What type of nurse is most in demand?
Asked by: Dr. Laura Kunde IV | Last update: June 10, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (1 votes)
Some of the most in-demand nursing specialties include cardiac care, medical-surgical nursing, emergency room nurse and home health nurse. Are you curious about what kind of nurse you want to be? Nursing is one of the most diverse careers available, allowing for a wide range of specializations.
What is the highest paid RN?
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
According to the BLS, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are among the highest-paid nursing professionals, earning an average annual salary* of $214,000 in 2023.
What type of nurse is needed the most?
Nurse Practitioner
Due to the shortage of doctors in the United States, nurse practitioners are becoming one of the most in-demand nursing jobs in the industry. They typically work under the supervision of a doctor, administering tests, prescribing medications, and diagnosing certain types of ailments.
What is the happiest nursing specialty?
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.
Where is the highest demand for nurses?
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.
How to Choose the Right Nursing Specialty Career
What RN specialty is most in demand?
Some of the most in-demand nursing specialties include cardiac care, medical-surgical nursing, emergency room nurse and home health nurse. Are you curious about what kind of nurse you want to be? Nursing is one of the most diverse careers available, allowing for a wide range of specializations.
Why are nurses quitting in 2024?
In the wake of a global pandemic, the nursing shortage has reached crisis levels. High levels of burnout and excessive stress on the job have resulted in nurses quitting across many specialty areas, leaving a void in the healthcare field that is hard to fill without qualified candidates.
What is the lowest paid RN specialty?
School Nurse - $65,048
Many nurses love the idea of moving out of the clinical setting and into an environment where they can help children in an educational setting. If this is you, school nursing may be a perfect fit. However, school nursing is also one of the lowest-paid nursing specialties.
What is the most chill nursing job?
- Public Health Nurse. ...
- Nurse Researcher. ...
- Home Health Nurse. ...
- Telehealth Nurse. ...
- Clinic Nurse. ...
- Occupational Health Nurse. ...
- Nurse Administrator. ...
- Nursing Informatics Specialist. Stress: 6/10.
Which field of nursing has the highest burnout rate?
Emergency department nurses tend to experience the highest rates of burnout. A study published in the Psychology, Health, and Medicine Journal noted that ED nurses feel that they have the least control in their job among nurses in different specialties, which may also influence their high burnout rates.
What is the easiest type of RN?
- School Nurse. Average Annual Salary (April 2024): $51,500. ...
- Nurse Educator. Average Annual Salary (April 2024): $84,000. ...
- Primary Care Nurse. ...
- Informatics Nurse. ...
- Clinical Research Nurse. ...
- Occupational Health Nurse. ...
- Lactation Consultant Nurse. ...
- Home Care Registered Nurse.
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 type of Bsn nurse makes the most money?
- Informatics nurses. ...
- Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. ...
- Travel nurses. ...
- Operating room nurses. ...
- Nurse anesthetists.
Which RN certification pays the most?
Nurse Anesthetist Certification: With Nurse Anesthetists being the highest-paid nurses, it's no wonder that this is such a sought-after credential. Because the nurse anesthesia practice environment is complex and rapidly changing, this MSN certification is essential for Nurse Anesthetists' practice.
Can a nurse make 300k a year?
The best Nursing jobs can pay up to $400,000 per year.
Nursing jobs encompass a number of positions in the health care industry. There are several levels, including registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners, and nurse assistants. Each position has different duties and functions.
What state pays nurses the lowest?
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. It's also important to consider the cost of living index score.
Which nurse is the happiest?
The happiest nurse job is a nurse educator. Nurse educators reported the highest satisfaction ratings of any other type of nurse, with 33% reporting that they were happy in their current role.
What is the richest nursing job?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Why are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) the top-paying nursing job? ...
- General Nurse Practitioner. ...
- ICU Nurse. ...
- Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. ...
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ...
- Certified Nurse Midwife. ...
- Clinical Nurse Specialist. ...
- Pain Management Nurse.
What is the shortest nursing career?
Licensed practical nurse program: If you want to start working as soon as possible, a certificate program to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) is your fastest option — you can complete one in about a year.
What is the hardest nurse to be?
- Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. The ICU is an extremely high-pressure environment. ...
- Emergency room nurses. ER nurses face stress levels that are similar to what first responders experience. ...
- Neonatal ICU nurses. ...
- Operating room nurses. ...
- Oncology nurses. ...
- Psychiatric nurses.
Where can an RN make the most money?
- 1. California: $137,690. With an average salary of $137,690 annually, the Golden State is the highest-paying state for registered nurses. ...
- Hawaii: $119,710. ...
- Oregon: $113,440. ...
- Washington: $111,030. ...
- Alaska: $109,210. ...
- Massachusetts: $108,850. ...
- Washington, D.C.: $106,850. ...
- New York: $106,620.
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%).
How many years do you have to work as a nurse to retire?
RNs, on average, retired at 58.1 years and AHPs at 59.4 years. More than two thirds retired before age 65. Among RNs, caregiving demands predict early retirement – policies supporting employed RN caregivers may reduce early workforce exits among publicly employed RNs.
Will nurses become obsolete?
To date, NSF has invested over $3 million in learning how robots can perform nursing functions. Does this mean that nurses are destined to become obsolete? Absolutely not; quite the opposite is occurring. Nurses are actively engaged in the creation and use of robots designed for patient care and older adult support.