The most recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows there are approximately three million nurses in the U.S.1 Nursing can be a rewarding career with many options, whether you’re just starting nursing school or pursuing a nursing graduate degree. Once you become a nurse, you may wonder which states are the best for nurses.
Today, you’ll learn about the best states for nurses based on salary information and other statistics. Some states are better for different types of nurses, some have more employment opportunities, and some do better than others regarding diverse hiring practices. This information will help you know how well your state takes care of nurses and if it may be worth relocating to another state.
Table of Contents:
- Top 10 States for Nurses
- Best Paying States for Nurses
- Top States with Projected Nursing Job Growth
- Number of Active Registered Nurses by State
- Elevate Your Nursing Career With a Nursing Graduate Program
Top 10 Best States for Registered Nurses
Below, we list the top 10 states for nurses based on average salary, projected employment growth and cost of living index score. Salary is a key factor for many working adults, but it’s also helpful to consider the cost of living. Based on the cost of living index, a higher number means it costs more to live in that state.2
Depending on the person, some pros and cons for each state may have different weights. For example, although a state may have a high average salary, it may be more important for someone to live close to their family.
View our methodology section to learn more about how we created our ranking.
1. Arizona
Arizona is the top state primarily for the projected employment growth and also for its higher than average annual salary. Arizona has the highest projected growth of all of the states.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $86,7401
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 39%3
- Cost of living index: 107.22
2. Colorado
Colorado has the second-highest projection for employment growth, just behind Arizona. This state is also 18th when it comes to the highest average salary for RNs.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $86,5901
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 29%3
- Cost of living index: 105.52
3. Nevada
The third state on the list is another desert area, Nevada. With a high projection for growth and a low cost of living, Nevada is a great state for nurses.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $96,3101
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 23%3
- Cost of living index: 101.32
4. Georgia
If you live in the south or are thinking about moving there, Georgia is number four on the list of top states for nurses. Georgia is also the 13th state with the lowest cost of living index score.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $85,1801
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 18%3
- Cost of living index: 912
5. Idaho
For those looking to live in a quieter state, Idaho is ranked number five on the list for its nursing wages as well as projected growth. Idaho’s average salary is comparable to some of the other states on the list, with a projected employment growth of 20%.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $78,6101
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 20%3
- Cost of living index: 106.12
6. Texas
The Lone Star State landed a top 10 spot due to its projected employment growth as well as its low cost of living index score. The average salary is $1,000 lower than in Colorado, but the cost of living is much lower.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $84,3201
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 17%3
- Cost of living index: 93.2
7. Tennessee
Although it may seem as if the average annual salary for RNs in Tennessee is low, this state is ranked number 10 out of all of the states for lowest cost of living. It also has projected nursing employment growth of 17%.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $72,4801
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 17%3
- Cost of living index: 90.42
8. Utah
Utah has a projected 20% increase in employment by 2030, which may make it ideal for nurses who are looking for work. The average wage is a little over $76,000 per year in Utah as well.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $76,4001
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 20%3
- Cost of living index: 101.52
9. Oklahoma
Oklahoma makes the top 10 for best states for nursing because the average salary for RNs is fairly competitive, and they also have one of the lowest cost of living index scores.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $76,9201
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 12%3
- Cost of living index: 86.2
10. Florida
If you don’t mind the humidity, Florida makes the list.4 Like Delaware, the projected growth is 15%, and you may even be able to find a beachfront city to reside in.
- Average annual salary for RNs: $79,9101
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030: 15%3
- Cost of living index: 102.32
Best Paying States for Nurses
The state with the highest annual wage is California, which has an average wage of $133,340 per year. Following behind California are Hawaii, with an average salary wage of $113,220, and Oregon at $106,610.1
The states with the lowest average wage are Alabama, Arkansas and South Dakota. These states have average wages of $66,910, $66,530 and $64,500, respectively.1
It’s also important to consider the cost of living index score. For example, although California has the highest average wage, it also has the fourth-highest cost of living index score.
