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Top 10 Best and Worst States to Be a Nurse
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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.
Top 10 Highest Nurse Paying States
| State | Salary (hourly) |
| 1. California | $25.45 |
| 2. Hawaii | $24.76 |
| 3. Massachusetts | $23.38 |
| 4. New Jersey | $23.33 |
| 5. Alaska | $23.09 |
| 6. Delaware | $22.98 |
| 7. Oregon | $22.91 |
| 8. Nevada | $22.83 |
| 9. Maryland | $22.79 |
| 10. Connecticut | $22.62 |
nbb
about 1 year ago
6 comments
I'm Shocked, I have been hearing for the last 3 years that the average Nurse in the state of California starts off making around $70,000 a year.
nbb
about 1 year ago
6 comments
I'm shocked, I have been hearing for the last 3 years that the average Nurse in California starts off making $70,000 a year.
jesusfreak
about 1 year ago
18 comments
I live in Michigan and make $24-25/Hr. Some Hospitals here have nice incentives for night shift! Alot of Hosptials period though are being staffed by agency because in this profession, lets face it, we need higher pay! Right now Agency is the way to go! 38-42/per hour
veemoney117
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I don't understand.. If the shortage is so severe and nurses are leaving the field for better pay.. Why not raise the salary? How do administration expect for a ANY nurse in this time of inflation and resession to stay within the nursing field if the pay stays the same and how we are treated in the field? Short staffed, under appreciated and low pay.. Come on!!! Wake up!!
ayg1968
about 1 year ago
6 comments
I am in Mississippi (as an RN floor nurse) and am making 22.50 after only 3 years as an RN. These salaries seem awfully low for areas where the cost of living is so much higher than here in Mississippi. I think I will stay in Mississippi where property and goods are much cheaper.
mwaldron14905
about 1 year ago
2 comments
NYS has one of the greatest nursing shortages of the country. We are down 8.7% and its only getting worse. The only way to make decent money as a nurse is in the government were they start around 35-40k per year, I thought about going into the field and changed my mind based on the pay scales for our community (Elmira NY). Instead,
I just graduated college with a B.S. degreei in Human Services due to the fact that we have a shortage of CASAC's (Cred, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors), which is what I am working towards now.
hjoeljohnson
about 1 year ago
84 comments
These numbers, (The pay scale listed above as well as the projected need for 1,001,000 nurses needed by 2016), clearly speak to the necessity for a united voice to articulate the need for ease of access to low cost quality education as well as raising the rate of pay in every state for the expertise we provide in delivering high quality healthcare and the risks we take in doing so.
frankiecash
about 1 year ago
82 comments
These are starting wages for new nurses in at least Wichita Kansas. I was only making 12 something an our in 1990 when I started.
NurseMIke
about 1 year ago
24 comments
I make that as a LPN.
redfairy
about 1 year ago
4 comments
Are these salaries for RNs?
rndrew01
about 1 year ago
136 comments
This are only starting wages