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Best states for a staff nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like staff nurses are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for staff nurses aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for staff nurses, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for staff nurse jobs.
In order to get you the best states for staff nurses, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.New Mexico is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for staff nurses.
10 best states for staff nurses in 2026
1. New Mexico
Total staff nurse jobs: 1,822 Average annual salary: $65,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. Washington
Total staff nurse jobs: 5,530 Average annual salary: $83,834 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
3. Nevada
Total staff nurse jobs: 1,428 Average annual salary: $83,743 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
4. Oklahoma
Total staff nurse jobs: 2,377 Average annual salary: $65,041 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. Texas
Total staff nurse jobs: 16,850 Average annual salary: $64,914 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
6. Oregon
Total staff nurse jobs: 2,601 Average annual salary: $88,323 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
7. Arizona
Total staff nurse jobs: 4,045 Average annual salary: $69,639 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
8. California
Total staff nurse jobs: 15,769 Average annual salary: $105,142 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
9. Louisiana
Total staff nurse jobs: 2,815 Average annual salary: $60,867 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
10. Hawaii
Total staff nurse jobs: 390 Average annual salary: $96,215 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
Staff nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $65,442 | $41,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,822 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,834 | $54,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,530 |
| 3 | Nevada | $83,743 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,428 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $65,041 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,377 |
| 5 | Texas | $64,914 | $39,000 | 28,304,596 | 16,850 |
| 6 | Oregon | $88,323 | $56,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,601 |
| 7 | Arizona | $69,639 | $44,000 | 7,016,270 | 4,045 |
| 8 | California | $105,142 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 15,769 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $60,867 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,815 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $96,215 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 390 |
| 11 | Florida | $56,139 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 17,472 |
| 12 | Alaska | $73,071 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 654 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,940 | $44,000 | 5,607,154 | 4,216 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $61,070 | $37,000 | 3,004,279 | 2,010 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $64,859 | $40,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,437 |
| 16 | Montana | $58,846 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 979 |
| 17 | Idaho | $62,287 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 951 |
| 18 | Georgia | $57,317 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 6,835 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $56,347 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,440 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $49,007 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 5,156 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $57,045 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 424 |
| 22 | Utah | $60,967 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,146 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $48,036 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 835 |
| 24 | Kansas | $51,918 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,268 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $42,424 | $19,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,282 |
| 26 | Alabama | $54,401 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,548 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $47,653 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 924 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $48,310 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,593 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $44,784 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 6,998 |
| 30 | New York | $38,281 | $13,000 | 19,849,399 | 8,999 |
| 31 | Indiana | $41,644 | $21,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,657 |
| 32 | Michigan | $41,739 | $17,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,435 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $33,393 | $11,000 | 6,859,819 | 7,118 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $43,790 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 3,459 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $39,796 | $14,000 | 9,005,644 | 5,036 |
| 36 | Missouri | $50,531 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 3,829 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $50,041 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,770 |
| 38 | Delaware | $34,140 | $13,000 | 961,939 | 986 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $28,534 | $9,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,578 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $44,362 | $21,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,309 |
| 41 | Virginia | $40,813 | $17,000 | 8,470,020 | 6,108 |
| 42 | Ohio | $35,556 | $16,000 | 11,658,609 | 8,109 |
| 43 | Iowa | $44,597 | $25,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,435 |
| 44 | Illinois | $44,719 | $22,000 | 12,802,023 | 7,025 |
| 45 | Vermont | $26,857 | $8,000 | 623,657 | 726 |
| 46 | Maine | $25,119 | $8,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,320 |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | $29,300 | $11,000 | 12,805,537 | 9,919 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $40,292 | $16,000 | 693,972 | 724 |
| 49 | Connecticut | $30,340 | $10,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,392 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | $32,928 | $10,000 | 1,059,639 | 697 |
| 51 | Maryland | $33,155 | $13,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,438 |
Highest paying states for staff nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $65,442 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,834 |
| 3 | Nevada | $83,743 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $65,041 |
| 5 | Texas | $64,914 |
| 6 | Oregon | $88,323 |
| 7 | Arizona | $69,639 |
| 8 | California | $105,142 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $60,867 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $96,215 |
| 11 | Florida | $56,139 |
| 12 | Alaska | $73,071 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,940 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $61,070 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $64,859 |
| 16 | Montana | $58,846 |
| 17 | Idaho | $62,287 |
| 18 | Georgia | $57,317 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $56,347 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $49,007 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $57,045 |
| 22 | Utah | $60,967 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $48,036 |
| 24 | Kansas | $51,918 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $42,424 |
| 26 | Alabama | $54,401 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $47,653 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $48,310 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $44,784 |
| 30 | New York | $38,281 |
| 31 | Indiana | $41,644 |
| 32 | Michigan | $41,739 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $33,393 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $43,790 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $39,796 |
| 36 | Missouri | $50,531 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $50,041 |
| 38 | Delaware | $34,140 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $28,534 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $44,362 |
| 41 | Virginia | $40,813 |
| 42 | Ohio | $35,556 |
| 43 | Iowa | $44,597 |
| 44 | Illinois | $44,719 |
| 45 | Vermont | $26,857 |
| 46 | Maine | $25,119 |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | $29,300 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $40,292 |
| 49 | Connecticut | $30,340 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | $32,928 |
| 51 | Maryland | $33,155 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff 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