There were approximately 185,000 healthcare social workers at work in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Healthcare social workers are found in varied healthcare settings, including hospitals, individual family service providers, home healthcare agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. Healthcare social work professionals generally earn slightly higher salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for healthcare social workers was $67,430 per year.  Although healthcare social workers realize modestly better than average pay in comparison to most workers, there is considerable variation from state to state in how much healthcare social workers earn.  Per BLS data, as of May 2023, these were the ten best and worst states for healthcare social worker pay based on annual mean wage levels:

The Best and Worst States for Healthcare Social Worker Pay

Best Paying States
California	$93,200
District of Columbia	$87,860
New Jersey	$82,010
Oregon	$81,390
Connecticut	$79.360
Rhode Island	$75,950
New Hampshire	$74,750
Hawaii	$73,210
Vermont	$72,520
Nevada	$70,500

Worst Paying States
Montana	$59,210
Arkansas	$58,990
West Virginia	$58,560
Nebraska	$57,840
Tennessee	$57,810
Mississippi	$55,860
Oklahoma	$55,130
Alabama	$54,650
Missouri	$53,060
South Dakota	$51,630

(*) 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 9, 2024

There were about 334,400 clinical lab techs (technologists and technicians) working in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published reports.  Clinical lab techs work mainly in hospitals and medical diagnostic laboratories, but smaller numbers are also found working in physician offices, at professional education institutions, and with ambulatory health service providers. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for clinical lab techs was $62,870 per year.  Clinical lab tech pay varies widely by state according to the BLS data, from less than $50,000 annually in some states to over $75,000 per year in others.  As of May 2023, based on annual mean wage levels these were the ten best and worst states for clinical lab tech pay:

The Best and Worst States for Clinical Lab Tech Pay

Best Paying States
New York	$81,930
Oregon	$76,830
Connecticut	$76,190
Vermont	$75,660
New Hampshire	$74,920
California	$73,560
Rhode Island	$72,200
District of Columbia	$71,690
New Jersey	$70,800
Washington	$70,670

Worst Paying States
South Dakota	$56,340
Oklahoma	$55,780
Iowa	$54,770
South Carolina	$54,370
New Mexico	$52,660
Utah	$52,320
Idaho	$51,910
Arkansas	$51,590
Alabama	$49,700
Mississippi	$45,820

(*) 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, 2024

With additional benefits and typically lower costs, Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans can be a great value compared to Original Medicare. Despite employing managed care protocols to control costs, more and more Medicare-eligible seniors are gravitating toward the better value MA plans offer.  In just over seven and one-half years, from October 2016 through May 2024, the penetration of MA plans across the U.S. has grown from under 31% of Medicare-eligible Americans to 50%.

The growing popularity of MA plans nationally is mirrored in the twelve-state Southeast region of the U.S., where Medicare Advantage plan enrollment has grown from a 30.7% share of the Medicare-eligible market in October 2016 to 52.5% as of May 2024.  Here is a state-by-state look at how Medicare Advantage market share in the Southeast has grown from October 2016 to May 2024:

Medicare Advantage Market Share in the Southeast

	Medicare Eligible (1)			MA Enrollment (1)			% MA Market Share
State	May-24	Oct-16		May-24	Oct-16		May-24	Oct-16
AL	1,109.5	991.4		659.7	262.2		59.5%	26.5%
AR	673.1	609.0		304.5	125.3		45.2%	20.6%
FL	5,093.3	4,172.8		2,889.4	1,715.1		56.7%	41.1%
GA	1,925.3	1,585.9		1,064.9	529.6		55.3%	33.4%
KY	981.4	882.7		523.3	240.1		53.3%	27.2%
LA	937.7	817.7		523.0	257.4		55.8%	31.5%
MS	638.9	574.3		272.1	89.8		42.6%	15.6%
NC	2,203.4	1,829.7		1,223.9	561.9		55.5%	30.7%
SC	1,213.6	977.5		543.3	230.3		44.8%	23.6%
TN	1,468.2	1,269.6		775.4	452.3		52.8%	35.6%
VA	1,668.7	1,404.1		636.3	204.3		38.1%	14.6%
WV	450.2	424.9		227.3	106.4		50.5%	25.0%
Region	18,363.2	15,539.5		9,643.1	4,774.8		52.5%	30.7%
Total(2)	66,833.3	56,888.7		33,419.9	17,489.5		50.0%	30.7%

