Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a chief nursing officer
Quoted expert
Susan Belliston Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a chief nursing officer at Us Navy, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for chief nursing officers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. As chief nursing officers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for chief nursing officers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a chief nursing officer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for chief nursing officers, and Florida is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $118,554, while the median pay in Florida is $74,091.Oregon is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for chief nursing officers.
10 best states for chief nursing officers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 891 Average annual salary: $118,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Connecticut
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 742 Average annual salary: $118,080 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Nevada
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 478 Average annual salary: $116,474 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
4. New York
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 3,401 Average annual salary: $117,609 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
5. New Jersey
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 1,942 Average annual salary: $117,635 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. Idaho
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 517 Average annual salary: $103,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
7. Massachusetts
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 1,426 Average annual salary: $116,985 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
8. Rhode Island
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 205 Average annual salary: $108,587 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. West Virginia
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $111,800 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
10. California
Total chief nursing officer jobs: 6,960 Average annual salary: $114,780 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
Chief nursing officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief nursing officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief nursing officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $118,554 | $79,000 | 4,142,776 | 891 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $118,080 | $80,000 | 3,588,184 | 742 |
| 3 | Nevada | $116,474 | $77,000 | 2,998,039 | 478 |
| 4 | New York | $117,609 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,401 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $117,635 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,942 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,823 | $69,000 | 1,716,943 | 517 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $116,985 | $79,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,426 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $108,587 | $73,000 | 1,059,639 | 205 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $111,800 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 202 |
| 10 | California | $114,780 | $76,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,960 |
| 11 | Delaware | $117,003 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 57 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $100,552 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 695 |
| 13 | Texas | $103,992 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,591 |
| 14 | Maine | $106,173 | $71,000 | 1,335,907 | 178 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $99,501 | $67,000 | 1,920,076 | 520 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $96,584 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 263 |
| 17 | Washington | $113,585 | $75,000 | 7,405,743 | 926 |
| 18 | Iowa | $97,439 | $65,000 | 3,145,711 | 868 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $102,989 | $69,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,096 |
| 20 | Missouri | $100,107 | $67,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,132 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $95,957 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 549 |
| 22 | Arizona | $98,026 | $66,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,355 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $101,092 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 56 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $94,220 | $61,000 | 2,984,100 | 486 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $115,891 | $78,000 | 693,972 | 207 |
| 26 | Indiana | $98,250 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 833 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $95,564 | $61,000 | 4,684,333 | 655 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $97,711 | $64,000 | 5,024,369 | 567 |
| 29 | Colorado | $93,181 | $63,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,464 |
| 30 | Michigan | $88,902 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,911 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $95,947 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 686 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $96,798 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 225 |
| 33 | Maryland | $91,156 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,706 |
| 34 | Alaska | $99,047 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 69 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $91,232 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 137 |
| 36 | Illinois | $92,115 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,534 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $90,425 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 807 |
| 38 | Alabama | $88,468 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 863 |
| 39 | Ohio | $91,305 | $61,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,174 |
| 40 | Kansas | $86,204 | $58,000 | 2,913,123 | 740 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $87,560 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 793 |
| 42 | Vermont | $92,941 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 99 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $86,119 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 446 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $87,603 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,620 |
| 45 | Georgia | $75,086 | $49,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,423 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $86,617 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,307 |
| 47 | Virginia | $87,604 | $59,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,240 |
| 48 | Utah | $88,145 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 265 |
| 49 | Montana | $83,315 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 126 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,578 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 79 |
| 51 | Florida | $74,091 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 568 |
Highest paying states for chief nursing officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Nursing Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $118,554 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $118,080 |
| 3 | Nevada | $116,474 |
| 4 | New York | $117,609 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $117,635 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,823 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $116,985 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $108,587 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $111,800 |
| 10 | California | $114,780 |
| 11 | Delaware | $117,003 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $100,552 |
| 13 | Texas | $103,992 |
| 14 | Maine | $106,173 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $99,501 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $96,584 |
| 17 | Washington | $113,585 |
| 18 | Iowa | $97,439 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $102,989 |
| 20 | Missouri | $100,107 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $95,957 |
| 22 | Arizona | $98,026 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $101,092 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $94,220 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $115,891 |
| 26 | Indiana | $98,250 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $95,564 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $97,711 |
| 29 | Colorado | $93,181 |
| 30 | Michigan | $88,902 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $95,947 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $96,798 |
| 33 | Maryland | $91,156 |
| 34 | Alaska | $99,047 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $91,232 |
| 36 | Illinois | $92,115 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $90,425 |
| 38 | Alabama | $88,468 |
| 39 | Ohio | $91,305 |
| 40 | Kansas | $86,204 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $87,560 |
| 42 | Vermont | $92,941 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $86,119 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $87,603 |
| 45 | Georgia | $75,086 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $86,617 |
| 47 | Virginia | $87,604 |
| 48 | Utah | $88,145 |
| 49 | Montana | $83,315 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,578 |
| 51 | Florida | $74,091 |
Expert opinions on the best states for chief nursing officers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief nursing officers to find work opportunities?
Susan Belliston Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Idaho State University
Good places in the U.S. to find work in healthcare:
Rural facilities often find it hard to fill positions for Registered Nurses. Nurses in rural areas will have the opportunity to treat many different types of patients, from a laboring mother to a multiple-trauma patient or a dying elder. The skills required of a rural nurse are very broad, so the experience gained is also broad.
Facilities in the center of major cities also often find it difficult to staff registered nurse positions. Medical or surgical nursing is a great place to establish a solid foundation for nursing skills. However, facilities with nursing shortages may be willing to hire new graduates for emergency departments, operating rooms, or intensive care units.
Underserved populations have an ongoing need for health service providers. This may include the elderly, such as those in long term care facilities. It may also include Native American health services. Veteran services, particularly those in rural areas, need skilled health providers.
Chief nursing officer best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for chief nursing officer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025