Here’s some great news: according to U.S. News & World Reports’ Best Jobs of 2020 rankings, registered nurses cracked the list of the top 10 best healthcare careers in the U.S.! That said, job opportunities and earning potential will differ from state to state, so the real question is: where will you have the BEST chances for professional — and personal — satisfaction?
To help you answer this question, we identified four key factors that contribute to whether a state can be considered the “best” (or “worst”) to work as a nurse:
- Job Demand
- Salary
- Affordability/Cost of Living
- Quality of Life
For each metric, we pulled the latest data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and U.S. News & World Report. Then, we identified which states ranked the highest and lowest for nurses along all four categories. Here's what we discovered.
The Best & Worst States for Nurses in 2020
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Want to dig a little deeper into the data? Below, you'll find tables for the top five and bottom five states for each metric. And, at the very bottom of this article, you'll also find the full datasets we pulled from.
The Best & Worst States for Nurses: Demand
When determining whether a state is the "best" or "worst" to work as a nurse, one key factor to consider is not only how much demand there currently is for your particular skillset, but also how much there will be in the future. Right now, you could be living in a state where nurses are getting hired like crazy, but will that be the case five, even 10 years from now? Whether you choose to stay put or move to a new state, you should at least consider what your job prospects will be, both in the short and long term.
To help you out, we first focused on finding out which states are projected to have the greatest — and fewest — number of nursing jobs open up within the next eight to 10 years. To do this, we turned to job growth projection data from Projections Central and identified the five states that are predicted to have the greatest average number of nursing job openings between 2018 and 2028, and the five that are predicted to have the fewest.
(Reminder: If you'd like to see the full data set for all 50 states and D.C., we've provided it at the bottom of this article.)
The 5 States With the Highest Demand for Nurses, 2018-2028
| Rank | State | Average Number of Nursing Job Openings per Year | Job Growth Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 23,850 | 16.7% |
| 2 | New York | 16,910 | 24.6% |
| 3 | Texas | 16,130 | 16.8% |
| 4 | Florida | 14,000 | 16.1% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 10,510 | 12.5% |
The 5 States With Lowest Demand for Nurses, 2018-2028
| Rank | State | Average Number of Nursing Job Openings per Year | Nursing Job Growth Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Vermont | 430 | 8.0% |
| 47 | Wyoming | 380 | 16.2% |
| 48 | Alaska | 360 | 6.8% |
| 49 | Idaho | 280 | 19.9% |
| 50 | Mississippi | 200 | 6.1% |
The Best & Worst States for Nurses: Salary
Next, we decided to focus on what your earning potential could be as a nurse working in each state. Below, we’ve shared the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics program to show you the five states where nurses earn the most money and the five where they earn the least.
Keep in mind that all BLS data reflects the employment and wage numbers for nurses as of May 2019. We'll update these tables when they release their 2020 data in May 2021. If you'd like to see the full data set for all 50 states and D.C., we've provided it at the bottom of this article.
The 5 Highest-Paying States for Nurses
| Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for RNs | Average Hourly Pay for RNs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,240 | $54.44 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $104,060 | $50.03 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $93,160 | $44.79 |
| 4 | Oregon | $92,960 | $44.69 |
| 5 | Alaska | $90,500 | $43.51 |
The 5 Lowest-Paying States for Nurses
| Rank | State | Average Annual Salary for RNs | Average Hourly Pay for RNs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Arkansas | $61,330 | $29.49 |
| 47 | Iowa | $60,590 | $29.13 |
| 48 | Alabama | $60,230 | $28.96 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $59,750 | $28.73 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $59,540 | $28.63 |
The Best & Worst States for Nurses: Affordability/Cost of Living
When considering your job growth and earning potential in different states, one important factor to keep in mind is your cost of living - in other words, the amount of money you'll need to put towards basic living and housing expenses.
To help you get a better and more realistic picture of your earning potential state by state, we turned to U.S. News & World Report's Best States of 2019 Rankings. This ranking took into account each state's performance across 71 different metrics. (We'll revisit this list in more detail later.) For the purposes of this section, we focused on just one of their factors: Affordibility. U.S. News & World Report analysts gave each state scores for cost of living and housing affordability. Based on those scores, each state then received an overall affordability ranking on a scale of 1 to 50, with 1 being the most affordable and 50 being the least. Below, we've shared the five states that ranked highest and lowest in this category, as well as their scores for the two metrics so you can see how they contributed to each state's rank.
Keep in mind that U.S. News & World Report last updated their rankings in May 2019. We'll update the tables below when they release the new data in May 2020.