| State | Average annual Wage for RNs1 | Cost of Living Index Score2 |
|---|---|---|
| California | $133,340 | 134.5 |
| Hawaii | $113,220 | 179 |
| Oregon | $106,610 | 115.1 |
| Massachusetts | $104,150 | 148.4 |
| Alaska | $103,310 | 124.4 |
| Washington | $101,670 | 115.1 |
| New York | $100,130 | 125.1 |
| Washington D.C. | $98,230 | 148 |
| New Jersey | $96,670 | 114.1 |
| Nevada | $96,310 | 101.3 |
| Connecticut | $94,260 | 113.1 |
| Minnesota | $88,860 | 94.1 |
| Rhode Island | $88,250 | 110.5 |
| Maryland | $87,990 | 119.5 |
| Arizona | $86,740 | 107.2 |
| Colorado | $86,590 | 105.5 |
| New Mexico | $85,580 | 94.2 |
| Georgia | $85,180 | 91 |
| Delaware | $85,020 | 102.6 |
| Texas | $84,320 | 93 |
| New Hampshire | $83,420 | 115 |
| Illinois | $82,220 | 90.8 |
| Virginia | $81,860 | 103.1 |
| Wyoming | $81,010 | 92.8 |
| Wisconsin | $81,000 | 95 |
| Michigan | $80,660 | 92.7 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,630 | 99 |
| Vermont | $79,990 | 114.9 |
| Florida | $79,910 | 102.3 |
| Idaho | $78,610 | 106.1 |
| Ohio | $78,450 | 94 |
| Montana | $78,350 | 103.7 |
| Kentucky | $77,620 | 93.8 |
| North Carolina | $77,420 | 96.1 |
| Maine | $77,410 | 111.5 |
| Oklahoma | $76,920 | 86 |
| Utah | $76,400 | 101.5 |
| Louisiana | $75,920 | 92 |
| Indiana | $75,580 | 91.5 |
| North Dakota | $75,000 | 94.6 |
| South Carolina | $74,330 | 96.5 |
| Nebraska | $73,510 | 90.1 |
| Tennessee | $72,480 | 90.4 |
| West Virginia | $72,230 | 90.3 |
| Kansas | $71,990 | 87.7 |
| Missouri | $71,860 | 88.4 |
| Iowa | $69,370 | 89.7 |
| Mississippi | $67,930 | 85.3 |
| Alabama | $66,910 | 88.8 |
| Arkansas | $66,530 | 90.3 |
| South Dakota | $64,500 | 93.8 |
Source: BLS and World Population Review
The states that pay nurses the most are California, Hawaii, and Oregon, with California paying the most with an average of $133,340 wage per year. When looking at this list, it’s also helpful to know that all three are in the top 10 for the highest cost of living as well.
Top States for Nurse Practitioners
If you’re a nurse practitioner, there are many post-graduate degrees that you can pursue. By receiving your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), you can choose from different career paths.
The following is a complete list ranking each state for NPs, which includes the average annual wage, projected employment growth and cost of living index score.2
| Rank | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona |
| 2 | Colorado |
| 3 | Nevada |
| 4 | Georgia |
| 5 | Idaho |
| 6 | Texas |
| 7 | Tennessee |
| 8 | Utah |
| 9 | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Florida |
| 11 | Wyoming |
| 12 | Delaware |
| 13 | New Mexico |
| 14 | Minnesota |
| 15 | New York |
| 16 | Washington |
| 17 | Alaska |
| 18 | California |
| 19 | Illinois |
| 20 | Iowa |
| 21 | Maryland |
| 22 | Massachusetts |
| 23 | Michigan |
| 24 | Mississippi |
| 25 | New Jersey |
| 26 | North Carolina |
| 27 | North Dakota |
| 28 | Ohio |
| 29 | Oregon |
| 30 | Pennsylvania |
| 31 | Vermont |
| 32 | West Virginia |
| 33 | Alabama |
| 34 | Arkansas |
| 35 | Connecticut |
| 36 | Hawaii |
| 37 | Indiana |
| 38 | Kansas |
| 39 | Kentucky |
| 40 | Missouri |
| 41 | Montana |
| 42 | Nebraska |
| 43 | Rhode Island |
| 44 | South Carolina |
| 45 | South Dakota |
| 46 | Virginia |
| 47 | Wisconsin |
| 48 | Louisiana |
| 49 | Maine |
| 50 | New Hampshire |
| 51 | Washington D.C. |
Source: USAHS
Top States for Nurse Anesthetists by Salary
Nurse anesthetists are some of the highest-paid positions you can get as a nurse with the median wage at just over $203,000.5 California has the highest mean annual salary at $246,510, but each of the top five states is over $230,000 per year.
| State | Annual Mean Wage5 |
|---|---|
| California | $246,510 |
| Connecticut | $240,580 |
| New York | $238,710 |
| Illinois | $238,440 |
Source: BLS
Top States for Nurse Midwives by Salary
Nurse midwives help with the birthing process, and they can work independently or as part of a healthcare team. The national median wage for nurse midwives is $120,880, and California pays the most with an annual mean wage of $169,530.6
| State | Annual Mean Wage6 |
|---|---|
| California | $169,530 |
| West Virginia | $165,780 |
| Hawaii | $156,020 |
| Massachusetts | $143,870 |
| Oregon | $136,150 |
Source: BLS
Top States With Projected Nursing Job Growth
Whether you’re a nurse in the field of occupational therapy, health administration or any other realm, it’s helpful to know the employment opportunities throughout the country. Projections are created using data and formulas to give us a rough idea of what the future might look like.7 The following are the states ranked by projected employment growth through 2030.3
| State | Projected Employment Growth3 |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 39% |
| Colorado | 29% |
| Nevada | 23% |
| Idaho | 20% |
| Utah | 18% |
| Georgia | 18% |
| Maryland | 17% |
| New York | 17% |
| Tennessee | 17% |
| Texas | 17% |
| Washington | 16% |
| Delaware | 15% |
| Florida | 15% |
| Alaska | 11% |
| Mississippi | 14% |
| New Mexico | 14% |
| North Dakota | 14% |
| Iowa | 12% |
| Massachusetts | 12% |
| North Carolina | 12% |
| Oklahoma | 12% |
| Oregon | 12% |
| South Dakota | 12% |
| West Virginia | 12% |
| California | 11% |
| South Carolina | 11% |
| Wyoming | 11% |
| Vermont | 10% |
| Arkansas | 9% |
| Hawaii | 9% |
| Kentucky | 9% |
| New Hampshire | 9% |
| New Jersey | 9% |
| Pennsylvania | 9% |
| Alabama | 8% |
| Indiana | 8% |
| Michigan | 8% |
| Nebraska | 8% |
| Virginia | 8% |
| Kansas | 7% |
| Minnesota | 7% |
| Missouri | 7% |
| Ohio | 7% |
| Montana | 6% |
| Illinois | 5% |
| Rhode Island | 5% |
| Washington D.C. | 5% |
| Connecticut | 4% |
| Wisconsin | 4% |
| Maine | 3% |
| Louisiana | 2% |
Source: O*NET OnLine
Number of Active Registered Nursing Licenses by State
As of 2022, the United States has a total of 5,239,499 active registered nursing licenses, according to the Journal of Nursing Regulation.8 The BLS report shows that there are roughly three million registered nurses, so the difference in the data may be due to people having active nursing licenses but not currently working.
