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Best states for a School Nurse

Quoted Expert
Vilma Davis
  • Rank 1 - 10
  • 11 - 20
  • 21 - 30
  • 31 - 40
  • 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for school nurses in the United States. School nurse positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for school nurses.In fact, our research shows that Massachusetts is the best state for school nurses in America. The best city in America for school nurses with the highest pay is Providence, RI.
The median salary for school nurses in Massachusetts is $77,072. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $43,631, which ranked worst for school nurses, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a school nurse, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for school nurses in 2025

  1. Massachusetts #1 best state for school nurses

    1. Massachusetts

    Total School Nurse Jobs:6,601
    Average Annual Salary:$77,072
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$53,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$110,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.14
  2. Alaska #2 best state for school nurses

    2. Alaska

    Total School Nurse Jobs:610
    Average Annual Salary:$72,819
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$50,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$104,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.16
  3. Washington #3 best state for school nurses

    3. Washington

    Total School Nurse Jobs:4,814
    Average Annual Salary:$78,838
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$49,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$126,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.05
  4. New Hampshire #4 best state for school nurses

    4. New Hampshire

    Total School Nurse Jobs:1,433
    Average Annual Salary:$65,289
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$45,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$93,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.3
  5. Pennsylvania #5 best state for school nurses

    5. Pennsylvania

    Total School Nurse Jobs:8,867
    Average Annual Salary:$63,169
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$43,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$90,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.21
  6. Oregon #6 best state for school nurses

    6. Oregon

    Total School Nurse Jobs:2,461
    Average Annual Salary:$83,135
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$51,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$134,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.94
  7. Delaware #7 best state for school nurses

    7. Delaware

    Total School Nurse Jobs:811
    Average Annual Salary:$69,463
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$48,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$100,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.03
  8. Rhode Island #8 best state for school nurses

    8. Rhode Island

    Total School Nurse Jobs:633
    Average Annual Salary:$84,613
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$58,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$121,000
    Location Quotient:
    0.83
  9. New York #9 best state for school nurses

    9. New York

    Total School Nurse Jobs:9,064
    Average Annual Salary:$68,009
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$47,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$98,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.12
  10. Connecticut #10 best state for school nurses

    10. Connecticut

    Total School Nurse Jobs:2,267
    Average Annual Salary:$66,472
    Lowest 10 Percent Earn:$46,000
    Highest 10 Percent Earn:$95,000
    Location Quotient:
    1.09

School Nurse JobsNear Ashburn, VA

How Zippia determines the best states to be a school nurse

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a school nurse

RankStateAverage SalaryLowest 10% EarnPopulationJob Count
1Massachusetts$77,072$53,0006,859,8196,601
2Alaska$72,819$50,000739,795610
3Washington$78,838$49,0007,405,7434,814
4New Hampshire$65,289$45,0001,342,7951,433
5Pennsylvania$63,169$43,00012,805,5378,867
6Oregon$83,135$51,0004,142,7762,461
7Delaware$69,463$48,000961,939811
8Rhode Island$84,613$58,0001,059,639633
9New York$68,009$47,00019,849,3999,064
10Connecticut$66,472$46,0003,588,1842,267
11Vermont$59,202$41,000623,657649
12Maine$58,339$40,0001,335,9071,187
13Michigan$62,625$43,0009,962,3114,989
14North Dakota$57,575$41,000755,393705
15Wyoming$62,146$42,000579,315381
16New Jersey$68,875$47,0009,005,6444,423
17Indiana$56,209$39,0006,666,8184,810
18Montana$55,040$36,0001,050,493906
19Wisconsin$62,070$44,0005,795,4832,960
20South Dakota$51,710$36,000869,666863
21New Mexico$54,951$37,0002,088,0701,393
22California$67,286$41,00039,536,65312,631
23District of Columbia$67,885$47,000693,972528
24West Virginia$51,727$36,0001,815,8571,022
25Oklahoma$52,134$36,0003,930,8642,190
26Maryland$57,802$40,0006,052,1774,080
27Idaho$56,857$36,0001,716,943847
28Illinois$57,031$40,00012,802,0236,785
29Kentucky$51,996$36,0004,454,1892,212
30Minnesota$57,005$40,0005,576,6063,360
31Utah$55,267$36,0003,101,833750
32Texas$49,195$34,00028,304,59614,489
33Nevada$53,557$33,0002,998,0391,265
34Nebraska$52,316$36,0001,920,0761,300
35Tennessee$48,430$33,0006,715,9844,182
36South Carolina$49,700$34,0005,024,3692,987
37Ohio$47,222$33,00011,658,6097,721
38Colorado$54,200$37,0005,607,1543,380
39Hawaii$59,193$39,0001,427,538325
40Louisiana$48,761$34,0004,684,3332,195
41Florida$47,220$33,00020,984,40013,099
42Georgia$49,362$34,00010,429,3796,296
43Virginia$49,510$34,0008,470,0205,470
44Arkansas$48,192$33,0003,004,2791,471
45Alabama$48,405$34,0004,874,7472,082
46North Carolina$46,478$32,00010,273,4196,045
47Mississippi$46,391$32,0002,984,1001,328
48Arizona$46,167$30,0007,016,2703,567
49Iowa$45,065$31,0003,145,7112,197
50Kansas$42,640$29,0002,913,1231,934
51Missouri$43,631$30,0006,113,5323,402

Highest paying states for school nurses

RankStateAvg. School Nurse Salary
1Massachusetts$77,072
2Alaska$72,819
3Washington$78,838
4New Hampshire$65,289
5Pennsylvania$63,169
6Oregon$83,135
7Delaware$69,463
8Rhode Island$84,613
9New York$68,009
10Connecticut$66,472
11Vermont$59,202
12Maine$58,339
13Michigan$62,625
14North Dakota$57,575
15Wyoming$62,146
16New Jersey$68,875
17Indiana$56,209
18Montana$55,040
19Wisconsin$62,070
20South Dakota$51,710
21New Mexico$54,951
22California$67,286
23District of Columbia$67,885
24West Virginia$51,727
25Oklahoma$52,134
26Maryland$57,802
27Idaho$56,857
28Illinois$57,031
29Kentucky$51,996
30Minnesota$57,005
31Utah$55,267
32Texas$49,195
33Nevada$53,557
34Nebraska$52,316
35Tennessee$48,430
36South Carolina$49,700
37Ohio$47,222
38Colorado$54,200
39Hawaii$59,193
40Louisiana$48,761
41Florida$47,220
42Georgia$49,362
43Virginia$49,510
44Arkansas$48,192
45Alabama$48,405
46North Carolina$46,478
47Mississippi$46,391
48Arizona$46,167
49Iowa$45,065
50Kansas$42,640
51Missouri$43,631

Expert opinions on the best states for school nurses

  • Are there any particularly good places in the United States for School 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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