Salaries vary significantly between different healthcare workers, but overall, healthcare practitioners and technical occupations is the fifth highest-paid occupational sector in the U.S. — with an average mean wage of $74,740 — according to 2014 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That said, how much do you actually know about the earnings of healthcare workers? Test your knowledge below. Answers are listed at the bottom of the page.
1. Which physician specialty earns more: orthopedic spine surgeons or neurological surgeons?
2. In which of the following states is the average estimated wages for physicians and surgeons highest: Iowa, Tennessee, Minnesota or Mississippi?
3. Who earns more: nurse practitioners or physician assistants?
4. In which region is the median compensation for physicians at non-academic hospitals highest: Eastern, Midwestern, Southern or Western?
5. In which of the following states do family and general practitioners earn more: Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas or Nebraska?
1. Orthopedic spine surgeons. They earn median starting salary of $465,000 and have a national six-year practicing average of $628,000. Neurological surgeons earn a median starting salary of $395,000 and a national six-year practicing average of $593,000.
2. The average estimated wages for physicians and surgeons is highest in Mississippi at $240,510.
3. Nurse practitioners. They earn a national estimated wage average of $95,070 whereas physician assistants earn $94,350.
4. Midwestern. In the Midwestern region, physicians at non-academic hospitals earn a median wage of $238,676.
5. The average annual wage for family and general practitioners is highest in Hawaii at $222,510.