11 Highest Paying States for Nurses

Which are the highest paying states for nurses?

The American Nurses Association defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human responses; and advocacy in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations.” A nurse is a specialist trained to care for the sick and/or elderly, but this is a highly simplistic description of the numerous jobs nurses undertake to improve the quality of life of their patients. Nurses bridge the gap between patients and doctors and help the former to recover by providing constant care. In a case of a patient with a terminal illness nurses are often employed at home, so the patient is not hospitalized and separated from their family, especially during their last days.

To become a registered nurse in the United States, you need to earn one of three degrees: a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BDN), an associate degree in nursing (ADN), or a nursing diploma. Another prerequisite is taking and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, after which you officially qualify as a registered nurse. The average registered nurse earns $71,000 in the United States, but the salary increases significantly if you choose to train further and specialize in a particular field. If this number seems too little, however, perhaps you might want to pursue another career with a more generous salary, in which case, check out our article on the 11 highest paying states for OBGYNs.

Since the field of nursing includes a broad spectrum of jobs and specializations, we decided to refer to the salaries of registered nurses (RNs), who form the backbone of the healthcare system in the United States. The average annual and average hourly salaries for each state were taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau is a fact-finding agency, and a unit of the Department of Labor and hence provides authentic figures for salaries as well as the number of nurses employed in each state. We ranked the states according to the average annual salary and selected the top eleven for this article.

Now that we’ve covered most of what you need to know, let’s start off with the actual list of the 11 highest paying states for nurses.

11. Connecticut

Average Annual Salary: $77,330

Average Hourly Salary: $37.18

We start off our list with the Nutmeg State, where 32,440 registered nurses earn their living. For the third smallest state by area in the United States, this is by no means a small number. Of this figure, almost 7,000 nurses work in Worcester, where the average annual salary is the highest of all the areas in Connecticut. This state is also home to the Connecticut Nurses Association, a constituent member of the aforementioned American Nurses Association.

10. Washington

Average Annual Salary: $78,130

Average Hourly Salary: $37.56

The Evergreen State comes next on our list of highest paying states for nurses, with 52,880 registered nurses. Over 20,000 nurses reside in Seattle, Bellevue or Everett (Metropolitan divisions), where the salary is higher than the state average, approximately $80,000. If you’re an amateur nurse in Washington, looking for an opportunity to learn, you might want to check out Advocacy: The Nurse in Washington; an internship offered by the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. As stated on the website, the participants meet with health policy experts, government officials, and even members of Congress, and also liaise with nurses of various specializations from other states.

9. New York

Average Annual Salary: $78,950

Average Hourly Salary: $37.96

We now come to the distinguished Empire State, home to the glorious Big Apple and many nurses; 171,880 to be exact. This is not surprising, considering that New York which ranks 9th on our list of highest paying states for nurses, is the fourth most populous state in the country. Most of these nurses work in the New York City, Northern New Jersey, or Long Island, where they earn the highest salary this state has to offer, which is approximately $80,000. Considering a large number of nurses who work here, many nurse unions have been established, the largest of which is the New York State Nurses Association. New York City also houses the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, a non-profit organization catering to patients at home.

8. Washington, D.C.

Average Annual Salary: $79,560

Average Hourly Salary: $38.25

From one of the biggest and most populated states on this list of highest paying states for nurses, we come to the much smaller federal capital of the United States, the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C. is a federal district and not part of any state, which is why we have taken it as a separate entry on our list. Around 10,530 nurses are employed here and they earn close to $80,000 on average. The District of Columbia Nurses Association (DCNA) is situated here, and it is committed to protecting nurses from any dangerous, violent or life-threatening situations that they may face. The DCNA is associated with National Nurses United, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Washington Metropolitan Council.

7. New Jersey

Average Annual Salary: $79,840

Average Hourly Salary: $38.38

The Garden State may be the fourth-smallest, but its size does not stop it from also being the most densely populated in the United States. 78,460 registered nurses are employed in New Jersey, out of which most work in White Plains, Newark, Union, New Brunswick, or Edison, where they earn the most, following the trend of the previous states. Another unit of the American Nurses Association, the New Jersey State Nurses Association serves to represent the state’s registered nurses and protect and advance their interests.

6. Nevada

Average Annual Salary: $81,460

Average Hourly Salary: $39.16

Nevada becomes the first state on our list of 11 Highest Paying States for Nurses to surpass the $80,000 mark for its average annual salary. Nevada – which is Spanish for snow-covered – is also known as the Silver State. 19,470 nurses work here, which is much less than the previous entry on this list. Most of the state’s nurses reside in Paradise or Las Vegas, where they enjoy the highest salary in the state. The Nevada Nurse Association represents nurses in Nevada and has been doing so for the most part of the century.

5. Oregon

Average Annual Salary: $83,800

Average Hourly Salary: $40.29

After the Silver State, another record is broken! Oregon becomes the first state on our list of highest paying states for nurses to surpass the $40 mark for its average hourly salary. The Beaver State is where 32,490 nurses find employment, out of which most are found working in Portland, Vancouver, and Hillsboro. In case you’re a student in Oregon interested in nursing, you might need help in finding a good nursing program. To get that help, you should check out the educational programs on the Oregon State Board of Nursing. Oregon also has its own association for registered nurses, which goes by the name of the Oregon Nurses Association.

4. Alaska

Average Annual Salary: $88,510

Average Hourly Salary: $42.55

Despite being the largest state by area, Alaska, the next one on our list of highest paying states for nurses is the least densely populated of all states. That explains why this state, dubbed “The Last Frontier”, employs the fewest nurses of all states on this list, a mere 5,910, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint in terms of annual salary, which amounts to $88,510 on average. More than half of these nurses work in Anchorage. The Alaska Nurses Association is the voice of all nurses in Alaska. If you’re looking for a good nursing job in Alaska, perhaps you might want to consult the Division of Public Health of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

3. Massachusetts

Average Annual Salary: $88,650

Average Hourly Salary: $42.62

One of the smaller states in this list of highest paying states for nurses, the Bay State still makes its way up to number three. Of the 83,780 registered nurses who work here, most reside in Cambridge, Boston or Quincy. Nurses in Massachusetts also have a representative in the form of the Massachusetts Nursing Association, which was formed in 1903. Unfortunately, there’s a nursing shortage in Massachusetts, so in case the salary tempts you, you can help alleviate this problem and look at the top nursing schools in the state here.

2. Hawaii

Average Annual Salary: $90,130

Average Hourly Salary: $43.33

The Aloha State lands on number 2, and with it brings the average annual salary up to an astounding $90,130. The state has 10,990 registered nurses employed, of which a large percentage earn their living in the state capital and largest city, Honolulu. The Hawaii Nurses Association is considered the voice of nurses in all of Hawaii and is affiliated with the American Nurses Association.

1. California

Average Annual Salary: $101,260

Average Hourly Salary: $48.68

Number 1 on our list of the 11 highest paying states for nurses is the Golden State and the most populous in the United States, California. Not only does it provide jobs to 255,010 registered nurses, far more than any other state, it also pays them exceptionally well, over $100,000 annually on average. Nurses in California are well-distributed, and earn well almost all over the state, but a large fraction is found working in Los Angeles, Glendale, Santa Ana and Long Beach. Nursing is thus the biggest profession in California. Furthermore, the American Nurses Association California represents nurses here.