

Ophthalmology:  #3

Orthopedics:  #27

Psychiatry:  #4

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #7

Rheumatology:  #1

Urology:  #7

See ranking details

New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, based in New York City, earned national recognition in 14 adult specialties.  While not landing atop the rankings in any specific specialty, New York-Presbyterian earned top 10 recognition in ten specialties and top 20 recognition in four more.  By specialty, New York-Presbyterian rated as follows:

Cancer:  #15

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #5

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #2

Ear, Nose & Throat:  #13

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #10

Geriatrics:  #8

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #4

Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #8

Orthopedics:  #4

Psychiatry:  #3

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #14

Rehabilitation:  #12

Rheumatology:  #3

Urology:  #2

See ranking details

Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania-Penn Presbyterian earned national rankings in 11 adult specialties.  Based in Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian ranked in the top 10 nationally in seven adult specialties and in three others earned top 20 national recognition.  In all, Penn-Presbyterian earned national rankings in these adult specialties:

Cancer:  #10

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #9

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #19

Ear, Nose & Throat:  #7

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #13

Geriatrics:  #9

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #8

Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #22

Orthopedics:  #15

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #6

Urology:  #10

See ranking details

A third New York City hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, received recognition in 11 adult specialties.  This included a #1 rating nationally in geriatrics and top 10 national rankings in 3 more specialties.  Mount Sinai earned the following rankings nationally:

Cancer:  #8

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #4

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #17

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #8

Geriatrics:  #1

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #16

Obstetrics & Gynecology:  #17

Orthopedics:  #32

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #25

Rehabilitation:  #22

Urology:  #11

See ranking details

North Shore University Hospital at Northwell Health in Manhasset, NY, earned national recognition in 9 adult specialties.  This included a top 10 national ranking in two specialties and a top 20 national ranking in five other adult specialties.  North Shore University Hospital earned the following rankings nationally:

Cancer:  #26

Cardiology & Heart Surgery:  #12

Diabetes & Endocrinology:  #10

Gastroenterology & GI Surgery:  #16

Geriatrics:  #14

Neurology & Neurosurgery:  #15

Orthopedics:  #7

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery:  #11

Urology:  #22

See ranking details

To find other teaching hospitals in the Mid-East region and elsewhere, visit our U.S. Teaching Hospitals resource page.

There were nearly 241,000 physical therapists (PTs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Physical therapists work in various settings, including offices of non-physician practitioners, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, physician offices, and home health care agencies.  Like many other healthcare professionals with advanced skills and training, physical therapists generally earn more money than workers in most occupations.  Per BLS estimates as of May 2023, the national mean wage for PTs was $100,440 per year.  That said, there is significant disparity from region-to-region in the average annual wages of PTs.  According to BLS data, as of May 2023 physical therapist pay in the top 20 metro areas looked as follows:

Physical Therapist Pay in the Top 20 Metro Areas

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	New York-Newark-Jersey City		16,160	$108,790
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		9,120	$106,930
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		8,870	$105,620
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		4,290	$109,560
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		3,650	$113,180
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		4,490	$108,880
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		5,940	$104,600
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		5,430	$87,770
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		3,420	$100,170
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		5,270	$100,700
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		3,160	$100,340
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		2,920	$129,720
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		1,980	$112,210
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		2,960	$96,970
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		3,190	$104,700
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		2,630	$97,590
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		2,340	$111,500
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		2,290	$98,890
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		2,650	$99,070
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		2,110	$102,560
	National		240,820	$100,440

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 24, 2024

The most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational reports estimated that there were approximately 98,800 paramedics working in the U.S. as of May 2023.  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 2023 the national mean wage for paramedics was $57,450 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 2023, 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		4,020	$72,830
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		1,300	$73,550
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		2,900	$75,910
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		1,770	$58,110
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		2,230	$56,460
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		900	$70,870
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		1,400	$68,310
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		930	$61,270
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		1,730	$54,900
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		1,280	$67,920
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		1,100	$50,670
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		470	$78,530
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		630	$68,380
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		1,040	$53,460
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		730	$112,530
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		970	$72,230
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		460	$62,710
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		780	$56,480
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		1,020	$63,680
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		970	$66,870
	National		98,770	$57,450

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 17, 2024

There were approximately 167,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) employed in the U.S. as of May 2023 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 2023 EMTs earned, on average, $43,100 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 2023, 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		11,210	$51,020
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim		5,660	$49,980
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin		5,140	$59,970
4	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington		2,640	$41,130
5	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land		3,030	$40,990
6	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria		1,300	$52,590
7	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington		4,060	$44,660
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach		1,300	$43,910
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta		2,580	$40,710
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton		3,050	$51,120
11	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler		2,100	$36,600
12	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley		3,150	$62,960
13	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario		1,530	$46,300
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn		1,650	$40,220
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue		1,130	$48,010
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington		1,180	$46,640
17	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad		1,310	$44,360
18	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater		1,280	$39,410
19	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood		1,510	$42,560
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson		1,680	$53,340
	National		167,040	$43,100

Report Period:  May 2023
Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on August 17, 2024