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Best states for a head nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Head nurse opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for head nurses, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for head nurses.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for head nurses. We found that Alaska is the best state in the nation for head nurses, and people in Eureka earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for head 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 head nurse, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for head nurses in 2025
1. Alaska
Total head nurse jobs: 735 Average annual salary: $101,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Montana
Total head nurse jobs: 1,062 Average annual salary: $90,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Oregon
Total head nurse jobs: 2,527 Average annual salary: $112,318 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
4. California
Total head nurse jobs: 14,533 Average annual salary: $143,208 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $218,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
5. Washington
Total head nurse jobs: 5,813 Average annual salary: $96,119 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
6. New Mexico
Total head nurse jobs: 1,941 Average annual salary: $83,837 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
7. Nevada
Total head nurse jobs: 1,378 Average annual salary: $100,675 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
8. Arizona
Total head nurse jobs: 4,014 Average annual salary: $98,037 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
9. Hawaii
Total head nurse jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $127,613 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 0.58
10. West Virginia
Total head nurse jobs: 1,395 Average annual salary: $76,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
Head nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a head nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a head nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $101,841 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 735 |
| 2 | Montana | $90,905 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 1,062 |
| 3 | Oregon | $112,318 | $72,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,527 |
| 4 | California | $143,208 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 14,533 |
| 5 | Washington | $96,119 | $62,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,813 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $83,837 | $51,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,941 |
| 7 | Nevada | $100,675 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,378 |
| 8 | Arizona | $98,037 | $61,000 | 7,016,270 | 4,014 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $127,613 | $90,000 | 1,427,538 | 365 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $76,986 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,395 |
| 11 | Delaware | $83,801 | $43,000 | 961,939 | 996 |
| 12 | Idaho | $98,003 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 997 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $89,688 | $46,000 | 9,005,644 | 5,520 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $98,290 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,739 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $89,956 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 409 |
| 16 | Texas | $76,158 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 17,639 |
| 17 | New York | $84,201 | $43,000 | 19,849,399 | 9,737 |
| 18 | Colorado | $86,558 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 4,068 |
| 19 | Michigan | $75,429 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,630 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $72,566 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,662 |
| 21 | Utah | $83,725 | $53,000 | 3,101,833 | 888 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,413 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 3,058 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $93,163 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 601 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,827 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 8,410 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $68,699 | $38,000 | 6,715,984 | 5,542 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $70,558 | $40,000 | 3,004,279 | 2,153 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $65,609 | $43,000 | 755,393 | 927 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $72,014 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,391 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,960 | $39,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,764 |
| 30 | Kansas | $71,380 | $43,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,292 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $75,718 | $36,000 | 1,059,639 | 688 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $63,181 | $40,000 | 869,666 | 981 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,025 | $38,000 | 10,429,379 | 7,697 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $64,007 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 10,553 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,384 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,755 |
| 36 | Alabama | $70,540 | $39,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,594 |
| 37 | Maryland | $71,661 | $37,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,410 |
| 38 | Florida | $62,630 | $34,000 | 20,984,400 | 17,906 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $65,382 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 7,733 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $65,453 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 3,776 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $70,091 | $41,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,458 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $65,759 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,540 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $67,511 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,521 |
| 44 | Virginia | $70,869 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 6,006 |
| 45 | Illinois | $71,154 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 7,140 |
| 46 | Missouri | $68,349 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 4,057 |
| 47 | Maine | $48,019 | $21,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,473 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $49,738 | $22,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,654 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $54,715 | $24,000 | 6,859,819 | 7,196 |
| 50 | Vermont | $38,144 | $17,000 | 623,657 | 722 |
| 51 | Iowa | $55,322 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,695 |
Highest paying states for head nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Head Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $101,841 |
| 2 | Montana | $90,905 |
| 3 | Oregon | $112,318 |
| 4 | California | $143,208 |
| 5 | Washington | $96,119 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $83,837 |
| 7 | Nevada | $100,675 |
| 8 | Arizona | $98,037 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $127,613 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $76,986 |
| 11 | Delaware | $83,801 |
| 12 | Idaho | $98,003 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $89,688 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $98,290 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $89,956 |
| 16 | Texas | $76,158 |
| 17 | New York | $84,201 |
| 18 | Colorado | $86,558 |
| 19 | Michigan | $75,429 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $72,566 |
| 21 | Utah | $83,725 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,413 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $93,163 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,827 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $68,699 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $70,558 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $65,609 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $72,014 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,960 |
| 30 | Kansas | $71,380 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $75,718 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $63,181 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,025 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $64,007 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,384 |
| 36 | Alabama | $70,540 |
| 37 | Maryland | $71,661 |
| 38 | Florida | $62,630 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $65,382 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $65,453 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $70,091 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $65,759 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $67,511 |
| 44 | Virginia | $70,869 |
| 45 | Illinois | $71,154 |
| 46 | Missouri | $68,349 |
| 47 | Maine | $48,019 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $49,738 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $54,715 |
| 50 | Vermont | $38,144 |
| 51 | Iowa | $55,322 |
Expert opinions on the best states for head nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for head 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025