The 5 Most Affordable States for Nurses
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 13 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 16 | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 9 |
The 5 Least Affordable States for Nurses
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Massachusetts | 43 | 41 |
| 47 | New York | 48 | 39 |
| 48 | Oregon | 45 | 47 |
| 49 | California | 49 | 49 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 50 | 50 |
The Best & Worst States for Nurses: Quality of Life
Finally, let's turn our attention to the states that could provide RNs with the best (and worst) quality of life.
For this metric, we turned again to U.S. News & World Report's 2019 Best States Rankings. Analysts gave each state performance scores for the following eight categories:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Economy
- Infrastructure
- Opportunity
- Fiscal Stability
- Crime & Corrections
- Natural Environment
Then, the analysts used those scores to give each state an overall ranking. States that made the top of the list do the best job of promoting their residents’ well-being, whereas those who made the bottom of the list do the worst job.
Remember: This data was last updated in May 2019. We'll update the tables below when U.S. News & World Report releases their new rankings in May 2020.
The 5 Best States for Overall Quality of Life
Below, you'll find the five best states for RN's overall quality of life, along with their scores for the eight different performance categories.
Best States for RNs' Quality of Life
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 16 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 10 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 3 |
| 4 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Vermont | 11 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 7 |
The 5 Worst States for Overall Quality of Life
Below, you'll find the five worst states for RNs' overall quality of life, along with their scores for the eight different performance categories.
Worst States for RNs' Quality of Life
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | New Mexico | 34 | 49 | 47 | 17 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 23 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 48 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 34 | 21 | 41 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 50 | 46 | 48 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 26 | 11 |
| 49 | Alabama | 46 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 35 |
| 50 | Louisiana | 45 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 43 | 50 | 50 |
Any Triple-Hitters?
Unfortunately, no one state has it all. While California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts secured the #1, 2, and 3 spots for RN salaries, respectively, each missed the mark when it came to affordability. (In fact, they all made it into the bottom five for that metric.) And although Pennsylvania and Texas both ranked high on the list in terms of job growth, they fell to the middle of the pack for salaries and the bottom of the pack for quality of life.
BONUS: National Registered Nurse Data
As promised, here are the full datasets we used to identify the best and worst states for RNs in terms of projected demand/job growth, salary, affordability, and quality of life. If your state didn't make any of the lists above, take a look at the following tables to see what's in store for RNs in your neck of the woods.
Nationwide Job Growth Projections for Registered Nurses (2018-2028)
| State | Average Number of Job Openings per Year | Job Growth Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3,500 | 10.2% |
| Alaska | 360 | 6.8% |
| Arizona | 2,110 | 35.0% |
| Arkansas | 1,850 | 13.5% |
| California | 23,850 | 16.7% |
| Colorado | 4,810 | 29.5% |
| Connecticut | 2,450 | 7.3% |
| Delaware | 950 | 20.0% |
| District of Columbia | 770 | 8.8% |
| Florida | 14,000 | 16.1% |
| Georgia | 6,340 | 22.5% |
| Hawaii | 800 | 12.2% |
| Idaho | 280 | 19.9% |
| Illinois | 9,260 | 12.4% |
| Indiana | 4,750 | 12.4% |
| Iowa | 2,490 | 15.1% |
| Kansas | 1,970 | 8.1% |
| Kentucky | 3,280 | 13.1% |
| Louisiana | N/A | N/A |
| Maine | 920 | 6.5% |
| Maryland | 5,150 | 21.7% |
| Massachusetts | 5,720 | 8.2% |
| Michigan | 6,620 | 9.8% |
| Minnesota | 4,900 | 12.4% |
| Mississippi | 200 | 6.1% |
| Missouri | 5,530 | 16.2% |
| Montana | 700 | 10.4% |
| Nebraska | 1,790 | 11.1% |
| Nevada | 540 | 22.3% |
| New Hampshire | 960 | 12.7% |
