NURSE WAGES AND THEIR CONTEXT
DATABASE SUMMARY
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF NURSES NURSE WAGES AND THEIR CONTEXT 2006 The Nurse Wage Questionnaire was sent to 11 National Nurses’ Associations, members of the ICN International Workforce Forum. Reponses were received from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, UK and USA. Most of the data throughout this analysis is presented in Purchasing Power Parity, or PPP. A PPP is a number that standardizes currency in order to facilitate international comparison. Purchasing power is equal when the ratio between countries’ price level of a ‘fixed basket of goods and services’ is equal. A purchasing power parity exchange rate equalizes the purchasing power of different currencies in their home countries for a given basket of goods. The basket of consumer goods contains number of the most commonly bought food and household items, e.g. household items, personal goods and services, tobacco, leisure goods, households services, housing, alcoholic drinks and other categories, depending on the country’s survey. These special exchange rates are often used to compare the standards of living of two or more countries. The adjustments are meant to give a better picture than comparing gross domestic products (GDP) or salaries using market exchange rates. Please note that this type of adjustment to an exchange rate is controversial because of the difficulties of finding comparable baskets of goods to compare purchasing power across countries. In this analysis, PPPs will be used to represent wages and are an indication of or proxy for the standard of living of health care workers until a better indicator is developed. In other words, nurses earning the same level of PPP should have similar standards of living and buying potential. The most current PPP rates for the countries responding to the wage survey are: Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)* 2004 Canada 1.250 Denmark 8.330 Germany 0.913 Iceland 94.100 Ireland 1.00 Japan 129 Norway 9.540 Sweden 9.060 UK 0.63 USA 1.00 Note: to transform currency into PPPs divide the amount you wish to transform (e.g. salary) by the country specific PPP rate. *Taken from National Health Accounts, Health System Financing, EIP, World Health Organization
3 Salary Data 0.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 25,000.00 30,000.00 35,000.00 40,000.00 Starting Salary (PPP) CN: hospital starting salary Country Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector Hospitals (PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector Hospitals (PPP)
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden USA* UK
39,768.25 29,641.06 26,286.97 26,142.40 28,878.00 24,282.00 28,197.06 24,922.74 39,276.00 31,467.30 * Please note that the great majority of nurses work in the private sector in the US and therefore this figure represents the status of a minority of USemployed nurses, contrary to other countries where the majority of nurses are employed in the public sector, e.g. Canada, UK. 0.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 25,000.00 30,000.00 35,000.00 40,000.00 45,000.00 50,000.00 Salary (in PPP) CN: hospital starting salary CN: hospital top salary CN: community starting salary CN: community top salary CN: general practice starting salary CN: general practice top salary Employment Sector Clinical Nurses: Average Public Sector Salaries (in PPP) across Employment Sector Series1
0.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 25,000.00 30,000.00 35,000.00 40,000.00 45,000.00 Starting Salary (in PPP) CN: community starting salary Country Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector Community Settings (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector Community Settings (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA
41,160.00 30,097.24 28,119.02 28,878 24,282.00 28,301.89 27,516.56 31,467.30 0.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 25,000.00 30,000.00 35,000.00 40,000.00 45,000.00 Starting Salary (in PPP) CN: general practice starting salary Country Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector General Practice Settings (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA Starting Salaries for Clinical Nurses working in Public Sector General Practice Settings (in PPP)
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden USA UK
5 0.00 10,000.00 20,000.00 30,000.00 40,000.00 50,000.00 60,000.00 70,000.00 80,000.00 90,000.00 100,000.00 Salary (in PPP) CN: hospital starting salary CN: hospital top salary CN: community starting salary CN: community top salary CN: general practice starting salary CN: general practice top salary Employment Sector Clinical Nurse: National Public Sector Salaries by Employment Sector (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA
0.00 20,000.00 40,000.00 60,000.00 80,000.00 100,000.00 120,000.00 Salary (in PPP) NM: hospital starting salary NM: hospital top salary NM: community starting salary NM: community top salary NM: ministry of health starting salary NM: ministry of health top salary Employment Sector Nurse Manager: National Public Sector Salaries by Employment Sector (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA NM: Hospital starting salary
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden USA UK
44,922.40 38,381.51 36,144.58 38,624.19 45,386.00 34,577.13 32,306.84 34,380.00 44,054.23
NM: Community starting salary
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden USA UK
49,987.20 37,173.35 35,887.78 44’180 34,577.13 36,048.57
NM: Ministry of Health starting salary
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden USA UK
7 0.00 50'000.00 100'000.00 150'000.00 200'000.00 250'000.00 300'000.00 Salary (in PPP) NE: educational institution starting salary NE: educational institution top salary NE: clinical instructor starting salary NE: clinical instructor top salary Employment Sector Nurse Educator: National Public Sector Salaries by Employment Sector (in PPP) Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden UK USA NE: educational institution starting salary
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan
40,745.60 26,983.19 33,954.00 31,253.05 53,720.00 28,878.55
Norway Sweden USA UK
34,297.69 30,099.34 52,152 40,881.98
NE: clinical instructor starting salary
Canada Denmark Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Norway Sweden
41,770.88 26,983.19 26,286.97 47,429.00
Comparative Starting Salaries by Profession 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00
Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Sweden Canada Denmark USA UK Country R at in g (c o mp a re w ith C li n ica l N u rse = 1) clinical nurse physician teacher police physiotherapist accountant nursing auxiliary In this question countries were asked to compare starting salaries of nurses (clinical nurse = 1) to the starting salaries of other professions. In most countries, all professions’ starting salaries in the respondent countries, with the exception of the Nursing Auxiliary, were rated equal or higher than the starting salary of a clinical nurse.
