Variation in Wages and Employment of Administrative Staff in Rural Hospitals and Nursing Homes

There are millions of essential healthcare support workers who perform non-clinical, administrative functions, and yet we have limited understanding of their employment levels and wages. Workers in roles such as dietary services, housekeeping, and maintenance often leave healthcare settings for jobs in other industries that offer higher pay and better benefits, contributing to staffing shortages in hospitals and nursing homes. Using Medicare cost reports and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, this project will:

1. Compare employment levels and wages for administrative staff in hospitals and nursing homes for rural and urban areas
2. Compare employment levels and wages for administrative staff across all industries for rural and urban areas
3. Identify comparable administrative roles in hospitals and nursing homes to those identified in Bureau of Labor Statistics data and compare employment levels and wages for rural and urban areas