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Best states for an instructor nurse
Quoted expert
Alexander Mouton
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for instructor nurses? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for instructor nurse jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of instructor nurses in America is $107,000.
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 instructor nurses.We found that Michigan is the best state for instructor nurse jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for instructor nurses in 2026
1. Michigan
Total instructor nurse jobs: 1,001 Average annual salary: $84,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
2. Nevada
Total instructor nurse jobs: 259 Average annual salary: $80,459 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
3. Pennsylvania
Total instructor nurse jobs: 1,442 Average annual salary: $77,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
4. North Dakota
Total instructor nurse jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $92,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
5. Massachusetts
Total instructor nurse jobs: 947 Average annual salary: $82,004 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
6. Delaware
Total instructor nurse jobs: 91 Average annual salary: $85,507 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
7. Colorado
Total instructor nurse jobs: 601 Average annual salary: $81,525 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
8. West Virginia
Total instructor nurse jobs: 98 Average annual salary: $85,389 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
9. California
Total instructor nurse jobs: 3,000 Average annual salary: $84,572 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
10. Alaska
Total instructor nurse jobs: 75 Average annual salary: $84,155 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Instructor nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an instructor nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an instructor nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $84,777 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,001 |
| 2 | Nevada | $80,459 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 259 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $77,681 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,442 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $92,792 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 67 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $82,004 | $48,000 | 6,859,819 | 947 |
| 6 | Delaware | $85,507 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 91 |
| 7 | Colorado | $81,525 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 601 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $85,389 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 98 |
| 9 | California | $84,572 | $57,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,000 |
| 10 | Alaska | $84,155 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 75 |
| 11 | Vermont | $81,027 | $48,000 | 623,657 | 59 |
| 12 | Oregon | $78,025 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 429 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $81,453 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 728 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $96,746 | $57,000 | 693,972 | 61 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $68,378 | $51,000 | 579,315 | 85 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $80,071 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 82 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $81,566 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 209 |
| 18 | Utah | $79,070 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 161 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $70,311 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 488 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $71,228 | $51,000 | 1,920,076 | 190 |
| 21 | New York | $76,529 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,241 |
| 22 | Montana | $66,464 | $51,000 | 1,050,493 | 204 |
| 23 | Indiana | $76,706 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 310 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,357 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 826 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $65,034 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 131 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $66,255 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 513 |
| 27 | Idaho | $74,883 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 78 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $69,538 | $44,000 | 2,984,100 | 166 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $66,475 | $41,000 | 4,684,333 | 347 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $74,079 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 102 |
| 31 | Iowa | $68,950 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 275 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $71,395 | $45,000 | 5,795,483 | 301 |
| 33 | Washington | $71,560 | $54,000 | 7,405,743 | 614 |
| 34 | Georgia | $64,827 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,127 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $67,992 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 36 | Florida | $71,160 | $43,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,122 |
| 37 | Maryland | $75,554 | $44,000 | 6,052,177 | 430 |
| 38 | Maine | $62,643 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 164 |
| 39 | Missouri | $65,915 | $44,000 | 6,113,532 | 552 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $63,946 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 925 |
| 41 | Kansas | $67,508 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 200 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $57,349 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 248 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $60,020 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 272 |
| 44 | Virginia | $60,632 | $35,000 | 8,470,020 | 820 |
| 45 | Illinois | $55,289 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,213 |
| 46 | Texas | $56,404 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,611 |
| 47 | Arizona | $54,066 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 527 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $58,700 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 187 |
| 49 | Alabama | $54,190 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 324 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $55,370 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 413 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,923 | $37,000 | 3,004,279 | 82 |
Highest paying states for instructor nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Instructor Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $84,777 |
| 2 | Nevada | $80,459 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $77,681 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $92,792 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $82,004 |
| 6 | Delaware | $85,507 |
| 7 | Colorado | $81,525 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $85,389 |
| 9 | California | $84,572 |
| 10 | Alaska | $84,155 |
| 11 | Vermont | $81,027 |
| 12 | Oregon | $78,025 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $81,453 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $96,746 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $68,378 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $80,071 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $81,566 |
| 18 | Utah | $79,070 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $70,311 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $71,228 |
| 21 | New York | $76,529 |
| 22 | Montana | $66,464 |
| 23 | Indiana | $76,706 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,357 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $65,034 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $66,255 |
| 27 | Idaho | $74,883 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $69,538 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $66,475 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $74,079 |
| 31 | Iowa | $68,950 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $71,395 |
| 33 | Washington | $71,560 |
| 34 | Georgia | $64,827 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $67,992 |
| 36 | Florida | $71,160 |
| 37 | Maryland | $75,554 |
| 38 | Maine | $62,643 |
| 39 | Missouri | $65,915 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $63,946 |
| 41 | Kansas | $67,508 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $57,349 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $60,020 |
| 44 | Virginia | $60,632 |
| 45 | Illinois | $55,289 |
| 46 | Texas | $56,404 |
| 47 | Arizona | $54,066 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $58,700 |
| 49 | Alabama | $54,190 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $55,370 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,923 |
Expert opinions on the best states for instructor nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for instructor nurses to find work opportunities?
Alexander Mouton
Chair, Associate Professor, Seattle University
Seattle is a great place for designers and especially for students interested in tech, whether it's front-end design or working directly with code -and let's not forget game design as there are lots of game companies in Seattle, from large industries like Microsoft to small independents like Pop Gun.
Instructor nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025