| New Jersey | 5,780 | 11.3% |
| New Mexico | 1,240 | 11.3% |
| New York | 16,910 | 24.6% |
| North Carolina | 7,020 | 10.8% |
| North Dakota | 730 | 16.5% |
| Ohio | 8,360 | 9.6% |
| Oklahoma | 2,310 | 9.1% |
| Oregon | 3,010 | 15.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 10,510 | 12.5% |
| Rhode Island | 760 | 4.0% |
| South Carolina | 2,930 | 9.4% |
| South Dakota | 910 | 13.1% |
| Tennessee | 4,290 | 12.3% |
| Texas | 16,130 | 16.8% |
| Utah | 2,090 | 28.2% |
| Vermont | 430 | 8.0% |
| Virginia | 4,500 | 11.7% |
| Washington | 5,800 | 20.3% |
| West Virginia | 1,550 | 14.9% |
| Wisconsin | 3,600 | 7.8% |
| Wyoming | 380 | 16.2% |
Source: Projections Central - Long-Term Occupational Projections for 2018-2028 (Last updated April 2020)
National Data for Registered Nurse Salaries (May 2019)
| State | Average Annual Salary for RNs | Average Hourly Pay for RNs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,230 | $28.96 |
| Alaska | $90,500 | $43.51 |
| Arizona | $78,330 | $37.66 |
| Arkansas | $61,330 | $29.49 |
| California | $113,240 | $54.44 |
| Colorado | $76,230 | $36.65 |
| Connecticut | $83,440 | $40.12 |
| Delaware | $74,100 | $35.63 |
| Distict of Columbia | $94,820 | $45.59 |
| Florida | $67,610 | $32.50 |
| Georgia | $69,590 | $33.46 |
| Hawaii | $104,060 | $50.03 |
| Idaho | $69,480 | $33.40 |
| Illinois | $73,510 | $35.34 |
| Indiana | $66,560 | $32.00 |
| Iowa | $60,590 | $29.13 |
| Kansas | $62,450 | $30.02 |
| Kentucky | $63,750 | $30.65 |
| Louisiana | $65,850 | $31.66 |
| Maine | $69,760 | $33.54 |
| Maryland | $77,910 | $37.46 |
| Massachusetts | $93,160 | $44.79 |
| Michigan | $73,200 | $35.19 |
| Minnesota | $80,130 | $38.52 |
| Mississippi | $59,750 | $28.73 |
| Missouri | $64,160 | $30.85 |
| Montana | $69,340 | $33.34 |
| Nebraska | $66,640 | $32.04 |
| Nevada | $88,380 | $42.49 |
| New Hampshire | $73,880 | $35.52 |
| New Jersey | $84,280 | $40.52 |
| New Mexico | $73,300 | $35.24 |
| New York | $87,840 | $42.23 |
| North Carolina | $66,440 | $31.94 |
| North Dakota | $66,290 | $31.87 |
| Ohio | $68,220 | $32.80 |
| Oklahoma | $64,800 | $31.15 |
| Oregon | $92,960 | $44.69 |
| Pennsylvania | $71,410 | $34.33 |
| Rhode Island | $82,310 | $39.57 |
| South Carolina | $64,840 | $31.17 |
| South Dakota | $59,540 | $28.63 |
| Tennessee | $62,570 | $30.08 |
| Texas | $74,540 | $35.84 |
| Utah | $67,970 | $32.68 |
| Vermont | $70,240 | $33.77 |
| Virginia | $71,870 | $34.56 |
| Washington | $86,170 | $41.43 |
| West Virginia | $63,220 | $30.39 |
| Wisconsin | $72,610 | $34.91 |
| Wyoming | $68,690 | $33.03 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2019)
National Affordability Rankings (2019)
| Rank | State | Cost of Living Score | Housing Affordability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 13 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 16 | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan | 5 | 9 |
| 6 | Nebraska | 21 | 5 |
| 7 | Missouri | 4 | 11 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 20 | 8 |
| 9 | Kansas | 8 | 12 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 30 | 4 |
| 11 | North Dakota | 27 | 6 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3 | 14 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 14 | 13 |
| 14 | South Dakota | 29 | 10 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 1 | 18 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 22 | 15 |
| 17 | Illinois | 23 | 16 |
| 18 | Georgia | 11 | 19 |
| 19 | Alabama | 6 | 20 |
| 20 | Louisiana | 17 | 22 |
| 21 | Minnesota | 31 | 17 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 7 | 28 |
| 23 | Texas | 12 | 27 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 19 | 30 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 15 | 34 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | 36 | 21 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 25 | 33 |
| 28 | Wyoming | 10 | 38 |
| 29 | Delaware | 35 | 31 |
| 30 | Arizona | 26 | 37 |
| 31 | Virginia | 32 | 35 |
| 32 | Idaho | 18 | 40 |
| 33 | Maine | 39 | 26 |
| 34 | New Jersey | 41 | 23 |
| 35 | Florida | 28 | 42 |
| 36 | Utah | 24 | 44 |
| 37 | Vermont | 40 | 32 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 41 | 29 |
| 39 | Montana | 33 | 43 |
| 40 | Maryland | 46 | 25 |
| 41 | Connecticut | 47 | 24 |
| 42 | Nevada | 38 | 45 |
| 43 | Colorado | 34 | 48 |
| 44 | Washington | 37 | 46 |
| 45 | Alaska | 44 | 36 |
| 46 | Massachusetts | 43 | 41 |
| 47 | New York | 48 | 39 |
| 48 | Oregon | 45 | 47 |
