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| David Kalist |
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| ''Beyond mean pay gaps: Decomposing earnings inequality among registered nurses'' |
| ( 2026, Vol. 0 No.0 ) |
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| Using the 2018 and 2022 U.S. National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN), I use Theil index decompositions to examine the structure of RN earnings inequality. More than 96% of earnings inequality occurs within demographic groups rather than between them. Differences in mean earnings by sex and race/ethnicity explain little of total inequality, while education and geography account for somewhat larger between-group shares. Results using hourly wages are similar. The findings indicate substantial earnings heterogeneity among nurses even within narrowly defined demographic categories. |
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| Keywords: Registered nurses, earnings inequality, Theil index, inequality decomposition, wage differentials, labor market inequality, within-group inequality, between-group inequality |
JEL: D3 - Distribution: General
J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General |
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| Manuscript Received : Jun 11 2026 | | Manuscript Accepted : Oct 10 2026 |
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