Hospice aides received bigger wage bumps on average than many other hospice workers in 2021, according to the Hospice Salary & Benefits Report. The Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service published the 30th annual report in cooperation with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.
Hospice aides, on average, saw their hourly wages increase 4.52%, to $15.68 in 2021 from $15.00 in 2020, according to the report. That compares to hospice registered nurses who saw their hourly wages increase 3.48% on average and hospice practical nurses who received an average wage increase of 3.41%. The wage increase for hospice aides was slightly higher than the 4.8% average hourly wage hike for all U.S. workers, but below the latest reported U.S. inflation rate of 6.2%.
Hourly wages for hospice aides varied by hospice type and by region. Hospital-based facilities paid their aides the highest wages at $17.62 an hour, followed by Visiting Nurses Association at $17.53, nonprofit agencies at $15.46 and for-profit agencies at $15.46. Hospice aides in Mississippi and Alabama were among the lowest paid of their cohort, while hospice aides in California and Massachusetts were among the highest paid.
Despite the increase in wages for hospice aides, turnover increased slightly in 2021 to 26.6%, versus 25.72% in 2020. The higher turnover rate reflects the difficulty many hospice agencies are experiencing as workers — burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic — are leaving their jobs for other industries.
The Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service polled 734 hospices nationwide for the report. Nearly all were Medicare-certified facilities.