(1) in thousands; region totals may not equal the sum of individual states due to rounding adjustments

(2) includes U.S. territories

Source:  Medicare Monthly Enrollment Reports

Medical assistants work in varied healthcare settings, including physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, offices of other types of healthcare practitioners, and assisted living facilities.  As of May 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that about 763,000 medical assistants were employed in the U.S.  The BLS further estimated that, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for medical assistants was $43,350 per year.  From state to state there was considerable variation in medical assistant mean annual wages, with medical assistants in some regions of the country earning 50% or more than their counterparts elsewhere.  Per BLS annual mean wage data of May 2023, the ten best and worst states for medical assistant pay were the following:

The Best and Worst States for Medical Assistant Pay

Best Paying States
Washington	$53,780
Alaska	$52,530
California	$50,900
District of Columbia	$50,110
Minnesota	$49,740
Oregon	$49,390
Massachusetts	$48,570
Hawaii	$47,840
New York	$47,350
Connecticut	$46,630

Worst Paying States
Tennessee	$38,860
South Carolina	$38,520
South Dakota	$37,760
Oklahoma	$37,480
Kentucky	$37,090
Arkansas	$35,560
West Virginia	$34,660
Mississippi	$34,630
Alabama	$34,160
Louisiana	$33,610

(*) 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 1, 2024

As of May 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) there were about 98,800 paramedics at work in the United States.  Paramedics work in varied environments, ranging from ambulance service providers and hospitals to local government agencies. Paramedics generally earn lower average salaries and wages than most other healthcare occupations that require advanced training and skills.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2023, the annual mean salary for paramedics was $57,450 nationally.  Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with paramedics in some states making double annually what their peers earn elsewhere. As of May 2023, based on annual mean wage data from the BLS, the ten best and worst states for paramedic pay were:

The Best and Worst States for Paramedic Pay

Best Paying States
Washington	$94,500
New Jersey	$80,510
Hawaii	$73,770
District of Columbia	$71,710
Connecticut	$70,350
California	$69,870
Minnesota	$68,840
Oregon	$68,660
Alaska	$67,630
Illinois	$67,240

Worst Paying States
North Carolina	$49,950
New Mexico	$49,680
Kansas	$49,550
Mississippi	$48,390
South Dakota	$47,560
Ohio	$47,450
Arkansas	$47,300
Oklahoma	$46,690
West Virginia	$45,280
Alabama	$45,060

(*) 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 1, 2024

There were approximately 167,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  EMTs work in varied settings, including ambulance service providers, public and private hospitals, and local government agencies. Unlike many other trained healthcare professionals, emergency medical technicians earn lower average salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for EMTs was $43,100 annually.  Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with EMTs in some states making double annually what their peers earn elsewhere. As of May 2023, according to BLS annual mean wage data, the ten best and worst states for emergency medical technician pay were:

The Best and Worst States for Emergency Medical Technician Pay

Best Paying States
Hawaii	$65,200
Alaska	$53,670
District of Columbia	$53,420
California	$52,100
Illinois	$51,920
Maryland	$51,640
Connecticut	$50,530
Massachusetts	$50,170
New Jersey	$48,470
Oregon	$48,150

Worst Paying States
Missouri	$37,450
Wyoming	$36,920
Arizona	$36,420
Montana	$36,130
Louisiana	$35,660
Arkansas	$34,450
Mississippi	$33,920
Kansas	$33,310
West Virginia	$33,150
Oklahoma	$32,830

(*) 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 1, 2024