December 2018 Trends
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FROM THE COMMISSIONER Wrapping up four years of putting Alaska workers fi rst It has been the privilege of my • Merged two divisions and aggressively pursued life to serve as the commis- administrative effi ciencies that led to more grants sioner of Labor and Workforce for training Alaskans Development for the last four years in Gov. Bill Walker’s ad- • Contributed to the biggest year-to-year decrease ministration. I was honored to in proposed workers’ compensation rates in 40 do a job every day that aligns years through tireless efforts to increase effi ciency with my core values: ensure and lower medical costs in our workers’ compen- safety and health protections sation system for workers, advocate livable • Delivered major plans, including the Alaska LNG wages for families, and pro- Project Gasline Workforce Plan, the Alaska Ap- vide training opportunities that HEIDI DRYGAS prenticeship Plan, and the addendum to the equip Alaskans for jobs right Commissioner Alaska CTE Plan here in Alaska. • Passed AO 286 to ensure law-abiding state con- I cannot thank our department tractors are not outbid by unscrupulous bidders staff enough for their dedication to our mission and for who cut costs by deliberately or repeatedly depriv- their hard work these past four years despite challeng- ing employees of basic rights ing fi scal conditions. From division directors to frontline staff, I could not be prouder of what we’ve achieved • Eliminated subminimum wage for workers with together. disabilities These past few weeks, I’ve paused to refl ect and ap- These are just a few of our many accomplishments preciate the remarkable change for good the depart- since we took offi ce, and we made this signifi cant ment has delivered on behalf of Alaska’s workers: progress despite a 38 percent cut to our unrestricted general fund budget. This is proof that we can do in- • Renewed commitment to Alaska hire credible things when we work together to advance an agenda that puts Alaska fi rst. • Changed the conversation around career and technical education and renewed the state’s com- The next four years will present major workforce chal- mitment to expand CTE programs through col- lenges for Alaska, including an aging workforce, lack laboration with the Department of Education and of a capital budget, stagnant wages, and major proj- the University of Alaska ects looming on the horizon. But I hope the next ad- ministration will look at these hurdles as opportunities. • Awarded $20 million in federal grants to boost In Alaska, we have a call to action. If we want a more Alaska’s workforce development prosperous state and a healthier workforce, we share a responsibility to commit to and invest in career train- • Expanded registered apprenticeship in Alaska, ing and readiness programs now. Federal and state particularly in high-growth occupations in health dollars are only part of this equation; success requires care, aviation, maritime, and construction private and local investment too. We need to engage our school boards, legislators, and policymakers on • Worked across divisions to support and engage the critical need to invest in Alaska’s workforce devel- the Alaska Native community, from Anchorage to opment system. rural communities Thank you. I was honored to serve the state I love — • Cracked down on worker misclassifi cation, im- a state that has given me so much in return. proved wage and hour and occupational safety and health enforcement, and reduced workers’ Contact the offi ce of Commissioner Heidi Drygas at (907) 465-2700 compensation fraud or [email protected]. Follow the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Twi er (twi er.com/alaskalabor) and Facebook (facebook.com/alaskalabor). DECEMBER 2018 Volume 38 Number 12 ISSN 0160-3345 SARA WHITNEY Editor HOW HEALTH CARE SAM DAPCEVICH WAGES ININ ALASKA RANK Cover ArƟ st Alaska’sAlaska’s pay fi rst in the U.S. overall,overaoveralllll, hihighgh fforor mostmost occupaoccupa onsons DAN ROBINSON Chief, Research and Analysis LITTLE DIOMEDE TheThe viewview from the most remote communitycommmuunity in the na onon ON THE COVER:R: A nurse talks with her pa ent at AlaskaAlaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage, photophoto courtesy of Alaska Regional Hospitalspital PAGE 4: Big Diomede, by Troy Henkelenkel www.youtube.com/watch?v=okqv-Ob0k7UOb0k7UU UNEMPLOYMENT WAGE Fair use under sec on 1077 of the Copyright Act of 19766 PAGES 4-8: Flickr images license:nse: REPLACEMENT RATES crea vecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/a/4.0/ TheThe percentageper of lost wages AlaskaAlasaska replacesr is lowest in the U.S. ALASKA DEPARTMENT of LABORBOR and WORKFORCEE DEVELOPMENT GAUGING Governor Bill Walkerer ALASKA’s ECONOMY Commissioner Heidi Drygasrygas