LeadingAge Kansas has commissioned the Kansas Health Institute to conduct a study on wage disparity between acute care and long-term care. KHI took data provided by the Kansas Department of Labor to conduct the research. There were several key findings from the research which included some surprises. They include:
- Average hourly wages for dieticians and nutritionists were higher in long-term care ($29.11) than in all other comparison industries ($24.86 to $28.33), except for the Home Health Care Services ($31.45).
- Average hourly wages for licensed practical and vocational nurses were higher in long-term care ($19.49) than in all other comparison industries ($17.49 to $19.40), except for the Total Government industry ($20.55).
- Average hourly wages for select occupational and physical therapy-related jobs in long-term care were higher than in some other comparison industries and lower than in others.
- Average hourly wages for registered nurses were lower in long-term care than in all other comparison industries. Registered nurses in Hospitals earn an average hourly wage of $28.19, which is $2.96 (or 11.7 percent) higher than the average hourly wage of $25.23 for registered nurses in long-term care.
- Average hourly wages for nursing assistants were lower in the long-term care ($11.29) than in all other comparison industries ($11.66 to $12.67), except the State Hospitals ($10.97) and the Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals ($10.73).
This is the first report of its kind in our field in Kansas. Despite some limitations, it provides data for our long-term care members to use when considering wages. It also provides information for LeadingAge Kansas to use in testimony to legislators and through other advocacy efforts.
We would like to thank Dr. Lawrence Panas and Kari Bruffett from KHI for conducting the research. Kari is on our Workforce Commission and has been an excellent voice for health policy.
You can view the entire report here.