Country Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Sweden Canada Denmark UK USA* Average Rating Clinical Nurse 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Physician 2.00 1.80 1.29 1.26 2.00 2.5 1.23 1.05 0.71 1.76 Teacher 2.00 1.05 1.02 1.08 1.03 0.94 1.07 1.01 1.13 1.15 Police 1.00 0.90 0.93 1.10 1.10 0.91 1.00 1.26 0.83 0.96 Physiotherapist 1.00 1.15 1.25 0.94 0.90 1.22 1.00 1.00 1.19 1.10 Accountant 1.00 1.15 2.17 0.98 1.50 2 1.06 0.83 1.59 Nsg. Auxiliary 0.90 0.73 0.92 0.73 0.80 0.65 0.91 0.71 0.41 0.75 * Please note that the great majority of nurses work in the private sector in the US and therefore this figure represents the status of a minority of USemployed nurses, contrary to other countries where the majority of nurses are employed in the public sector, e.g. Canada, UK.
9 Comparative Staring Salaries by Profession (average) 0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20 1.40 1.60 1.80
clinical nurse physician teacher police physiotherapist accountant nursing auxiliary
Profession A ve rag e R at in g (acr o ss co u n tr ies ) Average Rating
Inflation Rate Data 0.00% 0.50% 1.00% 1.50% 2.00% 2.50% 3.00% 3.50% 4.00% 4.50% Inflation Rate
Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Sweden Norway Canada Denmark USA UK Country
National Inflation Rate vs. Clinical Nurse Salary Inflation Rate by country
2005 Nt'l Inflation Rate (as given) 2005 Clinical Nurse Salary Inflation Rate
11 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category CANADA Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rates last year past 3 years past 5 years 0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% 10.00% 12.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category DENMARK Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years
0.00% 0.50% 1.00% 1.50% 2.00% 2.50% 3.00% 3.50% 4.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category GERMANY Comparison between National Inflation Rate and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category ICELAND Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years
13 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% 45.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category IRELAND Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years 0.00% 0.50% 1.00% 1.50% 2.00% 2.50% 3.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category JAPAN Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rates last year past 3 years past 5 years
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category NORWAY Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rates last year past 3 years past 5 years 0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% 10.00% 12.00% 14.00% 16.00% 18.00% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category SWEDEN Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years
15 0.00% 0.50% 1.00% 1.50% 2.00% 2.50% 3.00% 3.50% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category USA Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years 0.00% 0.50% 1.00% 1.50% 2.00% 2.50% Inflation Rate Inflation Rate (as given)
Clinical Nurse Nurse Educator Nurse Manager public sector general workforce public sector professionals Employment Category UK Comparison between National Inflation Rates and Public Sector Wage Inflation Rate last year past 3 years past 5 years *Note: each country comparison must be viewed in isolation – do not compare across countries.
1.00% 0.00% 1.00% 2.00% 3.00% 4.00% 5.00% 6.00% Inflation Rate
Germany Iceland Ireland Japan Sweden Norway Canada Denmark USA UK Country
Actual Inflation Rates
last year (revised)
average over past 3 years (revised) average over past 5 years (revised)
17 Glossary Clinical staff nurse Evaluates, plans, and administers nursing care to patients. Provides prescribed medication and treatment. Aides physician during exams and treatment. Monitors and records patient condition and notifies physician when appropriate. Monitors patient care provided by nursing auxiliaries and others. Requires completion of nursing school and state license. Nurse educator Responsible for assessing learning needs, preparing and delivering quality educational experiences to students/employees utilizing the most effective and efficient methods possible. Nurse manager (starting) Manages individual clinical unit on a 24 hour basis. Oversees patient care, nursing services, and related staff. Plans, directs, and coordinates schedules and training for nursing staff. Adjusts resources to respond to emergency or unusual circumstances. Usually requires a nursing degree, a license, and 35 years relevant experience or equivalent. Community/home care Professional nursing care provided primarily in patients’ homes or in the community primary health care centres. Clinical instructor Plans and conducts a variety of inservice orientation programs, educational programs and educational services for clinical personnel; coordinates educational programs for an assigned service line. MK/NdC/14.02.07