Trends is a nonpar san,san data-driven data drivenen monthlymonthly magazinemagazine that thhat covers a range of economic topics topics inin Alaska.Alaska This material is public informa on, and with appropriate credit it may be reproduced without permission. To sign up for a free electronic subscrip on, read past issues online, or purchase a print subscrip on, visit labor.alaska.gov/trends. How health care wages in Alaska rank Alaska’s pay fi rst in U.S. overall, high for most occupa ons By AIKO ZAGUIRRE Alaska’s highest paying health care occupaƟ ons overall ealth care prac oners and technicians make an average of $98,020 a year in Alaska, mak- In Alaska, the occupa on with the highest aver- Hing Alaska the highest-paying state for these age wages among those studied is pediatricians at jobs overall. (See Exhibit 1.) The na onal average is $265,750, followed by obstetricians and gynecolo- $80,760. gists at $261,680. The other posi ons that make more than $200,000 a year are general physicians Hawaii and California rank second and third at and surgeons, psychiatrists, den sts, internists, and $96,670 and $96,130, and Mississippi is last at family and general prac oners. $64,620. Earnings may be considerably higher for specialists By occupa on, Alaska ranks in the top 10 for most of who are considered self-employed, including part- the 44 on the list in Exhibit 2 and pays the highest av- ners in a medical prac ce who don’t receive a wage erage wage in the U.S. for optometrists, pharmacists, or salary, and they are not included here. dental hygienists, and general health technologists and technicians. Text con nues on page 6 Overall Highest and Lowest Paying States 1 A , 2017 $98,020 $96,670 $96,130 $95,660 $93,420 $80,760 $69,170 $68,280 $66,450 $64,850 $64,620 Alaska Hawaii California Mass. D.C. U.S. avg Kansas W. Va Arkansas Louisiana Miss. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta s cs and Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Sec on: Occupa onal Employment Sta s cs 4 DECEMBER 2018 ALASKA ECONOMIC TRENDS Health Care Wages by State 2 R H ,* 2017 Alaska AK Highest Lowest U.S. Occupation Avg Wage Rank Paying State Paying State Avg Optometrists $161,620 1st AK DC ($89,640) $119,100 Pharmacists $138,020 1st AK UT ($111,110) $121,710 Dental Hygienists $107,190 1st AK AL ($46,290) $74,680 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other $62,200 1st AK LA ($36,010) $46,690 Pediatricians, General $265,750 2nd MS ($274,470) KS ($117,840) $187,540 Nurse Practitioners $125,140 2nd CA ($126,770) TN ($93,970) $107,480 Respiratory Therapists $73,740 2nd CA ($79,680) MS ($48,810) $61,810 Dietitians and Nutritionists $68,310 2nd CA ($72,130) MS ($49,110) $60,150 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $66,070 2nd RI ($68,290) AR ($42,800) $53,230 Surgical Technologists $60,180 2nd CA ($61,240) AL ($36,320) $48,060 Medical Records and Health Information Technicians $54,170 2nd NJ ($58,080) MS ($33,320) $42,820 Physicians and Surgeons, All Other $256,630 3rd NH ($275,050) NE ($167,230) $211,390 Psychiatrists $248,440 3rd CA ($259,570) ID ($137,280) $216,090 Dentists, General $237,140 3rd DE ($257,290) LA ($115,050) $174,110 Physical Therapists $97,150 3rd NV ($102,860) SD ($75,850) $88,080 Speech-Language Pathologists $91,710 3rd CT ($93,340) SD ($60,030) $79,770 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $86,080 3rd RI ($92,600) SC ($60,370) $73,600 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics $48,420 3rd WA ($68,970) WV ($28,320) $36,700 Chiropractors $106,600 4th RI ($147,900) UT ($51,030) $83,350 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $56,580 4th RI & MA ($57,800) WV ($36,190) $45,710 Dietetic Technicians $39,790 4th OR ($43,790) MO ($22,400) $29,610 Pharmacy Technicians $39,640 4th WA ($42,440) WV ($27,900) $33,060 Physician Assistants $116,460 6th WA ($120,200) MS ($70,190) $104,760 Registered Nurses $87,510 6th CA ($102,700) SD ($57,010) $73,550 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $82,710 6th CA ($91,700) AL ($55,750) $73,200 Radiologic Technologists $70,960 6th CA ($77,650) AL ($47,670) $60,320 Ophthalmic Medical Technicians $42,030 7th MN ($48,770) AR ($30,310) $37,500 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $79,790 9th CA ($87,520) LA ($55,610) $70,490 Occupational Health and Safety Technicians $49,150 9th DC ($78,460) IN ($39,050) $53,930 Opticians, Dispensing $43,140 10th MA ($62,540) KS ($29,840) $39,070 Family and General Practitioners $223,090 11th NH ($258,670) NM ($160,780) $208,560 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $261,680 12th ID ($281,710) MI ($184,240) $235,240 Health Care Practitioners and Tech Workers, All Other $65,560 13th MD ($88,360) AL ($36,380) $60,600 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians $63,780 13th D.C.