National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center

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LTCO Salary Analysis

Long Term Care Ombudsman Salary Analysis
National Long Term Care Ombudsman Center
Gail McInnes, Researcher
Alice H. Hedt, Project Director
December 1999

The ombudsman salary study was initiated in response to an inquiry from a reporter who was writing a story on long term care ombudsmen and who was concerned that local ombudsman salaries in some parts of the country were equivalent to CNA salaries. The reporter pointed out that local ombudsmen are typically required to have a Bachelor�s degree in a relevant field and that CNA salaries are considered to be too low by many people. The Center has also received inquiries from several ombudsmen who are seeking comparative ombudsman salary information as budget decisions are made in their own states. All the State Long Term Care Ombudsmen were contacted to complete this study and a draft was released for state ombudsman review in November 1999. The Center made a commitment to the State Ombudsmen not to release actual salaries by state in order to respect confidential salary information.

This Resource Brief includes, therefore, state by state information on local ombudsman salary ranges and an analysis of state ombudsman salaries by salary level. For more details about this.

Overview

Comparisons of ombudsman salaries on either the local or state level are hard to make because cost of living varies by area of the country. Comparisons of local ombudsman salaries are especially hard to make because so many local ombudsmen work part-time or balance ombudsman duties with responsibilities for other programs. For example, in Montana, only 6 of 42 ombudsmen work 40 hours/week. The other 36 Montana local ombudsmen work 10, 20 or 30 hours/week. In Kentucky, 9 of the 15 local ombudsmen work part-time. Furthermore, several respondents emphasized that local ombudsmen were employed in widely varying circumstances -- some are employed by Area Agencies on Aging that set their own salary structure, some by local community action programs, and some by contract with legal services. These differences impact on local ombudsman salary levels as well as responsibilities, tenure and educational requirements. Because local ombudsman positions are so varied in scope and time allotment, respondents were asked to supply salary information for ombudsmen employed on both a full-time and hourly basis. Fifty of the fifty-two state ombudsman programs responded to this portion of the salary survey.

Several factors make comparisons at the state level difficult as well. For example, the responsibilities of the state ombudsman position vary from state to state. Some respondents were interested in seeing position descriptions for other state ombudsman positions to see if their responsibilities included managing budgets, supervising volunteers, conducting training or doing investigations themselves. Salary ranges can also be influenced by the location of the program either within or independent from state government.

Several respondents commented that there was no set salary range for the state ombudsman position and that salary levels were determined based on tenure with state government or by qualifications for appointed positions. These respondents emphasized that although their current salary might be high or low, the salary might be completely different for a successor with a different background or work history. Funding for ombudsman programs varies

�Believe me, no ombudsmen do this for the money. We do it because we want to make sure ombudsmen services remain in our future. I may need one myself some day.�

�I love my work, but I will have to resign in the next year because I cannot support my family on this salary. I�m glad someone is looking into this topic.�

�Salaries don't determine job value, importance, integrity---people do. We can protect our worth by projecting a positive self-regard about ourselves and our profession.....the money will follow.�

Center staff decided to complete this project in order to provide current information to those who want it for budget purposes and to promote discussion of this topic to address one factor that impacts ombudsman turnover. An earlier salary study was conducted by the Center in 1997.

Analysis

The study found that yearly full-time salary ranges for local ombudsmen varied from $12,480 - $24,960 (Montana) to $34,278 - $61,540 (Maryland). Local salary levels are very different both between and within states. Twenty-two states reported the low end of their salary scale for local ombudsmen to be $20,000 a year or less for a full-time employee. Twelve states reported the upper end of their salary scale for local ombudsmen to be $40,000 or more annually. Variations within states can also be extreme. In Georgia, for example, local ombudsman full-time salaries ranged from $14,560 to $45,000 with most positions paying between twenty and thirty thousand dollars per year for a full-time employee. The attached chart shows salaries by hourly rates and annual salaries in the fifty states that responded to this part of the survey.

Actual state ombudsman annual salaries varied from $24,000 to $75,000. The salary ranges established by the agency that employs the state ombudsman varied from $24,000 - $30,000/year in one state to $50,000 - $75,000 in another. In Kansas, Kentucky, South Carolina and Washington there is no established salary range for the state ombudsman position because, in Kentucky, it depends entirely on tenure, and in Kansas and Washington, the position is not part of the civil service. The median salary level for state ombudsmen is $40,000 - $45,000. The greatest number of state ombudsman salaries fell within the $35,001 - $40,000 range. See the attached chart for a compilation of the forty-eight responses to this part of the survey.

