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Best states for a registered nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for registered nurses? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for registered nurse 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.In fact, our research shows that Alaska is the best state for registered nurses in America. The best city in America for registered nurses with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for registered nurses. Alaska is the best state for registered nurses, where the median salary is $97,253.Alaska is the best state, and Eureka is the city with the highest pay for registered nurses.
10 best states for registered nurses in 2026
1. Alaska
Total registered nurse jobs: 815 Average annual salary: $97,253 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
2. Massachusetts
Total registered nurse jobs: 8,192 Average annual salary: $89,434 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. New Mexico
Total registered nurse jobs: 2,092 Average annual salary: $79,593 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
4. Connecticut
Total registered nurse jobs: 2,685 Average annual salary: $89,275 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Pennsylvania
Total registered nurse jobs: 11,385 Average annual salary: $78,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. New Hampshire
Total registered nurse jobs: 1,792 Average annual salary: $81,019 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
7. New York
Total registered nurse jobs: 10,386 Average annual salary: $91,110 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. Oregon
Total registered nurse jobs: 2,735 Average annual salary: $92,453 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
9. Rhode Island
Total registered nurse jobs: 692 Average annual salary: $93,942 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
10. California
Total registered nurse jobs: 15,377 Average annual salary: $104,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
Registered nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a registered nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a registered nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $97,253 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 815 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $89,434 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 8,192 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $79,593 | $49,000 | 2,088,070 | 2,092 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $89,275 | $55,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,685 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $78,851 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 11,385 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $81,019 | $49,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,792 |
| 7 | New York | $91,110 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 10,386 |
| 8 | Oregon | $92,453 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,735 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $93,942 | $57,000 | 1,059,639 | 692 |
| 10 | California | $104,725 | $65,000 | 39,536,653 | 15,377 |
| 11 | Washington | $86,379 | $54,000 | 7,405,743 | 6,000 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $74,799 | $46,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,550 |
| 13 | Nevada | $84,132 | $52,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,534 |
| 14 | Delaware | $83,554 | $51,000 | 961,939 | 1,046 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $89,733 | $55,000 | 9,005,644 | 5,749 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $100,541 | $68,000 | 1,427,538 | 405 |
| 17 | Maine | $73,820 | $44,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,608 |
| 18 | Texas | $75,612 | $46,000 | 28,304,596 | 18,949 |
| 19 | Michigan | $76,403 | $48,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,929 |
| 20 | Maryland | $85,067 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,757 |
| 21 | Vermont | $74,249 | $45,000 | 623,657 | 795 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,665 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 3,427 |
| 23 | Arizona | $77,800 | $48,000 | 7,016,270 | 4,265 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,670 | $43,000 | 11,658,609 | 9,600 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $68,356 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 6,072 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $69,137 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,784 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $87,910 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 637 |
| 28 | Indiana | $68,459 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 6,278 |
| 29 | Georgia | $72,144 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 8,279 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $72,241 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,763 |
| 31 | Virginia | $77,217 | $47,000 | 8,470,020 | 6,662 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $73,785 | $48,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,913 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $68,899 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 8,247 |
| 34 | Florida | $67,649 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 19,869 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $67,541 | $41,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,850 |
| 36 | Idaho | $70,898 | $45,000 | 1,716,943 | 1,053 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $63,132 | $42,000 | 755,393 | 985 |
| 38 | Illinois | $72,168 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 7,563 |
| 39 | Colorado | $71,881 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 4,354 |
| 40 | Montana | $67,062 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 1,090 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $66,313 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 4,090 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $66,415 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,898 |
| 43 | Kansas | $66,092 | $42,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,409 |
| 44 | Utah | $69,540 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 912 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $66,097 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 441 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $64,143 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 2,333 |
| 47 | Alabama | $67,186 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,744 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $59,818 | $39,000 | 869,666 | 1,069 |
| 49 | Missouri | $66,392 | $42,000 | 6,113,532 | 4,268 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $63,703 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,620 |
| 51 | Iowa | $58,751 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,900 |
Highest paying states for registered nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Registered Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $97,253 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $89,434 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $79,593 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $89,275 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $78,851 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $81,019 |
| 7 | New York | $91,110 |
| 8 | Oregon | $92,453 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $93,942 |
| 10 | California | $104,725 |
| 11 | Washington | $86,379 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $74,799 |
| 13 | Nevada | $84,132 |
| 14 | Delaware | $83,554 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $89,733 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $100,541 |
| 17 | Maine | $73,820 |
| 18 | Texas | $75,612 |
| 19 | Michigan | $76,403 |
| 20 | Maryland | $85,067 |
| 21 | Vermont | $74,249 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,665 |
| 23 | Arizona | $77,800 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,670 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $68,356 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $69,137 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $87,910 |
| 28 | Indiana | $68,459 |
| 29 | Georgia | $72,144 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $72,241 |
| 31 | Virginia | $77,217 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $73,785 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $68,899 |
| 34 | Florida | $67,649 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $67,541 |
| 36 | Idaho | $70,898 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $63,132 |
| 38 | Illinois | $72,168 |
| 39 | Colorado | $71,881 |
| 40 | Montana | $67,062 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $66,313 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $66,415 |
| 43 | Kansas | $66,092 |
| 44 | Utah | $69,540 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $66,097 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $64,143 |
| 47 | Alabama | $67,186 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $59,818 |
| 49 | Missouri | $66,392 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $63,703 |
| 51 | Iowa | $58,751 |
Expert opinions on the best states for registered nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for registered nurses 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.
Registered nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025