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Best states for a nurse administrator
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you thinking of becoming a nurse administrator and really want to work at New York State Restaurant Association? Turns out, your chances to become a nurse administrator are better in some states than others.In order to help you decide which state is the best for nurse administrators, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for nurse administrator jobs.
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 nurse administrators.We found that Alaska is the best state for nurse administrator jobs, whereas Kansas is the worst.
10 best states for nurse administrators in 2026
1. Alaska
Total nurse administrator jobs: 594 Average annual salary: $92,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
2. Washington
Total nurse administrator jobs: 5,125 Average annual salary: $87,704 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
3. Delaware
Total nurse administrator jobs: 866 Average annual salary: $84,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. Nevada
Total nurse administrator jobs: 1,080 Average annual salary: $92,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
5. Massachusetts
Total nurse administrator jobs: 6,089 Average annual salary: $81,809 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
6. California
Total nurse administrator jobs: 14,403 Average annual salary: $105,767 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
7. Connecticut
Total nurse administrator jobs: 2,291 Average annual salary: $79,501 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
8. Oregon
Total nurse administrator jobs: 2,130 Average annual salary: $90,399 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
9. Arizona
Total nurse administrator jobs: 3,873 Average annual salary: $76,059 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
10. Pennsylvania
Total nurse administrator jobs: 7,410 Average annual salary: $75,700 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
Nurse administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a nurse administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a nurse administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $92,855 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 594 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,704 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,125 |
| 3 | Delaware | $84,442 | $51,000 | 961,939 | 866 |
| 4 | Nevada | $92,079 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,080 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $81,809 | $51,000 | 6,859,819 | 6,089 |
| 6 | California | $105,767 | $63,000 | 39,536,653 | 14,403 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $79,501 | $49,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,291 |
| 8 | Oregon | $90,399 | $55,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,130 |
| 9 | Arizona | $76,059 | $46,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,873 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $75,700 | $45,000 | 12,805,537 | 7,410 |
| 11 | Michigan | $85,085 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 3,817 |
| 12 | New York | $82,534 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 7,937 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $69,039 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,079 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $96,868 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 502 |
| 15 | Texas | $70,802 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 14,142 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $78,309 | $48,000 | 1,059,639 | 612 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $67,571 | $42,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,230 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $72,119 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,096 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $81,817 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,843 |
| 20 | Vermont | $67,058 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 530 |
| 21 | Virginia | $74,803 | $44,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,995 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $67,497 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 378 |
| 23 | Ohio | $66,982 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 5,997 |
| 24 | Idaho | $72,111 | $44,000 | 1,716,943 | 825 |
| 25 | Montana | $65,299 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 787 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $65,687 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,228 |
| 27 | Colorado | $66,142 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,867 |
| 28 | Maine | $60,052 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,045 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $57,413 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 873 |
| 30 | Maryland | $71,929 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,140 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $60,666 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 628 |
| 32 | Illinois | $68,501 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 5,777 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $67,370 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,938 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,635 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 339 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $60,613 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,011 |
| 36 | Utah | $65,481 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 930 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $58,679 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 1,892 |
| 38 | Florida | $52,495 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 16,114 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $60,247 | $36,000 | 10,273,419 | 5,098 |
| 40 | Georgia | $59,286 | $36,000 | 10,429,379 | 6,021 |
| 41 | Indiana | $56,727 | $34,000 | 6,666,818 | 4,055 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $52,918 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,180 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $51,839 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,792 |
| 44 | Iowa | $56,284 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,006 |
| 45 | Alabama | $51,217 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,573 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $52,380 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,125 |
| 47 | Missouri | $53,885 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 2,947 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $50,152 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,172 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $45,975 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 3,352 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,986 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 2,493 |
| 51 | Kansas | $47,639 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,640 |
Highest paying states for nurse administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Nurse Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $92,855 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,704 |
| 3 | Delaware | $84,442 |
| 4 | Nevada | $92,079 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $81,809 |
| 6 | California | $105,767 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $79,501 |
| 8 | Oregon | $90,399 |
| 9 | Arizona | $76,059 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $75,700 |
| 11 | Michigan | $85,085 |
| 12 | New York | $82,534 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $69,039 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $96,868 |
| 15 | Texas | $70,802 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $78,309 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $67,571 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $72,119 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $81,817 |
| 20 | Vermont | $67,058 |
| 21 | Virginia | $74,803 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $67,497 |
| 23 | Ohio | $66,982 |
| 24 | Idaho | $72,111 |
| 25 | Montana | $65,299 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $65,687 |
| 27 | Colorado | $66,142 |
| 28 | Maine | $60,052 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $57,413 |
| 30 | Maryland | $71,929 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $60,666 |
| 32 | Illinois | $68,501 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $67,370 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,635 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $60,613 |
| 36 | Utah | $65,481 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $58,679 |
| 38 | Florida | $52,495 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $60,247 |
| 40 | Georgia | $59,286 |
| 41 | Indiana | $56,727 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $52,918 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $51,839 |
| 44 | Iowa | $56,284 |
| 45 | Alabama | $51,217 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $52,380 |
| 47 | Missouri | $53,885 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $50,152 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $45,975 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $45,986 |
| 51 | Kansas | $47,639 |
Expert opinions on the best states for nurse administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for nurse administrators 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.
Nurse administrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025