Figure I
Workers in the residential long-term care industry are paid less than workers in other industries: Median real hourly wages for the overall workforce, residential long-term care workers, and workers in selected long-term care occupations, by gender
| Group | All workers | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| All workers | $20.07 | $21.80 | $18.18 |
| All residential long-term care workers | $15.22 | $16.32 | $14.98 |
| Direct care workers | $13.36 | $13.78 | $13.33 |
| Registered nurses | $28.40 | $30.28 | $28.25 |
| Licensed practical nurses* | $20.70 | $20.59 | |
| Food service workers | $12.14 | $12.77 | $11.85 |
| Cleaning and maintenance workers | $12.62 | $14.73 | $11.48 |
* Due to sample size constraints, value for men in the licensed practical nurses occupation is omitted.
Notes: All values in 2021 dollars. To ensure sufficient sample sizes and reflect the “normal” pre-pandemic state of this industry, this figure draws from pooled 2015–2019 microdata. Direct care workers are those in the occupational categories “nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides” and “personal and home care aides.”
Source: Authors’ analysis of 2015–2019 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata.
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