Healthcare workers earn highest pay in California, Alaska

Healthcare practitioners and healthcare support staff get the highest pay in California and Alaska, reported The Business Journals. Such information should come as no surprise, given the highest paid executive across all industries is from a California healthcare company.

Practitioners in California cities earned the highest salaries in 2010, the most recent data available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Napa, Calif., earned the top spot, offering the highest individual annual salary average of $107,000. Not far behind was San Jose at $106,590, Oakland at $96,980 and San Francisco at $95,320, noted The Business Journals.

The BLS categorizes healthcare practitioners as any type of physician, surgeon, pharmacist, nurse or other medical professional.

Meanwhile, the two highest salaries for healthcare support staff were found in Alaska cities. Support occupations (including medical assistants, therapists, orderlies and aides) earned an annual average of $37,330 in Anchorage, followed by $36,470 in Fairbanks.

For more information:
- read the Business Journals article
- here's the BLS data by metropolitan area

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