Here’s the lowdown.

Where the highest nursing salaries are

California continues to rank as the highest-paying state for RNs, with the annual pay across all of the state’s major cities ranging from around $90,000 to more than $100,000. The BLS reports the following as the mean hourly wages for RNs in the states that are currently paying the most:

California: $42.06 hourly mean wage

New York: $35.58 hourly mean wage

Texas: $31.82 hourly mean wage

Pennsylvania: $31.29 hourly mean wage

Florida: $30.29 hourly mean wage

Where the lowest nursing salaries are

According to the BLS, the lowest-paying states for RNs are the following:

Iowa

West Virginia

Oklahoma

North Dakota

Nebraska

Where the nursing jobs are

NursingLink.com, an arm of Monster.com, projects that over the next 10 years, the most job growth for RNs will occur in the following five states:

California

Florida

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Where the nursing salary, cost of living and lifestyle equate to good living

Let’s talk about sunny California. It does seem to be calling RNs with its high salaries and expected job growth. Factor in that there’s a nursing shortage in the state, which also makes the job pickings pretty good.

But the bottom line is that the cost of living in California is well above the national average and the taxes are high, so unless your RN salary is at the high end, and you live in a double-income household with no children or maybe one or two children, making ends meet plus enjoying the great amenities that this beautiful state has to offer is a challenge.

This is the main reason people tend to flee California, even though they love it; it’s a hard place to “make a living.”

Here are top picks for states where RNs can enjoy a great quality of living:

Texas: You really can’t beat Texas. It offers a balance of exciting large cities like Houston and Dallas, and delightful smaller ones like San Antonio and Austin. House prices are relatively low, there are great colleges and universities for your children, and there’s the beautiful Gulf Coast to escape to for some rest and relaxation when you need it. Salaries are high, with Houston ranking as the 18th highest-paying city in the U.S. for RNs, with an hourly rate ranging from $22.12 to $38.59, according to PayScale, an online market research company that specializes in salary analysis.

Florida: The salary is good, the weather is generally good—except during hurricane season, which you just have to learn to deal with and prepare for—and there are plenty of perks to living here, because Florida is fun. It’s full of attractions and great vacation spots. You can be outdoors year-round. Sure, the cost of food and housing in the tourist areas may be a tad high, but you don’t have to catch a plane to go to a vacation destination; you already live in one. And the state taxes are very low compared to other states. So it can be a bit of a balancing act to live here—be sure to find a home outside of the tourist zones and cities—but one that adds up to a great way of life.

Pennsylvania: The cost of living is 3.8 percent below the national average and RN wages are relatively high. Cities like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Allentown have plenty to offer everyone, but you can also enjoy small-city or small-town life in this state, which has a low crime rate, a low unemployment rate and a government that focuses on providing excellent healthcare and a wide range of programs and services to make life easy, enjoyable and affordable.

great places to work in healthcare

1. Akron General Medical Center (Ohio)

2. Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.)

3. Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, Fla.)

4. BayCare Clinic (Green Bay, Wis.)

5. Beaumont Hospitals (Royal Oak, Mich.)

6. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston)

7. Centegra Health System (Crystal Lake, Ill.)

8. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Georgia)

9. Cleveland Clinic (Ohio)

10. Deaconess Health System (Evansville, Ind.)

11. The Eye Surgery Center of Michigan (Troy, Mich.)

12. Golden Triangle SurgiCenter (Murrieta, Calif.)

13. Hancock Regional Hospital (Greenfield, Ind.)

14. Houston Northwest Medical Center (Houston, Texas)

15. Iowa Health System (Des Moines)

16. Jacksonville Medical Center (Jacksonville, Ala.)

17. Lakewood Health System (Staples, Minn.)

18. LifeBridge Health (Baltimore)

19. Lovelace Women’s Hospital (Albuquerque, N.M.)

20. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)

21. McBride Orthopedic Hospital (Oklahoma City)

22. The Memorial Hospital at Craig (Colorado)

23. Missoula Bone and Joint and Surgery Center (Montana)

24. Nanticoke Health Services (Seaford, Del.)

25. Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital (Omaha)

26. Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center (Chanute, Kan.)

27. North Shore-LIJ Health System (Great Neck, N.Y.)

28. OrthoCarolina (Charlotte, N.C.)

29. Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)

30. Saint Thomas Health Services (Nashville, Tenn.)

Top U.S. states to be a nurse in 2012

“Grass Is Always Greener” Syndrome.

Whatever the case may be, we took a look at the data from all over the country about where nurses are faring best. From the highest salaries to most favorable nurse-to-patient ratios, we found out which of your neighbors are living the good nursing life. In fact, we’ve been conducting an informal poll on the Code Happy app to gauge where nurses are happiest! So far, we’ve heard from 941 “happy” and “extremely happy” nurses. Find out where they work and live!

California

Surf’s up! First of all, the salary can’t be beat for nurses in this sun-kissed state. According to Physician’s Practice, the average salary for registered nurses at all levels of experience is $61,283 per year. In addition, California is ranked number one in the nation for hourly nurse wages. California is also among the top five states expected to see job growth in the profession through 2020.

