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Best states for a nursing director
Quoted expert
Dr. Cara Young Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for nursing directors? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for nursing director 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 nursing directors in America is $118,000.
In order to get you the best states for nursing directors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for nursing directors, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for nursing director jobs, where as New York is the best state in the country.
10 best states for nursing directors in 2026
1. New York
Total nursing director jobs: 2,021 Average annual salary: $97,730 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
2. California
Total nursing director jobs: 4,066 Average annual salary: $102,123 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
3. Connecticut
Total nursing director jobs: 618 Average annual salary: $90,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
4. Wyoming
Total nursing director jobs: 66 Average annual salary: $91,540 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. Rhode Island
Total nursing director jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $98,368 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 0.53
6. New Mexico
Total nursing director jobs: 328 Average annual salary: $86,184 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
7. Washington
Total nursing director jobs: 491 Average annual salary: $98,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
8. Idaho
Total nursing director jobs: 249 Average annual salary: $86,303 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
9. Pennsylvania
Total nursing director jobs: 789 Average annual salary: $91,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
10. Nevada
Total nursing director jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $91,876 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
Nursing director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a nursing director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a nursing director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $97,730 | $73,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,021 |
| 2 | California | $102,123 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,066 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $90,778 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 618 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $91,540 | $66,000 | 579,315 | 66 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $98,368 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 76 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $86,184 | $62,000 | 2,088,070 | 328 |
| 7 | Washington | $98,043 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 491 |
| 8 | Idaho | $86,303 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 249 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $91,756 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 789 |
| 10 | Nevada | $91,876 | $65,000 | 2,998,039 | 194 |
| 11 | Ohio | $84,237 | $62,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,536 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,816 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,109 |
| 13 | Arizona | $86,917 | $62,000 | 7,016,270 | 709 |
| 14 | Georgia | $89,849 | $66,000 | 10,429,379 | 643 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $90,350 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 832 |
| 16 | Oregon | $86,917 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 593 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $79,367 | $59,000 | 1,815,857 | 313 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $81,700 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 144 |
| 19 | Virginia | $87,956 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,259 |
| 20 | Vermont | $89,408 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 48 |
| 21 | Montana | $83,937 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 134 |
| 22 | Indiana | $82,477 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 425 |
| 23 | Colorado | $81,616 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 982 |
| 24 | Delaware | $86,295 | $64,000 | 961,939 | 81 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $76,000 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,192 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $89,141 | $74,000 | 1,427,538 | 98 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $82,732 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,142 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $89,713 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 138 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $74,822 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 854 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $77,709 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 242 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,843 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 250 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $80,279 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 117 |
| 33 | Texas | $78,220 | $56,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,084 |
| 34 | Alabama | $72,943 | $53,000 | 4,874,747 | 913 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $73,159 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 608 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $72,154 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 695 |
| 37 | Missouri | $75,933 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 699 |
| 38 | Utah | $77,201 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 277 |
| 39 | Illinois | $76,508 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,606 |
| 40 | Maine | $77,676 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 110 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $80,726 | $59,000 | 5,576,606 | 323 |
| 42 | Alaska | $78,454 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 79 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $71,270 | $51,000 | 4,684,333 | 828 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $73,485 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 263 |
| 45 | Iowa | $72,359 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 550 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $68,178 | $50,000 | 869,666 | 275 |
| 47 | Michigan | $74,209 | $55,000 | 9,962,311 | 382 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $69,533 | $51,000 | 1,920,076 | 263 |
| 49 | Kansas | $73,099 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 160 |
| 50 | Florida | $63,514 | $45,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,357 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $69,425 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 531 |
Highest paying states for nursing directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Nursing Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $97,730 |
| 2 | California | $102,123 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $90,778 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $91,540 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $98,368 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $86,184 |
| 7 | Washington | $98,043 |
| 8 | Idaho | $86,303 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $91,756 |
| 10 | Nevada | $91,876 |
| 11 | Ohio | $84,237 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,816 |
| 13 | Arizona | $86,917 |
| 14 | Georgia | $89,849 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $90,350 |
| 16 | Oregon | $86,917 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $79,367 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $81,700 |
| 19 | Virginia | $87,956 |
| 20 | Vermont | $89,408 |
| 21 | Montana | $83,937 |
| 22 | Indiana | $82,477 |
| 23 | Colorado | $81,616 |
| 24 | Delaware | $86,295 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $76,000 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $89,141 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $82,732 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $89,713 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $74,822 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $77,709 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,843 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $80,279 |
| 33 | Texas | $78,220 |
| 34 | Alabama | $72,943 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $73,159 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $72,154 |
| 37 | Missouri | $75,933 |
| 38 | Utah | $77,201 |
| 39 | Illinois | $76,508 |
| 40 | Maine | $77,676 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $80,726 |
| 42 | Alaska | $78,454 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $71,270 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $73,485 |
| 45 | Iowa | $72,359 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $68,178 |
| 47 | Michigan | $74,209 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $69,533 |
| 49 | Kansas | $73,099 |
| 50 | Florida | $63,514 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $69,425 |
Expert opinions on the best states for nursing directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for nursing directors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Cara Young Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Family nurse practitioners are highly qualified primary care providers. States where NPs have full practice authority afford much more opportunities than states (such as Texas) where NP practice is restricted. The WHO designated 2020 as 'the International Year of the Nurse," and they have recently announced extending this into 2021. The WHO Director-General stated, "Nurses and midwives are the backbones of every health system: in 2020, we're calling on all counties to invest in nurses and midwives ". Nurses can always find a job; I think the major issue impacting the public's access to quality primary health care services is the unhelpful NP practice restrictions in many states across the nation.
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Updated January 8, 2025