Wages for U.S. workers who care for the elderly increased an average of 3.8 percent in 2005, a new survey says.

The increase was found among clerical, support, professional and management jobs in a survey of 1,900 continuing care centers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospices and home care facilities conducted by WageWatch, an online compensation and benefits survey company.

Growth for clerical and support workers like food service workers, housekeepers and bus drivers lagged somewhat behind, growing 1.5 percent on average.

For managerial and professional workers, growth was over 6 percent. Jobs in these categories include major department heads such as those overseeing nursing, dietary services and social services, and jobs such as charge nurse, physical therapist and dietician.