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Best states for an emergency room nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to emergency room nurse jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of emergency room nurses in America is $126,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for emergency room nurses.We found that New Hampshire is the best state for emergency room nurse jobs, whereas Iowa is the worst.
10 best states for emergency room nurses in 2026
1. New Hampshire
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 1,571 Average annual salary: $97,547 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
2. Massachusetts
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 6,571 Average annual salary: $109,099 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
3. New York
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 8,721 Average annual salary: $106,369 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. Ohio
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 7,553 Average annual salary: $88,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
5. New Mexico
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 1,733 Average annual salary: $87,373 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. Pennsylvania
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 9,620 Average annual salary: $86,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
7. Connecticut
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 2,149 Average annual salary: $98,196 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
8. Hawaii
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $138,666 Lowest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
9. Rhode Island
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 538 Average annual salary: $104,571 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
10. California
Total emergency room nurse jobs: 12,561 Average annual salary: $113,512 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
Emergency room nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an emergency room nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an emergency room nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $97,547 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,571 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $109,099 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 6,571 |
| 3 | New York | $106,369 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 8,721 |
| 4 | Ohio | $88,442 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 7,553 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $87,373 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,733 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $86,990 | $49,000 | 12,805,537 | 9,620 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $98,196 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,149 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $138,666 | $114,000 | 1,427,538 | 365 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $104,571 | $61,000 | 1,059,639 | 538 |
| 10 | California | $113,512 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 12,561 |
| 11 | Nevada | $92,878 | $59,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,316 |
| 12 | Michigan | $91,018 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 4,818 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $79,558 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,756 |
| 14 | Delaware | $85,610 | $47,000 | 961,939 | 850 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $76,667 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 4,715 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $100,628 | $57,000 | 693,972 | 527 |
| 17 | Oregon | $93,086 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,274 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $82,123 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,329 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $90,907 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 4,591 |
| 20 | Vermont | $80,555 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 626 |
| 21 | Maine | $77,363 | $45,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,231 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $78,330 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 395 |
| 23 | Arizona | $81,835 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,707 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $79,178 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 6,134 |
| 25 | Montana | $77,984 | $56,000 | 1,050,493 | 912 |
| 26 | Alaska | $81,873 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 649 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $82,777 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,046 |
| 28 | Florida | $76,949 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 16,856 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $83,190 | $56,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,318 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $71,653 | $51,000 | 755,393 | 788 |
| 31 | Virginia | $85,819 | $46,000 | 8,470,020 | 5,458 |
| 32 | Maryland | $86,506 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,925 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $73,627 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,780 |
| 34 | Texas | $74,757 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 15,981 |
| 35 | Illinois | $82,399 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 6,240 |
| 36 | Georgia | $78,390 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 6,431 |
| 37 | Washington | $78,842 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,870 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $67,796 | $46,000 | 869,666 | 958 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $74,461 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,357 |
| 40 | Idaho | $78,008 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 827 |
| 41 | Indiana | $70,757 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,276 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $68,667 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,224 |
| 43 | Missouri | $76,711 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 3,456 |
| 44 | Kansas | $71,271 | $43,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,990 |
| 45 | Alabama | $73,549 | $39,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,202 |
| 46 | Colorado | $74,367 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,719 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $67,337 | $39,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,159 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $66,073 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 3,115 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,751 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,309 |
| 50 | Utah | $71,582 | $48,000 | 3,101,833 | 897 |
| 51 | Iowa | $64,287 | $41,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,261 |
Highest paying states for emergency room nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Emergency Room Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $97,547 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $109,099 |
| 3 | New York | $106,369 |
| 4 | Ohio | $88,442 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $87,373 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $86,990 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $98,196 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $138,666 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $104,571 |
| 10 | California | $113,512 |
| 11 | Nevada | $92,878 |
| 12 | Michigan | $91,018 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $79,558 |
| 14 | Delaware | $85,610 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $76,667 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $100,628 |
| 17 | Oregon | $93,086 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $82,123 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $90,907 |
| 20 | Vermont | $80,555 |
| 21 | Maine | $77,363 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $78,330 |
| 23 | Arizona | $81,835 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $79,178 |
| 25 | Montana | $77,984 |
| 26 | Alaska | $81,873 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $82,777 |
| 28 | Florida | $76,949 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $83,190 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $71,653 |
| 31 | Virginia | $85,819 |
| 32 | Maryland | $86,506 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $73,627 |
| 34 | Texas | $74,757 |
| 35 | Illinois | $82,399 |
| 36 | Georgia | $78,390 |
| 37 | Washington | $78,842 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $67,796 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $74,461 |
| 40 | Idaho | $78,008 |
| 41 | Indiana | $70,757 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $68,667 |
| 43 | Missouri | $76,711 |
| 44 | Kansas | $71,271 |
| 45 | Alabama | $73,549 |
| 46 | Colorado | $74,367 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $67,337 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $66,073 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,751 |
| 50 | Utah | $71,582 |
| 51 | Iowa | $64,287 |
Expert opinions on the best states for emergency room nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for emergency room 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.
Emergency room nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025