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Best states for a research nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
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Research nurse opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for research nurses, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for research nurses.Our research found that New Mexico is the best state for research nurses, while New York and New Hampshire are ranked highest in terms of median salary. New Mexico has a median salary of $60,618 and New York has the highest median salary among all 50 states for research nurses.
In order to get you the best states for research nurses, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a research nurse, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for research nurses in 2026
1. New Mexico
Total research nurse jobs: 364 Average annual salary: $60,618 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
2. New Hampshire
Total research nurse jobs: 250 Average annual salary: $62,370 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
3. Vermont
Total research nurse jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $60,555 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
4. Pennsylvania
Total research nurse jobs: 1,618 Average annual salary: $58,266 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. Montana
Total research nurse jobs: 208 Average annual salary: $56,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
6. Massachusetts
Total research nurse jobs: 1,170 Average annual salary: $59,814 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
7. Michigan
Total research nurse jobs: 1,252 Average annual salary: $54,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
8. Delaware
Total research nurse jobs: 137 Average annual salary: $58,956 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. California
Total research nurse jobs: 4,730 Average annual salary: $60,665 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
10. Connecticut
Total research nurse jobs: 390 Average annual salary: $59,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
Research nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $60,618 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 364 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $62,370 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 250 |
| 3 | Vermont | $60,555 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $58,266 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,618 |
| 5 | Montana | $56,273 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 208 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $59,814 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,170 |
| 7 | Michigan | $54,855 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,252 |
| 8 | Delaware | $58,956 | $41,000 | 961,939 | 137 |
| 9 | California | $60,665 | $41,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,730 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $59,631 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 390 |
| 11 | New York | $64,410 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 982 |
| 12 | Washington | $61,517 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 545 |
| 13 | Idaho | $57,753 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 164 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $54,622 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 189 |
| 15 | Iowa | $59,683 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 254 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $59,295 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 970 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $53,819 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 86 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $52,766 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 241 |
| 19 | Maine | $54,184 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 188 |
| 20 | Oregon | $54,556 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 616 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $57,090 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 262 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $54,339 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 90 |
| 23 | Texas | $54,379 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,182 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $52,242 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 325 |
| 25 | Arizona | $53,561 | $37,000 | 7,016,270 | 785 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $51,624 | $36,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,072 |
| 27 | Colorado | $53,692 | $38,000 | 5,607,154 | 694 |
| 28 | Florida | $52,600 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,733 |
| 29 | Nevada | $52,663 | $36,000 | 2,998,039 | 196 |
| 30 | Indiana | $52,065 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 577 |
| 31 | Illinois | $52,546 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,329 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $56,625 | $39,000 | 693,972 | 163 |
| 33 | Ohio | $50,996 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,055 |
| 34 | Maryland | $58,074 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 374 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $51,291 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 762 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $51,387 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 173 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $54,374 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 80 |
| 38 | Georgia | $50,748 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,124 |
| 39 | Alaska | $52,976 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 57 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $48,506 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 136 |
| 41 | Utah | $48,914 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 348 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $50,039 | $35,000 | 5,795,483 | 437 |
| 43 | Kansas | $49,717 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 263 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $46,051 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 740 |
| 45 | Missouri | $47,434 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 794 |
| 46 | Virginia | $49,864 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 991 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $48,531 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 171 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $48,603 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 243 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $46,220 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 301 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $46,691 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 287 |
| 51 | Alabama | $46,122 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 217 |
Highest paying states for research nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $60,618 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $62,370 |
| 3 | Vermont | $60,555 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $58,266 |
| 5 | Montana | $56,273 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $59,814 |
| 7 | Michigan | $54,855 |
| 8 | Delaware | $58,956 |
| 9 | California | $60,665 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $59,631 |
| 11 | New York | $64,410 |
| 12 | Washington | $61,517 |
| 13 | Idaho | $57,753 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $54,622 |
| 15 | Iowa | $59,683 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $59,295 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $53,819 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $52,766 |
| 19 | Maine | $54,184 |
| 20 | Oregon | $54,556 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $57,090 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $54,339 |
| 23 | Texas | $54,379 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $52,242 |
| 25 | Arizona | $53,561 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $51,624 |
| 27 | Colorado | $53,692 |
| 28 | Florida | $52,600 |
| 29 | Nevada | $52,663 |
| 30 | Indiana | $52,065 |
| 31 | Illinois | $52,546 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $56,625 |
| 33 | Ohio | $50,996 |
| 34 | Maryland | $58,074 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $51,291 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $51,387 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $54,374 |
| 38 | Georgia | $50,748 |
| 39 | Alaska | $52,976 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $48,506 |
| 41 | Utah | $48,914 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $50,039 |
| 43 | Kansas | $49,717 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $46,051 |
| 45 | Missouri | $47,434 |
| 46 | Virginia | $49,864 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $48,531 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $48,603 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $46,220 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $46,691 |
| 51 | Alabama | $46,122 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025