Nurses are in demand across the country due to an ongoing nursing shortage, so now is a great time to become a nurse. The job outlook, salary and quality of life can vary from state to state. After graduating from nursing school and earning your license, you might want to know what the best states for nurses are.

When deciding where to study nursing or launch your career, factors you should consider include states with the highest registered nurse employment, those with the highest wages and where growth can be expected.

States with the Highest Registered Nurse Employment

One factor when considering the best states to work as a nurse is employment. For the most part, states with higher populations have a greater number of nursing jobs. California tops the list of the highest number of registered nursing roles at 326,720 RNs, according to the latest figures by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is followed by Texas (261,050), Florida (218,100), and New York (204,120).

On the other end of the spectrum, Vermont and Wyoming have the lowest number of registered nursing roles at 7,240 and 5,180, respectively.

Check out the full list of states to see where yours ranks.

Note that “employment” refers to the number of filled positions, or roles, rather than number of licensed registered nurses.

Many of those states have cities with high populations. According the BLS, the following metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) have the highest RN employment. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MSA tops the list with RN employment of 195,470, followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.

Top-10 Metro Areas With the Highest Registered Nurse Employment

Rank	MSA	Employment
1	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	195,470
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	107,340
3	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	100,620
4	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	74,840
5	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	72,620
6	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	66,440
7	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	65,300
8	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	59,880
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	54,370
10	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	46,330

Rankings for nearly 400 metropolitan areas can be viewed here.

Total employment is not the only measure of the situation for RNs in a state. A state with a lower number of nurse roles might have a smaller population. Looking at the states with the highest RN employment per capita (per 1,000 people) could indicate that there are more nurses available to serve the population. South Dakota ranks No. 1 for number of registered nursing roles per capita at 15.7, followed by Washington, D.C. (13.9), North Dakota (13.8), and Massachusetts and Delaware, both at 12.6. States with the least RN employment per capita are Utah (7.4) and Idaho (7.3).

As a nurse looking to start a career, you might lean toward a state with a large number of RN roles available and a higher ratio of nurses to the population, which might signal better working conditions. Of course, there are other factors not represented by the chart, like total number of people working in healthcare in a state, as well as the support staff receive from their organizations.

Registered Nurse Job Outlook

In addition to employment, job growth is another criterion when evaluating the best states for nursing.

Due to the ongoing nursing shortage across the country, nurses will continue to be in demand for years to come. The BLS projects registered nurse employment in the U.S. to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034. This is higher than the growth rate for all occupations.

An aging workforce is impacting the nursing field. According to a recent national survey, about 40% of nurses plan to leave the profession by 2029. This will create an opportunity for new nurses to fill the gap.

Many states have programs designed to boost the number of nurses or encourage medical professionals to work in underserved areas. The Minnesota and Florida health departments, for example, offer loan forgiveness for RNs who practice in high-need areas of the state. Nursing students could be eligible to receive financial assistance such as through the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Some states like Virginia have allocated funding to institutions to expand nursing education.

These initiatives and funding show each state’s commitment to expanding the nursing workforce and serving their populations.

Best Paying States for Nurses

Aside from helping others, one reason why many nurses choose this career is to earn a competitive salary. Registered nurse salary is another factor to consider when looking at which state to settle in. For this section, we analyzed BLS data to determine the states with the highest annual median wage for RNs.

California offers the highest annual median wage for RNs at $140,330 per year. This is followed by Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($123,990), Washington ($112,180), and New York ($105,600).

States with the Highest RN Median Annual Wage

Registered nurses in metropolitan areas in Northern California have the highest median wage compared to MSAs in the rest of the country. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ranks No. 1 with a median wage of $208,940, followed by three other Bay Area metro areas.

Metropolitan Areas With the Highest RN Median Annual Wage

Rank	State	Annual Median Salary
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	208,940
2	Vallejo, CA	192,470
3	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	188,020
4	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	178,900
5	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	172,390
6	Modesto, CA	169,460
7	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	169,210
8	Yuba City, CA	144,220
9	Chico, CA	141,720
10	Kahului-Wailuku, HI	139,310

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Of course, it is not just about how large an RN’s salary is but how it compares to the state’s cost of living. According to Forbes, Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the country, followed by  Massachusetts, California, New York, and New Jersey. While RNs earn higher salaries in Washington and Oregon, they rank in the top 10 for cost of living.

A state with a high salary but lower cost of living could make your dollars stretch farther. New Mexico, for example, has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S. but ranks No. 20 in wages. Michigan is also in the middle of the pack in terms of cost of living vs annual median wage.

Practicing in Multiple States

If you are unsure where you want to practice or would like to be able to practice in multiple states, consider studying and earning your RN license in a compact state. This would be especially beneficial if you hope to become a travel nurse after gaining several years of experience.

States and U.S. territories that are part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) honor licenses from other compact states. There are 43 jurisdictions in the NLC, including New Jersey, Washington, Georgia, Texas and more. Other states have pending legislation and plan to join the agreement, such as New York, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Nurses who are licensed in a compact state can practice in person or provide telenursing services to patients across the U.S. They are not required to buy additional licenses, making practicing in other states more affordable.

Earn Your Nursing Degree on an Accelerated Timeline

If you have been working in another career field or hold a non-nursing degree, you don’t necessarily have to return to school for another four years to become a nurse. Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) programs offer a faster pathway to this fulfilling career, allowing candidates to graduate in 12 to 16 months, depending on the school.

Each ABSN program has its own eligibility requirements. They can include:

• Completed degree or minimum number of credits
• Prerequisites
• Minimum GPA
• Other requirements

Accelerated nursing programs are ideal for career changers with some education who want to make a difference in people’s lives every day.

Explore Nursing Programs Near You

Learn more about ABSN programs near you and your eligibility by filling out the form today.