For the survey, the majority of states received a mail-out survey, and others were sent surveys by email or filled the survey out through e-Notify. California currently has the most active registered nursing licenses at 466,414 with Texas not too far behind at 363,865.8
| State | Number of Active RN Licenses (- = no data available)8 |
|---|---|
| Alabama | – |
| Alaska | 18,102 |
| Arizona | 102,364 |
| Arkansas | 45,016 |
| California | 466,414 |
| Colorado | 80,946 |
| Connecticut | 81,242 |
| Delaware | 19,211 |
| Florida | 347,136 |
| Georgia | 139,314 |
| Hawaii | 26,785 |
| Idaho | 25,815 |
| Illinois | 219,409 |
| Indiana | 118,822 |
| Iowa | 58,571 |
| Kansas | 53,662 |
| Kentucky | 72,058 |
| Louisiana | 65,167 |
| Maine | 27,942 |
| Maryland | 86,804 |
| Massachusetts | 153,862 |
| Michigan | 167,780 |
| Minnesota | 119,829 |
| Mississippi | 50,436 |
| Missouri | – |
| Montana | 20,261 |
| Nebraska | 31,238 |
| Nevada | 51,606 |
| New Hampshire | – |
| New Jersey | 139,719 |
| New Mexico | – |
| New York | – |
| North Carolina | – |
| North Dakota | 16,777 |
| Ohio | 220,800 |
| Oklahoma | 52,039 |
| Oregon | 73,418 |
| Pennsylvania | 232,528 |
| Rhode Island | – |
| South Carolina | 77,288 |
| South Dakota | 19,237 |
| Tennessee | 110,427 |
| Texas | 363,865 |
| Utah | 40,201 |
| Vermont | 20,320 |
| Virginia | 112,482 |
| Washington | – |
| Washington D.C. | 30,222 |
| West Virginia | 33,047 |
| Wisconsin | 111,192 |
| Wyoming | – |
Source: Journal of Nursing Regulation
Elevate Your Nursing Career With a Nursing Graduate Program
As a nurse, you have the opportunity to help people in a multitude of ways. Nursing can occur in hospitals and healthcare facilities where you work directly with patients, or you can take on a leadership role or work in administration. Once you complete your undergraduate nursing degree, you can open up more opportunities through graduate and post-graduate programs for nurses here at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Our campuses and faculty are ready to help you pursue your nursing goals. To get started, apply today.
Methodology
Our ranking system for the best states for nurses to work was based on three primary criteria:
- Average annual salary for RNs
- Projected employment growth for RNs by 2030
- Cost of living index
Each of the criteria was graded on a five-point scale and given a higher score when the data was most beneficial for nurses in that state. States with the highest salaries, largest projected employment growth and lowest cost of living index scores were given the highest ratings. In the event of ties in the top 10, the highest average salaries were used as the primary determining factor.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified May 2022, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm#st.
- World Population Review, “Cost of Living Index by State 2023,” World Population Review, last modified 2023, https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cost-of-living-index-by-state.
- O*NET OnLine, “29-1141.00 – Registered Nurses,” O*NET OnLine, https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/29-1141.00?st=.
- Humidity,” Florida Climate Center, accessed August 21, 2024, https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/humidity.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “29-1151 Nurse Anesthetists,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified May 2022, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291151.htm#st.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “29-1161 Nurse Midwives,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified May 2022, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291161.htm#ind.
- Metric Insights, “Understanding Projections,” Metric Insights, https://help.metricinsights.com/m/Creating_Basic_Metrics_and_Reports/l/104391-understanding-projections.
- Richard A. Smiley, MS, MA, Richard L. Allgeyer, PhD, Yetty Shobo, PhD, Karen C. Lyons, PhD, APRN, NEA, Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN, Elizabeth Zhong, PhD, Nicole Kaminski-Ozturk, PhD, Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN, “The 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey,” Journal of Nursing Regulation, last modified April 2023, https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(23)00047-9/fulltext.