State Long Term Care Ombudsman Salaries

December 1999

Salary Level	Number of State Ombudsmen
$25,000 and under	1
$25,001 - $30,000	2
$30,001 - $35,000	6
$35,001 - $40,000	10
$40,001 - $45,000	6
$45,001 - $50,000	7
$50,001 - $55,000	2
$55,001 - $60,000	4
$60,001 - $65,000	5
$65,001 - $70,000	3
$70,001 - $75,000	2
$75,001 - $80,000	0
$80,001 and over	0
Total:	48

No Response: Connecticut, Pennsylvania

No Current State Ombudsman: Alaska, Delaware

Local Long Term Care Ombudsman Salary Ranges

December 1999

State	Yearly Salary Range (Full-time)	Hourly Salary Range
Alabama	$16,000 - $30,000	$7.69/hr - $14.42/hr
Alaska	n/a	n/a
Arizona	$16,640 - $29,721	$8.00/hr - $14.28/hr
Arkansas	$18,000 - $25,000	$8.65/hr - $12.01/hr
California	$26,000 - $43,000	$12.50/hr - $20.67/hr
Colorado	$15,000 - $35,000	$7.21/hr - $16.83/hr
Connecticut	No response
Delaware	n/a	n/a
District of Columbia	$30,000 - $40,000	$14.42/hr - $19.23/hr
Florida	n/a	n/a
Georgia	$14,560 - $45,000 (most in $20,000s)	$7.00/ hr - $21.63/hr
Hawaii	n/a	n/a
Idaho	$20,800 - $27,040	$10.00/hr - $13.00/hr
Illinois	$19,999 - $50,098 (most in $20,000s)	$9.61/hr - $24.09/hr
Indiana	$23,400 - $35,360	$11.25/hr - $17.00/hr
Iowa	n/a	n/a
Kansas	$28,704 - $42,000	$13.80/hr. - $20.19/hr
Kentucky	$20,000 - $35,000	$9.62/hr - $16.83/hr
Louisiana	$18,000 - $30,000	$8.65/hr - $14.42/hr
Maine	$30,000 - $35,000	$13.46/hr - $16.82/hr
Maryland	$34,278 - $61,540	$16.48/hr - $29.59/hr
Massachusetts	$24,000 - $37,000	$11.54/hr - $17.79/hr
Michigan	$24,900 - $29,000	$11.97/hr - $13.94/hr
Minnesota	$26,000 - $50,885	$12.50/hr - $24.46/hr
Mississippi	$20,000 - $35,000	$9.61/hr - $16.82/hr
Missouri	$19,000 - $30,000	$9.13/hr - $14.42/hr
Montana	$12,480 - $24,960	$6.00/hr - $12.00/hr
Nebraska	$20,000 - $30,000	$9.62/hr - $14.42/hr
Nevada	$32,000 - $43,400	$15.38/hr - $20.87/hr
New Hampshire	$26,656 - $31,473	$12.82/hr- $22.63/hr
New Jersey	n/a	n/a
New Mexico	$25,400 - $34,300	$12.20/hr - $16.50/hr
New York	$5,000 - $15,000 � part time	$7.00/hr - $14.42/hr
North Carolina	$22,000 - $40,000	$10.57/hr � $19.23/hr
North Dakota	$25,000 - $30,000	$12.02/hr - $14.42/hr
Ohio	$19,000 - $39,000	$9.13/hr - $18.75/hr
Oklahoma	$18,900 - $26,600	$9.08/hr - $12.78/hr
Oregon	n/a	n/a
Pennsylvania	No response
Puerto Rico	$13,200 - $25,000	$6.35/hr � $12.02/hr
Rhode Island	$25,000 - $28,800	$12.02/hr - $13.85/hr
South Carolina	$25,000 - $35,000	$12.02/hr - $16.83/hr
South Dakota	$20,000 - $25,000	$9.62/hr - $12.02/hr
Tennessee	$25,000 - $55,000	$12.02/hr - $26.44/hr
Texas	$25,000 - $32,000	$12.02/hr - $15.38/hr
Utah	$20,000 - $34,000	$11.00/hr - $16.00/hr
Vermont	$20,000 - $36,250	$9.62/hr - $17.43/hr
Virginia	$15,000 - $45,000	$7.21/hr - $21.63/hr
Washington	$20,000 - $48,000	$9.62/hr - $23.08/hr
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Number of State Ombudsmen

State

Alabama

Alaska