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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 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 |
nurse44
about 1 year ago
6 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
about 1 year ago
2 comments
In North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia. The salary listings above are very accurate( if not a little high.)
chris08rn
about 1 year ago
12 comments
Pittsburgh is starting GN's at a base of about 20.50
mameans
about 1 year ago
14 comments
Carle Hospital in Champaign IL pays 22.50 for new grads
Mark3912
about 1 year 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
about 1 year 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.
dwhowe61
about 1 year ago
14 comments
I am sorry but I have just recently applied for several jobs and the salary range on all of them was 35.00 to 45.00 per hour. This is for an RN in the state of Washington and California is even higher.
I think your figures for nurse salaries are a bit low.
msprodigious
about 1 year ago
102 comments
I don't think these hourly salary are for RN nurses maybe LPN or LVN. This is what I got paid doing Respiratory....my RN friends in California were making almost double what is presented here.....my Georgia RN friends made from $35-40 an hr.
lasernurse44
about 1 year ago
4 comments
these seem low..........
smaier
about 1 year ago
34 comments
Now ,If we can just find a job for my husband in Hawaii life would be perfect . It's a thought.
jessbarnes84
about 1 year ago
600 comments
I agree with kistpehe on this Topic. For those of You who don't know do a search on cost of living vs pay on any City/State You'all want to search salary for.
kistpehe
about 1 year ago
4 comments
I have been a nurse in Detroit, MI; South Bend, IN; and currently Chicago, IL. The best pay of the three for the cost of living was South Bend, IN. The worst of the three is Chicago, IL for the cost of living. Rule of thumb for good pay with low cost of living...go to a place where it is not as popular to live such as IN. The more popular a place is the less you will get paid vs. the cost of living.
NurseMIke
about 1 year ago
24 comments
I was going to say I'm a LPN and I make that much.
NurseMIke
about 1 year ago
24 comments
I was going to say I'm a LPN and I make that much.
nurse_dee_2006
about 1 year ago
30 comments
whitefang: You would do well to go anywhere else. You now have 5 continuous year of nursing experience. Apply anywhere else and interview. You will be amazed at the difference in your 'new' salary offers!