Spokane, WA Certified Nurses Aide Salary?

Why is mean salary lower for physician's assistants, but higher for registered nurses (and the industry average), when comparing Boston to Massachusetts averages?

• The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the following information in its May 2011 report (regions listed smaller to larger): Area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division Occupation, Employment, Annual mean wage Physician Assistants, 1650, $80710 Registered Nurses, 48950, $94600 Area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Occupation, Employment, Annual mean wage Physician Assistants, 2130, $83820 Registered Nurses, 65340, $89540 Area: Massachusetts Occupation, Employment, Annual mean wage Physician Assistants, 3000, $85050 Registered Nurses, 87040, $86810 For Registered Nurses, mean salary increases ($86810 to $89540 to $94600) as work location approaches Boston, which is a steeper rate than all healthcare positions in these locations ($82270 to $86170, not depicted above), but the direction is the same. However, for physician's assistants, salary decreases ($85050 to $83820 to $80710) as work location approaches Boston. This is opposite the healthcare industry in these locations, and is therefore unexpected. For careers that are often directly compared in the media, this seems very odd. I've heard one contributing factor to the steep increase in RN salary is that Boston employs many RN anesthesiologists. But I cannot explain the decrease for physician's assistants. Anybody with a good understanding of salaries for these careers in this region care to explain?

• Answer:

  The NECTA's are defined by towns, while the larger MSA is county based and includes more rural areas.  Further still, data at the level of the full state will include an even greater percent of rural area.  When primary care workers (MD's or PA's or NP's) work in rural areas that are classified as shortage areas, they often receive bonus payments of 10-20% for the services provide.  RN wages are often bases on the wage profile for similarly occupations of the hospital area they work in, and these jobs pay less in rural MA.