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Top 10 Best and Worst States to Be a Nurse
NursingLink.com and CareerVoyages.gov
There is a projected need for 1,001,000 nurses needed in the United States by 2016. Nurses are one of the most in demand professions in America, but with so many job openings, it begs the question: Where should you work? NursingLink is committed to providing its members with the most most pertinent career research available. Below is the 10 best and worst places to be a Nurse based on salary and job openings.
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Top 10 States with the Least Nurse Job Openings
| State | Average Annual Job Openings |
| 1. Rhode Island | |
| 2. New Mexico | |
| 3. South Dakota | |
| 4. Montana | |
| 5. Delaware | |
| 6. Hawaii | |
| 7. North Dakota | |
| 8. Vermont | |
| 9. Alaska | |
| 10. Wyoming |
babyhefer
over 4 years ago
2 comments
I work in a LTC facility in central Pa and as an LPN I only make 15.36 and this is good for this area .. I feel sick after seeing what others make. Contract is coming up and they want to screw us.. United we stand.
jea98rn
over 4 years ago
2 comments
I live in NC and my hourly rate is 39.75! These rates are very inaccurate! I used to travel, and I know the staff nurses in CA have better wages than you are reporting. We as nurses are underpaid as it is. This is very insulting.
Account Removed
over 4 years ago
The wages are pitiful in any of the states reported including the highest paid.
autumnfae23
over 4 years ago
20 comments
I second that the California nursing wage is wrong. LVN's make $25.00 an hour and RNs make $40 an hour in San Diego.
jsnurse
over 4 years ago
12 comments
How sad it is that a profession requiring as much knowledge and skill as nursing makes so little compared to other careers.
ORNurseAngie
over 4 years ago
16 comments
The wage for California is completely inaccurate. A nurse with 8 years experience makes almost twice that in Northern California. I know new grads start at over $36/hr at UCDavis.
wildhair_deb
over 4 years ago
32 comments
Maybe I WOULD like to live in California or Hawaii
juliern734
over 4 years ago
6616 comments
Alabama is not much higher. New grads start at around $17.00/hr.
RNBSN
over 4 years ago
10 comments
I agree with the previous posters that these figures seem a little low. I just moved from NV to MA and both of the amounts listed above are quite low for both states.
nurse44
over 4 years ago
4 comments
I live in Georgia and the nurses here are not paid very well. I recently went back to school to get my BSN and never even received a merit increase! Good thing I went back to school for myself!
jakekim123
over 4 years ago
2 comments
In North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia. The salary listings above are very accurate( if not a little high.)
chris08rn
over 4 years ago
12 comments
Pittsburgh is starting GN's at a base of about 20.50
mameans
over 4 years ago
14 comments
Carle Hospital in Champaign IL pays 22.50 for new grads
Mark3912
over 4 years ago
2 comments
As a new grad nurse in Az, staff I would be making 25.00 with benefits, as it is I'm making 30 per diem.
windy_city_RN
over 4 years ago
10 comments
I am not sure when these salary ranges were obtained but they do not seem to be at par with current nursing salaries. As an RN I started at $25.00 eight years ago in one of Chicago's northwest suburbs. CA pays much more than that.