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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.
Top 10 Lowest Nurse Paying States
| State | Salary (hourly) |
| 1. North Dakota | $17.60 |
| 2. Louisiana | $17.50 |
| 3. Wyoming | $16.88 |
| 4. Oklahoma | $16.76 |
| 5. Kansas | $16.74 |
| 6. West Virginia | $16.52 |
| 7. Arkansas | $16.44 |
| 8. Mississippi | $16.42 |
| 9. Iowa | $16.36 |
| 10. South Dakota | $16.35 |
bjshah
over 1 year ago
2 comments
Ya right California has so many job openings... for those with lots of experience. So many people, including myself, have been looking for their 1st RN job for a couple years and not finding anything. So many have had to move to other states to find a job and many others have gone into different fields because they have to work and just can't find a RN job in California.
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over 1 year ago
46 comments
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46 comments
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dragonssilverldy
almost 2 years ago
2 comments
i can tell you that there are states that pay more here where i live dosen't make much at all to be a nurse and there really dosen't seem to be a high demand for us. infact the demand is so little that i have even thought of changing careers. kinda makes me feel like i was lied to when they say that we are in demand cause i can't see the demand here in VA
darla509
almost 2 years ago
2 comments
yes i work in ca and make 42 as base, not including any diff and we make time and a half after 8 hrs
lexy_bsn
almost 2 years ago
4 comments
& I agree that these wages dont seem very accurate for amounts either ~ I doubt very much that I really make more than the average nurse in California working in a smaller city in Ohio. I wonder if they are including LPN pay~ that would bring down the averages. A new grad LPN at a hospital I used to work for actually had to take a pay cut from what she was making as a secretary...
lexy_bsn
almost 2 years ago
4 comments
These average salaries dont show a very accurate picture because there is no accounting for cost of living. Nurses better be paid more in California because it is so expensive to live there!
Nurserunner2
almost 2 years ago
2 comments
I agree with the majority--these salaries are inaccurate and need researched for accuracy. I live in Pa.--not on the list and I'm doing better than California! I have FB friends from California that tell me this is grossly inaccurate!
OprahsMom
almost 2 years ago
2 comments
If Ohio has over4000 new jobs per year, it would be nice to know where they are! Even in the cities nurses are not replaced as they leave. This isn't fair to th remaining nurses and definitely not fair to the Pt. who is paying for care that he isn't always able to get!
mztee24k
about 2 years ago
2 comments
I agree the salaries are grossly outdated and need new research. I worked in northern Cali and made much more than that in 2008-2009 as an RN with 22 years experience. I also seen job offers for the lowest paid RN field, public health systems, with ranges of 60-80,000/yr to start based on location and experience in Cali.
hsamora
about 2 years ago
2 comments
I guess they are using the state average to calculate these. You might make more if you live in the city than you would living in the middle of nowhere. In Denver, it also depends what type of company you work for. Agencies and hospitals pay new LPN's $28.00, where a nursing home or rehabilitation pays well under $20.00.
NurseT2009
about 2 years ago
10 comments
These are very low wages and are inaccurate. Please do research first. I know that in California it's around 30 for new grads. I work in Phoenix which is one the lower paying cities and started higher than what you got listed for California almost three years ago.
ramblingwoman
over 2 years ago
4 comments
Socal is also a lower paying area because of its popularity. I just started to make $40.00 and i have been a nurse for 13 years. A new grad at my hospital said he makes $36.
ramblingwoman
over 2 years ago
4 comments
I started as a traveler in California. Northern Cal is cheaper. I'm in SoCal and it is expensive for housing, etc. I think San Fran is very expensive and the increase in salary is not worth it. Not overworked? That was the misconception that brought me out here. I work harder with my 4 patients than I did in New York with my 8 to ten patients. I guess patients are more sick and demanding. I thought going to nights would be easier. Maybe but not easy. In my little hospital, I get an admission every night.