Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a nurse recruiter
Quoted expert
Tonya Courtois
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming a nurse recruiter and really want to work at Medical Staffing Network? Turns out, your chances to become a nurse recruiter are better in some states than others.In order to help you decide which state is the best for nurse recruiters, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for nurse recruiter jobs.
The median salary for nurse recruiters in Washington is $67,115. Compare that to the median salary in Utah of $41,346, which ranked worst for nurse recruiters, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a nurse recruiter, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for nurse recruiters in 2026
1. Washington
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 606 Average annual salary: $67,115 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Maine
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $57,666 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.64
3. District of Columbia
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $71,353 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
4. Massachusetts
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 944 Average annual salary: $60,042 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
5. Rhode Island
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 81 Average annual salary: $61,657 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
6. Alaska
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $67,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
7. Oregon
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 361 Average annual salary: $60,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
8. New Jersey
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 490 Average annual salary: $67,341 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. California
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 2,386 Average annual salary: $64,716 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
10. Vermont
Total nurse recruiter jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $57,642 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
Nurse recruiter jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a nurse recruiter
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a nurse recruiter
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,115 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 606 |
| 2 | Maine | $57,666 | $42,000 | 1,335,907 | 153 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $71,353 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 129 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $60,042 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 944 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $61,657 | $44,000 | 1,059,639 | 81 |
| 6 | Alaska | $67,274 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 62 |
| 7 | Oregon | $60,248 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 361 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $67,341 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 490 |
| 9 | California | $64,716 | $42,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,386 |
| 10 | Vermont | $57,642 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 55 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $56,259 | $42,000 | 755,393 | 61 |
| 12 | Alabama | $56,806 | $39,000 | 4,874,747 | 267 |
| 13 | Montana | $53,799 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 170 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $53,075 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,168 |
| 15 | New York | $58,008 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,065 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $54,402 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 228 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $61,496 | $44,000 | 1,427,538 | 65 |
| 18 | Colorado | $58,686 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 317 |
| 19 | Missouri | $52,150 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 544 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $49,504 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 124 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $55,007 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 497 |
| 22 | Illinois | $52,710 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,147 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $53,401 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 114 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $54,584 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 369 |
| 25 | Maryland | $58,522 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 335 |
| 26 | Arizona | $50,242 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 515 |
| 27 | Michigan | $48,264 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 805 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $49,415 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 220 |
| 29 | Idaho | $52,761 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 90 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $54,100 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 206 |
| 31 | Kansas | $50,718 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 191 |
| 32 | Delaware | $52,900 | $37,000 | 961,939 | 69 |
| 33 | Texas | $50,113 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,220 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $50,665 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 72 |
| 35 | Nevada | $48,127 | $32,000 | 2,998,039 | 195 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $46,609 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 58 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $47,039 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 290 |
| 38 | Virginia | $51,451 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 406 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $47,235 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 108 |
| 40 | Iowa | $47,239 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 195 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $47,320 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 152 |
| 42 | Ohio | $45,380 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 643 |
| 43 | Indiana | $47,431 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 271 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $46,490 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 127 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $42,487 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 195 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $48,098 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 174 |
| 47 | Georgia | $45,818 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 636 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $41,681 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 379 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $44,084 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 231 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,056 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 806 |
| 51 | Utah | $41,346 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 135 |
Highest paying states for nurse recruiters
| Rank | State | Avg. Nurse Recruiter Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,115 |
| 2 | Maine | $57,666 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $71,353 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $60,042 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $61,657 |
| 6 | Alaska | $67,274 |
| 7 | Oregon | $60,248 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $67,341 |
| 9 | California | $64,716 |
| 10 | Vermont | $57,642 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $56,259 |
| 12 | Alabama | $56,806 |
| 13 | Montana | $53,799 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $53,075 |
| 15 | New York | $58,008 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $54,402 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $61,496 |
| 18 | Colorado | $58,686 |
| 19 | Missouri | $52,150 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $49,504 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $55,007 |
| 22 | Illinois | $52,710 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $53,401 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $54,584 |
| 25 | Maryland | $58,522 |
| 26 | Arizona | $50,242 |
| 27 | Michigan | $48,264 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $49,415 |
| 29 | Idaho | $52,761 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $54,100 |
| 31 | Kansas | $50,718 |
| 32 | Delaware | $52,900 |
| 33 | Texas | $50,113 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $50,665 |
| 35 | Nevada | $48,127 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $46,609 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $47,039 |
| 38 | Virginia | $51,451 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $47,235 |
| 40 | Iowa | $47,239 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $47,320 |
| 42 | Ohio | $45,380 |
| 43 | Indiana | $47,431 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $46,490 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $42,487 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $48,098 |
| 47 | Georgia | $45,818 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $41,681 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $44,084 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,056 |
| 51 | Utah | $41,346 |
Expert opinions on the best states for nurse recruiters
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for nurse recruiters to find work opportunities?
Tonya Courtois
Recruiting Manager, Emmaus Homes
Our industry provides support staff to adults who have developmental disabilities. Our entry-level employees are called Direct Support Professionals (DSPS). We, like many others in our industry, are experiencing a significant staffing crisis. This crisis has gained national attention. To close the gap we continue to encourage our state legislatures to standardize rates and pay rates that will allow us to outpace minimum wage and be competitive with other high-volume employers. My recommendation to students and recent graduates is to research mission-driven, caregiving roles in their area, specifically those for individuals with disabilities. Learn about disabilities and understand the need. Reach out to a couple of different organizations in your area and connect with them to learn more about their mission. Find a good fit and pick up some part-time hours while finishing school. At Emmaus we are very intentional in creating career paths for individuals who have a mission heart and want to do work that matters. It's not just a job but a defined career path!
Nurse recruiter best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
Search for nurse recruiter jobs
Updated January 8, 2025