Three of the five metropolitan areas in Minnesota–Rochester, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, and St. Cloud–reported wages for registered nurses that were significantly above the national average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that in Duluth, St. Cloud, and Mankato-North Mankato, wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were measurably lower than the U.S. average. Nationwide, the average (mean) annual wage for registered nurses was $67,720, and licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earned $41,360. (See table A.) (For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in Minnesota, please see Technical Note.)

The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area had the largest numbers of registered nurses (34,060) and licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (8,750), accounting for more than 57 percent of the nursing jobs in the State. Rochester employed 6,660 registered nurses and the remaining three metropolitan areas employed between 1,000 and 4,000 in the occupation. Employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses ranged from 670 to 1,300 in the four metropolitan areas outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington. (See table B.)

Wages for registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

Rochester was one of the highest-paying areas in the State for registered nurses at $79,460 per year, nearly $12,000 more than the $67,720 national average. Registered nurses in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington earned $75,810 and in St. Cloud, $74,600. Wages in the two remaining areas were not significantly different than the U.S. average. (See chart 1.)

Wages for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in metropolitan areas in Minnesota

Rochester and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington were the highest-paying metropolitan areas in the State for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses at $41,990 and $41,210, respectively, though these wages were not measurably different from the U.S. average. (See chart 2.) Wages in the three other metropolitan areas were measurably lower, ranging from between $2,500 and $3,300 below the national average.

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and nearly 800 non-military detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas.

Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 establishments in May and November of each year for a 3-year period. The nationwide response rate for the May 2010 estimates was 78.2 percent based on establishments and 74.4 percent based on employment. May 2010 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2010, November 2009, May 2009, November 2008, May 2008, and November 2007. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2010 OES estimates mark the first set of estimates based in part on data collected using the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Nearly all the occupations in this release are 2010 SOC occupations; however, some are not. The May 2012 OES data will reflect the full set of detailed occupations in the 2010 SOC. For a list of all occupations, including 2010 SOC occupations, and how data collected on two structures were combined, see the OES Frequently Asked Questions online at www.bls.gov/oes/oes_ques.htm#Ques41.

OES data by state and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area are available from www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm and www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm , respectively.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Duluth, Minn.-Wis. MSA consists of Carlton and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin.

Mankato-North Mankato, Minn. MSA consists of Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties in Minnesota.

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. MSA consists of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright Counties in Minnesota; and Pierce and St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin.

Rochester, Minn. MSA consists of Dodge, Olmsted, and Wabasha Counties.

St. Cloud, Minn. MSA consists of Benton and Stearns Counties.

Additional information

OES data are available on our regional web page at www.bls.gov/ro5.  If you have additional questions, contact the Chicago Economic Analysis and Information Unit at 312-353-1880. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.