Best US States for Nurses to Work

(Estimated reading time: 9 minutes)

The desire to help and care for others is strong, and it’s much more fulfilling if that desire can be channeled into a meaningful job path. Nurses currently number over 2.8 million in the United States, making them the country’s largest group of health care professionals. Yet, despite this, there aren’t enough nurses to fulfill the demands of an expanding population. 

Covid-19 did a Number on the Medical World

As the pandemic began to extend its roots worldwide, nurses found themselves in the stressful position of giving care without enough staff to keep up with the rush of patients. At the same time, hospitals struggled to provide enough equipment and PPE. And in some states like California, wherein they have a special heightened pandemic ratio to cope with the spike. 

Now is Your Time

We’ve collated information on current nurse employment, shortages, and earnings in various states for anyone interested in pursuing a career in nursing and helping to alleviate the shortage. Nurses’ salaries and career possibilities vary widely across the United States. The data we’ve gathered may assist you in determining which state is best for you. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll only put the top 5 in our stated categories.

State-by-State Shortages of Registered Nurses

Here are the best five (5) states who have the most shortage of Registered Nurses:

● California

● Texas

● New Jersey 

● South Carolina

● Alaska

California is at the top of the list, with an anticipated 44,500 registered nurse shortage, about three times that of the next shortest state. More than 10,000 RNs will be needed in Texas, New Jersey, and South Carolina; Alaska will be short several thousand. 

States with the Highest Employment Rate for Nurses

The best five (5) states who have the highest employment rate are:

● California – 274,650

● Texas –  207,810

● New York – 180,730

● Florida – 174,710

● Pennsylvania – 139,480

California again leads the list in terms of mean hourly wage and annual mean wage, with at least $48.92 hourly mean wage and a $101,850 yearly mean wage. New York comes closest to California in earnings, with at least $33.84 hourly and an annual mean wage of $80,830.

Highest Paying States for Registered Nurses

I’m going to spoil you a bit, are you ready? California scored Top 1 again for the highest paying state. However, some other states that made the top five were unexpected, with high average yearly incomes for Registered Nurses.

● California – $101,750

● Massachusetts – $89,060

● Hawaii – $88,910

● Oregon – $87,000

● Alaska – $86,450

Massachusetts is the best and only East Coast state among the top five paying states for RNs, while the remaining four are either on the West Coast or outside the continental United States.

Places that Pay Their Nurses the Most

Metropolitan places that pay Registered Nurses the most are:

● Boston – $98,040

● Los Angeles – $95,400

● New York – $88,100

● Minneapolis – $79,310

● Houston – $77,530

Although California has the highest annual mean compensation for nurses, its largest metropolitan region, Los Angeles, is second on the list of areas with the highest salaries for registered nurses. However, Boston, Massachusetts, is at the top of the list, offering RNs the highest yearly compensation in the US of more than $90,000.

Best Places in the States for a Nursing Job 

Metropolitan areas with the highest number of employed RNs are:

● New York – 123,640

● Los Angeles – 75,160

● Chicago – 73,820

● Houston – 50,780

● Boston – 44,890

While New York State ranks second in RN pay, its largest metropolis, New York City, ranks first in terms of the number of hired RNs in metropolitan regions across the United States. There are more than 100,00 registered nurses in New York City. This metropolitan area includes parts of New Jersey, White Plains, and New York City. 

New York: The Best State for Nurses to Work

While New York may not be the best in hourly and annual wages, it does allow nurses to practice in their chosen field of expertise. It’s the highest in terms of employment rate regardless of not having a shortage of nurses compared to the top five. What it lacks in pay makes it up for knowledge and exposure. 

New York is not even the shortest stick in the box regarding the number of RNs hired in urban areas across the United States. In addition, its largest metropolitan, New York City, ranks no. 1 since over 123,640 registered nurses are there. In terms of salary, New York State is not too shabby either, coming close to California, with at least $33.84 hourly mean wage and an annual mean wage of $80,830.

Final Thoughts

Overall, many states are good for nurses to work at. It varies on the type of commodity you want. Every state has high pay, but California would be a good choice if you want the highest pay. If you hone your skills and practice your theories, states like New York and Massachusetts are for you. 

If your ethical sense is tingling and wants to offer your services to states that are short on nurses, places such as Texas, New Jersey, California, etc., will welcome you with open arms. It’s up to you. All we can do is help.

IPASS Business Processing is committed to helping nurses achieve their international dreams. We assist with the international license exam application for the USA, Australia, and the Middle East. Additionally, we provide NCLEX online review programs for the USA, Australia, and Canada; and the Middle East Exam online review program. Furthermore, we also provide student visa applications for Australia. 

So, what are you waiting for? Visit IPASS Processing now.

Disclaimer: IPASS Processing is not a recruitment agency. We do not hire or deploy medical professionals abroad. IPASS Processing is a processing agency that provides license exam application assistance in the United States, the Middle East, and Australia.