What state pays the worst for nurses?

Asked by: Dariana Ryan  |  Last update: January 13, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (17 votes)

Registered nurses have the highest salaries in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, whereas they earn the least in Alabama, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

What state pays RN the lowest?

Best Paying States for Nurses

The states with the lowest average wage are Alabama, Arkansas and South Dakota.

What is the hardest state to become a nurse?

The Buckeye State actually takes the cake as the longest state to get licensed in, on average, and with attractive Midwestern cities like Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, many nurses in the surrounding states (and beyond) go through Ohio's long licensure process.

Where is the cheapest place to live as a nurse?

Texas is lower on the cost of living spectrum (90.4) and gives nursing professionals the opportunity to bring home $70,390 each year in terms of annual mean wage.

What state needs RN the most?

The most severe shortages in 2025 and on are projected in states like California, Georgia, and Washington, while North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah have a surplus of nursing staff compared to demand, making them states with the highest demand for registered nurses.

5 States Where NURSES Make the MOST and The LEAST | With Cost of Living | Nurses To Riches

27 related questions found

Which US state is best to work as a nurse?

Based on current data, California is often cited as the state with the highest average salaries for nurses in the United States. Factors contributing to this include the state's relatively high cost of living and strong labor protections for healthcare workers.

What is the easiest state to become a nurse?

While each state has its own requirements, New York, Connecticut, and Montana stand out as the easiest states to apply for NCLEX to obtain a nursing compact license. We highly recommend considering these options if you want to make your journey easier.

What is the hardest RN job?

What nursing jobs are the most stressful? The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients.

What state makes the most money as an RN?

  1. 1. California: $137,690. With an average salary of $137,690 annually, the Golden State is the highest-paying state for registered nurses. ...
  2. Hawaii: $119,710. ...
  3. Oregon: $113,440. ...
  4. Washington: $111,030. ...
  5. Alaska: $109,210. ...
  6. Massachusetts: $108,850. ...
  7. Washington, D.C.: $106,850. ...
  8. New York: $106,620.

What type of RN is most in demand?

What type of RN is most in demand? All RNs are in demand more than other occupations. The BLS projects 6% job growth for all RNs between 2022 and 2032, compared to 3% job growth for all occupations. Some specialties that are in especially high demand are neonatal nursing, surgical nursing, and critical care nursing.

Can a nurse make 300k a year?

The best Nursing jobs can pay up to $400,000 per year.

There are several levels, including registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners, and nurse assistants. Each position has different duties and functions.

Where do the smartest nurses work?

Case in point, within all general areas of nursing, the Medical ICU, Trauma ICU, Peds ICU, Neonatal ICU, are perceived to require the highest skill set of nurses.

What nurse makes the least money?

Licensed vocational nurses (LVN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) are some of the lowest-paid nursing roles, but that is due to the fact that the educational requirements are less than most other types of nurses.

What city pays nurses most?

10 Cities with the Best Pay for Registered Nurses
  • San Francisco, California. Average annual salary of $181,000.
  • San Jose, California. Average annual salary of $179,000.
  • Sacramento, California. ...
  • Stockton, California. ...
  • Honolulu, Hawaii. ...
  • San Diego, California. ...
  • Modesto, California. ...
  • Los Angeles, California.

What is the happiest nurse job?

Obstetrics, infection control, labor and delivery, radiology, gastrointestinal, cardiac, gynecology, pulmonary/respiratory, critical care, and psychiatric nursing are considered some of the happiest nursing specialties.

What nurse is least stressful?

If you're considering a nursing career but high-stress environments worry you, explore our list of the 10 least stressful nursing jobs.
  1. Nurse Educator. Stress: 7/10. ...
  2. School Nurse. Stress: 6/10. ...
  3. Public Health Nurse. Stress: 6/10. ...
  4. Nurse Researcher. ...
  5. Home Health Nurse. ...
  6. Telehealth Nurse. ...
  7. Clinic Nurse. ...
  8. Occupational Health Nurse.

What state pays nurses less?

Nurse salary by state

Registered nurses have the highest salaries in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, whereas they earn the least in Alabama, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

Which state has a shortage of nurses?

The ten states with the largest projected nursing shortage in 2035 are Washington (26%), Georgia (21%), California (18%), Oregon (16%), Michigan (15%), Idaho (15%), Louisiana (13%), North Carolina (13%), New Jersey (12%), and South Carolina (11%).

What is the best state to work as a nurse?

The Top 10 States for Nurses
  1. 1. California. #2 in Career Opportunity. #1 in Safety. ...
  2. Colorado. #7 in Career Opportunity. ...
  3. Massachusetts. #11 in Career Opportunity. ...
  4. Oregon. #5 in Career Opportunity. ...
  5. Ohio. #35 in Career Opportunity. ...
  6. New York. #10 in Career Opportunity. ...
  7. Texas. #17 in Career Opportunity. ...
  8. Vermont. #36 in Career Opportunity.

What state has the happiest nurses?

Best States for Nurses Satisfaction and Happiness
  • Minnesota (Quality of life ranking #2, Hospital rating by nurses 86%)
  • Wisconsin (Quality of life ranking #3, Hospital rating by nurses 88%)
  • Oregon (Quality of life ranking #18, Hospital rating by nurses inconclusive)

What state do RN make the most money?

In the United States overall, the average registered nurse salary is $82,750 and the median (50th percentile) is $77,600. California, with RN salaries averaging $124,000, is the highest-paying state for nurses as of May 2021 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What is the best state to live in?

The top 10 best states to live in are:
  • Massachusetts.
  • Florida.
  • New Jersey.
  • Utah.
  • New Hampshire.
  • Idaho.
  • Pennsylvania.
  • Wisconsin.