| 49 | California | 49 | 49 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 50 | 50 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2019 Rankings (May 2019)
Quality of Life Rankings, Nationwide
| Rank | State | Healthcare Score | Education Score | Economy Score | Infrastructure Score | Opportunity Score | Fiscal Stability Score | Crime & Corrections Score | Natural Environment Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 16 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 10 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 16 | 3 |
| 4 | Utah | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Vermont | 11 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 7 |
| 6 | Maryland | 8 | 13 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 25 |
| 7 | Virginia | 18 | 7 | 25 | 35 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 18 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 2 | 1 | 7 | 44 | 29 | 30 | 4 | 26 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 27 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 27 |
| 10 | Colorado | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 14 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 14 | 30 | 10 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 6 | 2 | 31 | 34 | 8 | 49 | 6 | 13 |
| 13 | Florida | 29 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 2 | 31 | 21 |
| 14 | Iowa | 20 | 9 | 32 | 23 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 32 |
| 15 | North Dakota | 38 | 20 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 28 |
| 16 | Idaho | 26 | 33 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 11 | 8 | 15 |
| 17 | Georgia | 39 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 27 | 20 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 30 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 36 | 4 | 14 | 36 |
| 19 | California | 7 | 21 | 4 | 32 | 49 | 42 | 23 | 5 |
| 20 | South Dakota | 32 | 18 | 27 | 16 | 34 | 3 | 40 | 2 |
| 21 | Connecticut | 3 | 12 | 30 | 46 | 33 | 46 | 7 | 6 |
| 22 | Kansas | 33 | 15 | 36 | 7 | 16 | 35 | 32 | 8 |
| 23 | Delaware | 15 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 36 | 47 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 1 | 29 | 40 | 12 | 46 | 36 | 5 | 16 |
| 25 | New York | 13 | 22 | 33 | 22 | 47 | 26 | 10 | 24 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | 5 | 41 | 20 | 49 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 1 |
| 27 | Oregon | 17 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 43 | 40 | 38 | 30 |
| 28 | Missouri | 41 | 27 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 9 |
| 29 | Montana | 28 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 24 | 25 | 22 |
| 30 | Tennessee | 43 | 35 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 1 | 43 | 37 |
| 31 | Wyoming | 42 | 16 | 42 | 15 | 22 | 39 | 17 | 17 |
| 32 | Maine | 19 | 28 | 37 | 42 | 27 | 28 | 3 | 39 |
| 33 | Michigan | 24 | 37 | 19 | 41 | 14 | 27 | 35 | 29 |
| 34 | Arizona | 23 | 40 | 10 | 11 | 40 | 33 | 42 | 33 |
| 35 | Illinois | 22 | 19 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 50 | 20 | 43 |
| 36 | Indiana | 40 | 24 | 28 | 37 | 12 | 6 | 34 | 48 |
| 37 | Nevada | 31 | 45 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 37 | 39 | 46 |
| 38 | Texas | 37 | 34 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 12 | 33 | 40 |
| 39 | Ohio | 35 | 31 | 38 | 27 | 7 | 41 | 28 | 44 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 44 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 20 | 45 | 11 | 12 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | 21 | 32 | 44 | 43 | 13 | 38 | 37 | 38 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 36 | 43 | 16 | 36 | 41 | 20 | 46 | 34 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 47 | 39 | 34 | 39 | 25 | 32 | 41 | 42 |
| 44 | Alaska | 25 | 47 | 46 | 40 | 18 | 48 | 48 | 45 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 49 | 42 | 43 | 47 | 32 | 21 | 47 | 19 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 34 | 49 | 47 | 17 | 48 | 47 | 49 | 23 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 48 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 34 | 21 | 41 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 50 | 46 | 48 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 26 | 11 |
| 49 | Alabama | 46 | 50 | 45 | 38 | 45 | 23 | 45 | 35 |
| 50 | Louisiana | 45 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 43 | 50 | 50 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report's Best States 2019 Rankings (May 2019)
Image courtesy of Unsplash.com/John-Mark Smith