That’s all great, but what’s it like to work there? According to our Code Happy app, 14 percent of all nurses who reported to be happy are working in California. Part of the reason for the overwhelmingly happy results may have to do with the low nurse-to-patient ratios that have been in effect since 2004. In fact, Via Palo Alto near San Francisco is rated one of the best hospitals in the country for these favorable regulations. Oh yeah, and the weather is kind of incredible here.

Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas…including the smile on a nurse’s face. We chose Texas as one of the top three destinations for nurses in the U.S. for the educational diversity, variety of job opportunities and the higher-than-average nurse wages.

Some other reasons to put on your cowgirl hat? Texas hospitals rank above the national average for patient satisfaction. Happy patients equal happy nurses, right? Of the nurses who participated in our happiness poll, 86 of them (9 percent of total respondents) were from Texas.

New York

The salaries in the Northeast are nuthin’ to sneeze at. The average salary for a nurse in this region is $59,329 per year. Nurses in New York, in fact, have the fourth highest hourly salary in the country, and LPNs have the second highest hourly wage in the U.S. It’s also third in the country for CNA wages.

New York boasts several facilities that are ranked high for excellent nurse-to-patient ratios. St. Mary’s Center, Inc., Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center and Robert Mapplethorpe Residential Treatment Facility are all highly coveted facilities to work for because of this factor. If you’re a psychiatric nurse, this specialty is in high demand in The Big Apple. Did we mention that NY is among the top five states for projected job growth in the country?

Although in our Code Happy poll, just 41 nurses (4 percent of total respondents) reported in that they were happy or extremely happy, I think we can all guess that this number is a low ball figure, right? I mean, really, what self-respecting New Yorker admits to being “extremely happy”? Yeah.

More top states where nurses are whistlin’ while they work:

Ohio

Top happy status update: “I love my job!”

Florida

Top happy status update: “No work today. ALL PLAY.”

New Jersey

Top happy status update: “I can’t wait to start my new job!”

North Carolina

Top happy status update: “I love my workplace!”

Here are top picks for states where RNs can enjoy a great quality of living:

Texas: You really can’t beat Texas. It offers a balance of exciting large cities like Houston and Dallas, and delightful smaller ones like San Antonio and Austin. House prices are relatively low, there are great colleges and universities for your children, and there’s the beautiful Gulf Coast to escape to for some rest and relaxation when you need it. Salaries are high, with Houston ranking as the 18th highest-paying city in the U.S. for RNs, with an hourly rate ranging from $22.12 to $38.59, according to PayScale, an online market research company that specializes in salary analysis.

Florida: The salary is good, the weather is generally good—except during hurricane season, which you just have to learn to deal with and prepare for—and there are plenty of perks to living here, because Florida is fun. It’s full of attractions and great vacation spots. You can be outdoors year-round. Sure, the cost of food and housing in the tourist areas may be a tad high, but you don’t have to catch a plane to go to a vacation destination; you already live in one. And the state taxes are very low compared to other states. So it can be a bit of a balancing act to live here—be sure to find a home outside of the tourist zones and cities—but one that adds up to a great way of life.

Pennsylvania: The cost of living is 3.8 percent below the national average and RN wages are relatively high. Cities like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Allentown have plenty to offer everyone, but you can also enjoy small-city or small-town life in this state, which has a low crime rate, a low unemployment rate and a government that focuses on providing excellent healthcare and a wide range of programs and services to make life easy, enjoyable and affordable.

great places to work in healthcare

1. Akron General Medical Center (Ohio)

2. Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.)

3. Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, Fla.)

4. BayCare Clinic (Green Bay, Wis.)

5. Beaumont Hospitals (Royal Oak, Mich.)

6. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston)

7. Centegra Health System (Crystal Lake, Ill.)

8. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Georgia)

9. Cleveland Clinic (Ohio)

10. Deaconess Health System (Evansville, Ind.)

11. The Eye Surgery Center of Michigan (Troy, Mich.)

12. Golden Triangle SurgiCenter (Murrieta, Calif.)

13. Hancock Regional Hospital (Greenfield, Ind.)

14. Houston Northwest Medical Center (Houston, Texas)

15. Iowa Health System (Des Moines)

16. Jacksonville Medical Center (Jacksonville, Ala.)

17. Lakewood Health System (Staples, Minn.)

18. LifeBridge Health (Baltimore)

19. Lovelace Women’s Hospital (Albuquerque, N.M.)

20. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)

21. McBride Orthopedic Hospital (Oklahoma City)

22. The Memorial Hospital at Craig (Colorado)

23. Missoula Bone and Joint and Surgery Center (Montana)

24. Nanticoke Health Services (Seaford, Del.)

25. Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital (Omaha)

26. Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center (Chanute, Kan.)

27. North Shore-LIJ Health System (Great Neck, N.Y.)

28. OrthoCarolina (Charlotte, N.C.)

29. Renown Health (Reno, Nev.)

30. Saint Thomas Health Services (Nashville, Tenn.)

Top U.S. states to be a nurse in 2013