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Best states for a nursing home administrator
Quoted expert
Veronica Cochran
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Are you thinking of becoming a nursing home administrator and really want to work at HCR ManorCare? Turns out, your chances to become a nursing home administrator are better in some states than others.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for nursing home administrators. We found that Connecticut is the best state in the nation for nursing home administrators, and people in Grants Pass earn the most in the field.
The median salary for nursing home administrators in Connecticut is $97,764. Compare that to the median salary in Virginia of $71,031, which ranked worst for nursing home administrators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Connecticut is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for nursing home administrators.
10 best states for nursing home administrators in 2025
1. Connecticut
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 891 Average annual salary: $97,764 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Oregon
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 1,043 Average annual salary: $97,868 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. New Jersey
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 2,239 Average annual salary: $97,729 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
4. Massachusetts
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 1,777 Average annual salary: $96,980 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. Nevada
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 362 Average annual salary: $95,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
6. California
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 6,356 Average annual salary: $97,059 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
7. Idaho
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 432 Average annual salary: $84,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
8. Delaware
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 177 Average annual salary: $97,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
9. West Virginia
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 229 Average annual salary: $91,547 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
10. Oklahoma
Total nursing home administrator jobs: 562 Average annual salary: $85,304 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Nursing home administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a nursing home administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a nursing home administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $97,764 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 891 |
| 2 | Oregon | $97,868 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,043 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $97,729 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,239 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $96,980 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,777 |
| 5 | Nevada | $95,513 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 362 |
| 6 | California | $97,059 | $62,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,356 |
| 7 | Idaho | $84,721 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 432 |
| 8 | Delaware | $97,067 | $63,000 | 961,939 | 177 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $91,547 | $59,000 | 1,815,857 | 229 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $85,304 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 562 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $86,036 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 109 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $84,630 | $56,000 | 1,920,076 | 474 |
| 13 | Maine | $90,256 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 190 |
| 14 | Arizona | $83,571 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,412 |
| 15 | Colorado | $83,141 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,635 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $89,653 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 161 |
| 17 | Texas | $84,993 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,533 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $79,783 | $51,000 | 2,088,070 | 612 |
| 19 | Michigan | $77,721 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,225 |
| 20 | New York | $81,982 | $54,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,546 |
| 21 | Indiana | $80,968 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,084 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $80,212 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 175 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $82,301 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 749 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $95,690 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 100 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $77,494 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 584 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $77,485 | $48,000 | 2,984,100 | 385 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $73,902 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,420 |
| 28 | Kansas | $74,361 | $49,000 | 2,913,123 | 769 |
| 29 | Illinois | $76,956 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,986 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $81,145 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 252 |
| 31 | Ohio | $76,135 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,497 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $78,547 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,084 |
| 33 | Alabama | $72,554 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 953 |
| 34 | Vermont | $79,110 | $52,000 | 623,657 | 108 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $77,152 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 607 |
| 36 | Missouri | $73,093 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,331 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $73,296 | $47,000 | 3,004,279 | 459 |
| 38 | Alaska | $75,269 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 177 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $76,474 | $51,000 | 755,393 | 107 |
| 40 | Washington | $78,740 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,146 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $70,715 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 878 |
| 42 | Maryland | $75,453 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,155 |
| 43 | Montana | $68,489 | $46,000 | 1,050,493 | 283 |
| 44 | Iowa | $64,166 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 913 |
| 45 | Utah | $71,538 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 575 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $72,884 | $47,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,000 |
| 47 | Georgia | $60,483 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,500 |
| 48 | Florida | $68,093 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,831 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $60,577 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 178 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $68,274 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,653 |
| 51 | Virginia | $71,031 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,403 |
Highest paying states for nursing home administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Nursing Home Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $97,764 |
| 2 | Oregon | $97,868 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $97,729 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $96,980 |
| 5 | Nevada | $95,513 |
| 6 | California | $97,059 |
| 7 | Idaho | $84,721 |
| 8 | Delaware | $97,067 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $91,547 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $85,304 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $86,036 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $84,630 |
| 13 | Maine | $90,256 |
| 14 | Arizona | $83,571 |
| 15 | Colorado | $83,141 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $89,653 |
| 17 | Texas | $84,993 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $79,783 |
| 19 | Michigan | $77,721 |
| 20 | New York | $81,982 |
| 21 | Indiana | $80,968 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $80,212 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $82,301 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $95,690 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $77,494 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $77,485 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $73,902 |
| 28 | Kansas | $74,361 |
| 29 | Illinois | $76,956 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $81,145 |
| 31 | Ohio | $76,135 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $78,547 |
| 33 | Alabama | $72,554 |
| 34 | Vermont | $79,110 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $77,152 |
| 36 | Missouri | $73,093 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $73,296 |
| 38 | Alaska | $75,269 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $76,474 |
| 40 | Washington | $78,740 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $70,715 |
| 42 | Maryland | $75,453 |
| 43 | Montana | $68,489 |
| 44 | Iowa | $64,166 |
| 45 | Utah | $71,538 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $72,884 |
| 47 | Georgia | $60,483 |
| 48 | Florida | $68,093 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $60,577 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $68,274 |
| 51 | Virginia | $71,031 |
Expert opinions on the best states for nursing home administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for nursing home administrators to find work opportunities?
Veronica Cochran
CEO, International Association of Administrative Professionals
I would urge graduates to not simply focus on locations or organizations with the highest salary or most job or promotion opportunities. The key to remaining engaged and creating value is finding an organization that supports your core beliefs and values.
Second to that, I believe a support network is vital to one's professional development and success. That being said, I have had the opportunity to engage administrative professionals throughout the United States and across the globe. In particular, I came across larger networks in New York, D.C., Alabama, California, and Texas.
If they are looking for a place to start, I believe Zippia's list of Best States for an Administrative Assistant is a great starting point.
Nursing home administrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025