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Best states for a Mental Health Nurse
Quoted Expert
Amanda Bakian
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Mental health nurse opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for mental health nurses, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for mental health nurses.Our research found that Vermont is the best state for mental health nurses, while California and Nevada are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Vermont has a median salary of $105,709 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for mental health nurses.
The median salary for mental health nurses in Vermont is $105,709. Compare that to the median salary in Georgia of $71,360, which ranked worst for mental health nurses, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Vermont is the best state for mental health nurse jobs, whereas Georgia is the worst.
10 best states for mental health nurses in 2025
1. Vermont
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 158 Average Annual Salary: $105,709 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $62,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 1.562. Maine
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 180 Average Annual Salary: $105,575 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $62,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 1.033. Nevada
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 235 Average Annual Salary: $108,693 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $63,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 0.854. Washington
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 1,349 Average Annual Salary: $102,144 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $59,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.45. Rhode Island
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 152 Average Annual Salary: $105,943 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $62,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.956. California
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 4,056 Average Annual Salary: $109,423 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $64,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.057. Michigan
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 1,429 Average Annual Salary: $95,946 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $55,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.48. Arizona
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 844 Average Annual Salary: $99,652 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $57,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.099. Idaho
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 286 Average Annual Salary: $97,631 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $56,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.3210. New Hampshire
Total Mental Health Nurse Jobs: 164 Average Annual Salary: $106,740 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $63,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
Mental Health Nurse JobsNear Ashburn, VA
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health nurse
| Rank | State | Average Salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $105,709 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 158 |
| 2 | Maine | $105,575 | $62,000 | 1,335,907 | 180 |
| 3 | Nevada | $108,693 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 235 |
| 4 | Washington | $102,144 | $59,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,349 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $105,943 | $62,000 | 1,059,639 | 152 |
| 6 | California | $109,423 | $64,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,056 |
| 7 | Michigan | $95,946 | $55,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,429 |
| 8 | Arizona | $99,652 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 844 |
| 9 | Idaho | $97,631 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 286 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $106,740 | $63,000 | 1,342,795 | 164 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $106,618 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 889 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $98,809 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,392 |
| 13 | Ohio | $90,573 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,885 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $104,214 | $61,000 | 3,588,184 | 325 |
| 15 | Oregon | $103,863 | $60,000 | 4,142,776 | 375 |
| 16 | Alaska | $96,974 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 116 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $92,456 | $53,000 | 5,795,483 | 806 |
| 18 | Delaware | $97,538 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 138 |
| 19 | Utah | $95,670 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 318 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $95,189 | $54,000 | 2,088,070 | 210 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $90,468 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,100 |
| 22 | New York | $102,331 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 868 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $99,749 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 111 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $87,484 | $51,000 | 579,315 | 85 |
| 25 | Indiana | $84,913 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,179 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $101,433 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 471 |
| 27 | Maryland | $95,105 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 817 |
| 28 | Montana | $91,612 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 116 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $88,090 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 109 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $84,289 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 145 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $87,998 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 116 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $79,111 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,707 |
| 33 | Iowa | $83,134 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 477 |
| 34 | Virginia | $89,064 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,128 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $74,040 | $41,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,091 |
| 36 | Texas | $84,425 | $47,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,432 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $79,851 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 504 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $78,855 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 516 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $94,025 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 159 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $75,663 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 551 |
| 41 | Missouri | $77,256 | $44,000 | 6,113,532 | 908 |
| 42 | Illinois | $88,062 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 776 |
| 43 | Florida | $74,348 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,876 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $72,601 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 434 |
| 45 | Colorado | $85,547 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 636 |
| 46 | Kansas | $77,214 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 378 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $80,348 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 218 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $72,727 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 346 |
| 49 | Alabama | $71,229 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 670 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $73,578 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 572 |
| 51 | Georgia | $71,360 | $40,000 | 10,429,379 | 926 |
Highest paying states for mental health nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $105,709 |
| 2 | Maine | $105,575 |
| 3 | Nevada | $108,693 |
| 4 | Washington | $102,144 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $105,943 |
| 6 | California | $109,423 |
| 7 | Michigan | $95,946 |
| 8 | Arizona | $99,652 |
| 9 | Idaho | $97,631 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $106,740 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $106,618 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $98,809 |
| 13 | Ohio | $90,573 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $104,214 |
| 15 | Oregon | $103,863 |
| 16 | Alaska | $96,974 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $92,456 |
| 18 | Delaware | $97,538 |
| 19 | Utah | $95,670 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $95,189 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $90,468 |
| 22 | New York | $102,331 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $99,749 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $87,484 |
| 25 | Indiana | $84,913 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $101,433 |
| 27 | Maryland | $95,105 |
| 28 | Montana | $91,612 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $88,090 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $84,289 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $87,998 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $79,111 |
| 33 | Iowa | $83,134 |
| 34 | Virginia | $89,064 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $74,040 |
| 36 | Texas | $84,425 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $79,851 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $78,855 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $94,025 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $75,663 |
| 41 | Missouri | $77,256 |
| 42 | Illinois | $88,062 |
| 43 | Florida | $74,348 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $72,601 |
| 45 | Colorado | $85,547 |
| 46 | Kansas | $77,214 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $80,348 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $72,727 |
| 49 | Alabama | $71,229 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $73,578 |
| 51 | Georgia | $71,360 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mental Health Nurses to find work opportunities?
Amanda Bakian
Research Associate Professor, University of Utah
My impression is that the job market for graduates with a degree in statistics is still likely to be strong in 2020 - demand for quantitative skills remain high, and work can be done remotely. In an academic setting, individuals with this skill set are in short supply.
Mental Health Nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025