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Best states for a critical care nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for critical care nurses in the United States. Critical care nurse positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for critical care nurses.In fact, our research shows that Maine is the best state for critical care nurses in America. The best city in America for critical care nurses with the highest pay is Palo Alto, CA.
We figured that the best places for critical care nurse jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.If you are currently seeking employment as a critical care nurse, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for critical care nurses in 2025
1. Maine
Total critical care nurse jobs: 1,319 Average annual salary: $95,506 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.472. New Hampshire
Total critical care nurse jobs: 1,605 Average annual salary: $95,007 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.353. Delaware
Total critical care nurse jobs: 916 Average annual salary: $102,098 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.084. Nevada
Total critical care nurse jobs: 1,435 Average annual salary: $97,597 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.015. North Dakota
Total critical care nurse jobs: 795 Average annual salary: $91,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.266. Massachusetts
Total critical care nurse jobs: 6,367 Average annual salary: $101,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 1.027. Mississippi
Total critical care nurse jobs: 1,482 Average annual salary: $94,119 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.038. Rhode Island
Total critical care nurse jobs: 631 Average annual salary: $104,098 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.779. California
Total critical care nurse jobs: 13,861 Average annual salary: $118,021 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.710. New York
Total critical care nurse jobs: 8,431 Average annual salary: $102,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Critical care nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a critical care nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a critical care nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $95,506 | $54,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,319 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $95,007 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,605 |
| 3 | Delaware | $102,098 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 916 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,597 | $58,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,435 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $91,206 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 795 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $101,943 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 6,367 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $94,119 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,482 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $104,098 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 631 |
| 9 | California | $118,021 | $71,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,861 |
| 10 | New York | $102,850 | $57,000 | 19,849,399 | 8,431 |
| 11 | Washington | $96,789 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,209 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $92,952 | $59,000 | 579,315 | 381 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $82,759 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 1,014 |
| 14 | Utah | $96,571 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 957 |
| 15 | Oregon | $97,139 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,484 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $96,516 | $53,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,021 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $93,470 | $58,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,840 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $82,252 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,348 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $80,615 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,744 |
| 20 | Arizona | $85,981 | $49,000 | 7,016,270 | 4,109 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $82,737 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,682 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $77,695 | $41,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,786 |
| 23 | Kansas | $82,637 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,072 |
| 24 | Ohio | $76,353 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 8,403 |
| 25 | Texas | $80,227 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 14,401 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $78,242 | $41,000 | 10,273,419 | 6,865 |
| 27 | Montana | $80,616 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 945 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $91,716 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 4,215 |
| 29 | Georgia | $81,541 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 7,020 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $73,469 | $39,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,292 |
| 31 | Alaska | $82,193 | $73,000 | 739,795 | 586 |
| 32 | Virginia | $84,724 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 5,858 |
| 33 | Maryland | $84,288 | $45,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,221 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $73,906 | $39,000 | 6,715,984 | 4,361 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $73,708 | $38,000 | 5,024,369 | 3,325 |
| 36 | Illinois | $81,448 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 7,129 |
| 37 | Florida | $70,431 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 15,465 |
| 38 | Vermont | $73,087 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 641 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $86,553 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 575 |
| 40 | Michigan | $72,198 | $40,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,521 |
| 41 | Colorado | $80,322 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,685 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $72,441 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,424 |
| 43 | Iowa | $70,314 | $41,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,492 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $87,220 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 390 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $63,739 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 9,189 |
| 46 | Indiana | $63,652 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,022 |
| 47 | Missouri | $70,364 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 3,896 |
| 48 | Alabama | $68,937 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,377 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $63,805 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,430 |
| 50 | Idaho | $59,607 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 878 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $54,386 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,357 |
Highest paying states for critical care nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Critical Care Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $95,506 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $95,007 |
| 3 | Delaware | $102,098 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,597 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $91,206 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $101,943 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $94,119 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $104,098 |
| 9 | California | $118,021 |
| 10 | New York | $102,850 |
| 11 | Washington | $96,789 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $92,952 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $82,759 |
| 14 | Utah | $96,571 |
| 15 | Oregon | $97,139 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $96,516 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $93,470 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $82,252 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $80,615 |
| 20 | Arizona | $85,981 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $82,737 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $77,695 |
| 23 | Kansas | $82,637 |
| 24 | Ohio | $76,353 |
| 25 | Texas | $80,227 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $78,242 |
| 27 | Montana | $80,616 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $91,716 |
| 29 | Georgia | $81,541 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $73,469 |
| 31 | Alaska | $82,193 |
| 32 | Virginia | $84,724 |
| 33 | Maryland | $84,288 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $73,906 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $73,708 |
| 36 | Illinois | $81,448 |
| 37 | Florida | $70,431 |
| 38 | Vermont | $73,087 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $86,553 |
| 40 | Michigan | $72,198 |
| 41 | Colorado | $80,322 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $72,441 |
| 43 | Iowa | $70,314 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $87,220 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $63,739 |
| 46 | Indiana | $63,652 |
| 47 | Missouri | $70,364 |
| 48 | Alabama | $68,937 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $63,805 |
| 50 | Idaho | $59,607 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $54,386 |
Expert opinions on the best states for critical care nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for critical care nurses to find work opportunities?
Vilma Davis
Assistant Director and Assistant Professor, Lincoln University
As previously mentioned, there is a need for nurses throughout the United States. Most nursing programs will intermittently have nurse recruiters come on campus, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and get information about the job market. This is one way that graduates can get plugged into where the needs of nurses are. Graduates can also visit the websites of various hospitals and see what openings are available for which they can apply. Doing a simple google search for "nursing jobs" will yield a plethora of available jobs that they can review and make the decision which they would like to pursue.
Critical care nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025