Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a registered nurse manager
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for registered nurse managers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for registered nurse manager 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.As registered nurse managers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for registered nurse managers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a registered nurse manager, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for registered nurse manager jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Maine is the best state for registered nurse manager jobs, whereas Nebraska is the worst.
10 best states for registered nurse managers in 2025
1. Maine
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 1,537 Average annual salary: $92,315 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
2. New York
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 10,122 Average annual salary: $94,912 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
3. New Jersey
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 5,724 Average annual salary: $94,668 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
4. Nevada
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 1,463 Average annual salary: $95,013 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
5. Pennsylvania
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 10,804 Average annual salary: $77,439 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
6. Rhode Island
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 697 Average annual salary: $113,314 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
7. Massachusetts
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 7,382 Average annual salary: $87,167 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
8. Washington
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 6,064 Average annual salary: $86,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. California
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 14,653 Average annual salary: $115,446 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
10. Connecticut
Total registered nurse manager jobs: 2,546 Average annual salary: $85,715 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Registered nurse manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a registered nurse manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a registered nurse manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $92,315 | $69,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,537 |
| 2 | New York | $94,912 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 10,122 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $94,668 | $70,000 | 9,005,644 | 5,724 |
| 4 | Nevada | $95,013 | $67,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,463 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $77,439 | $58,000 | 12,805,537 | 10,804 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $113,314 | $84,000 | 1,059,639 | 697 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $87,167 | $65,000 | 6,859,819 | 7,382 |
| 8 | Washington | $86,410 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 6,064 |
| 9 | California | $115,446 | $81,000 | 39,536,653 | 14,653 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $85,715 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,546 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $103,727 | $84,000 | 1,427,538 | 375 |
| 12 | Arizona | $83,442 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 4,097 |
| 13 | Oregon | $89,691 | $65,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,655 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $75,967 | $59,000 | 5,024,369 | 3,822 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $72,769 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 3,205 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,972 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,624 |
| 17 | Michigan | $74,833 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,774 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $70,612 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 5,558 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $73,806 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,422 |
| 20 | Delaware | $76,766 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 962 |
| 21 | Texas | $71,786 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 18,068 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $71,511 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 7,638 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $91,441 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 579 |
| 24 | Idaho | $73,943 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 1,035 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $71,425 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 416 |
| 26 | Indiana | $67,345 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,986 |
| 27 | Maryland | $74,673 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,451 |
| 28 | Virginia | $74,498 | $56,000 | 8,470,020 | 6,257 |
| 29 | Vermont | $68,641 | $51,000 | 623,657 | 727 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $73,588 | $56,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,668 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $66,788 | $52,000 | 3,004,279 | 2,188 |
| 32 | Ohio | $66,327 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 8,830 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $65,685 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 2,004 |
| 34 | Colorado | $73,133 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 4,123 |
| 35 | Illinois | $73,091 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 7,202 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $66,523 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,705 |
| 37 | Kansas | $67,141 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,222 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $63,560 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 939 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,958 | $53,000 | 10,429,379 | 7,560 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $69,032 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,640 |
| 41 | Florida | $65,073 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 18,630 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $62,151 | $47,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,456 |
| 43 | Alaska | $66,051 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 787 |
| 44 | Missouri | $68,754 | $53,000 | 6,113,532 | 3,950 |
| 45 | Montana | $64,020 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 1,041 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $60,575 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 972 |
| 47 | Alabama | $65,803 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,578 |
| 48 | Iowa | $63,143 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,632 |
| 49 | Utah | $63,750 | $47,000 | 3,101,833 | 920 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $56,685 | $44,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,667 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $59,792 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,508 |
Highest paying states for registered nurse managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Registered Nurse Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $92,315 |
| 2 | New York | $94,912 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $94,668 |
| 4 | Nevada | $95,013 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $77,439 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $113,314 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $87,167 |
| 8 | Washington | $86,410 |
| 9 | California | $115,446 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $85,715 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $103,727 |
| 12 | Arizona | $83,442 |
| 13 | Oregon | $89,691 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $75,967 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $72,769 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,972 |
| 17 | Michigan | $74,833 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $70,612 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $73,806 |
| 20 | Delaware | $76,766 |
| 21 | Texas | $71,786 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $71,511 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $91,441 |
| 24 | Idaho | $73,943 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $71,425 |
| 26 | Indiana | $67,345 |
| 27 | Maryland | $74,673 |
| 28 | Virginia | $74,498 |
| 29 | Vermont | $68,641 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $73,588 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $66,788 |
| 32 | Ohio | $66,327 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $65,685 |
| 34 | Colorado | $73,133 |
| 35 | Illinois | $73,091 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $66,523 |
| 37 | Kansas | $67,141 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $63,560 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,958 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $69,032 |
| 41 | Florida | $65,073 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $62,151 |
| 43 | Alaska | $66,051 |
| 44 | Missouri | $68,754 |
| 45 | Montana | $64,020 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $60,575 |
| 47 | Alabama | $65,803 |
| 48 | Iowa | $63,143 |
| 49 | Utah | $63,750 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $56,685 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $59,792 |
Expert opinions on the best states for registered nurse managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for registered nurse managers 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 manager best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
Search for registered nurse manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025