More than 24% of mid-career U.S. professionals are employed but without a meaningful promotion or raise for five or more years — a phenomenon researchers call “mid-career stall” — according to a May report from the Burning Glass Institute and the NYU School of Professional Studies, supported by the Gates Foundation.
Four things to know:
1. For healthcare and social assistance workers, the stall rate is 21.8% — among the lowest of any industry studied. The national average is 24.2%. Information was the lowest sector at 20.7%, while public administration (30.2%) topped the list.
Researchers analyzed more than 1.3 million career histories drawn from the Burning Glass Institute’s database of 65 million U.S. workers, representing about 65% of the college-educated workforce. Estimated wages came from private salary surveys and were adjusted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index to reflect 2024 wage levels. Stall was defined as at least five consecutive years with no meaningful promotion and less than 5% real wage growth.
2. States with large, diversified economies had lower stall rates — Washington (18.8%), California (20.1%) and Texas (22.6%) — compared to states with less diversified industry bases, such as Mississippi (32.9%), West Virginia (31.1%) and Alabama (30.1%).
3. Stall rates varied by occupation, including roles common in hospitals and health systems: IT support (27.4%), administrative support (27%), logistics and supply chain specialists (24.1%), business and financial analysts (20.4%), customer service representatives (20.4%), human resources specialists (19.4%) and marketing specialists (12.2%). Workers in health professions who hold non-degree credentials are 37% less likely to experience a career stall, among the strongest protective effects of any field studied.
4. The warning signs often appear early. Workers who eventually stall averaged 1.5 internal promotions and 30% wage growth in their first decade, compared to 1.9 promotions and 71% wage growth for peers who kept pace. The three main drivers of stall risk, per the report, are occupational structure — some fields have inherently fewer advancement opportunities — credential quality and field alignment, and early career trajectory.
Hospitals and health systems across the country have focused on providing entry-level employees clearly defined career pathways, including Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health and Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Health.
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