Mean annual wages for hospital workers range from $37,080 for maids and housekeeping cleaners to $454,940 for cardiologists, according to federal data.
Registered nurses — the nation’s largest healthcare occupation — earned a mean annual wage of $101,420 nationwide, according to May 2025 occupational wage data released May 15 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospitals account for about 1.9 million registered nurse jobs nationwide, representing roughly 56% of RN employment.
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations employed about 9.8 million workers nationwide and had a mean annual wage of $108,700, according to BLS.
Below are the mean annual wages for 43 occupations across the hospital workforce, listed in ascending order of compensation. The list is not exhaustive.
Editor’s note: Figures reflect mean annual wages across all industries, per BLS. All occupations listed are found in hospital and healthcare settings, though some — such as security guards, housekeeping cleaners, and cooks — also work in other industries.
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners: $37,080
- Cooks: $38,810
- Orderlies: $40,660
- Security guards: $42,470
- Nursing assistants: $42,700
- Phlebotomists: $45,520
- Medical assistants: $46,120
- Pharmacy technicians: $46,620
- Emergency medical technicians: $46,830
- Medical records specialists: $56,790
- Paramedics: $63,360
- Chaplains (classified by BLS under clergy): $66,860
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: $67,050
- Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians: $67,35
- Surgical technologists: $68,710
- Healthcare social workers: $71,790
- Health information technologists and medical registrars: $74,970
- Dietitians and nutritionists: $77,130
- Radiologic technologists: $83,840
- Respiratory therapists: $87,300
- Diagnostic medical sonographers: $97,240
- Occupational therapists: $101,280
- Registered nurses: $101,420
- Nuclear medicine technologists: $105,160
- Physical therapists: $105,280
- Nurse practitioners: $137,300
- Pharmacists: $140,920
- Medical and health services managers: $140,970
- Physician assistants: $141,280
- Pediatricians (general): $212,110
- Nurse anesthetists: $248,320
- Family medicine physicians: $255,820
- General internal medicine physicians: $267,200
- Psychiatrists: $269,940
- OB-GYNs: $279,040
- Physicians, pathologists: $285,420
- Emergency medicine physicians: $317,480
- Dermatologists: $323,530
- Anesthesiologists: $360,570
- Orthopedic surgeons (except pediatric): $373,570
- Cardiologists: $454,940
Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 12.
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