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Best states for a surgical nurse
Quoted expert
Vilma Davis
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Do you want to become a surgical nurse at Medical Company, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for surgical nurses that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Although there are abundant surgical nurse jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Northeast. Arizona is the best state in the country for surgical nurse jobs.
The median salary for surgical nurses in Arizona is $71,245. Compare that to the median salary in New Jersey of $40,761, which ranked worst for surgical nurses, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Arizona is the best state for surgical nurse jobs, whereas New Jersey is the worst.
10 best states for surgical nurses in 2025
1. Arizona
Total surgical nurse jobs: 3,871 Average annual salary: $71,245 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
2. Washington
Total surgical nurse jobs: 4,850 Average annual salary: $75,503 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
3. New Mexico
Total surgical nurse jobs: 1,438 Average annual salary: $67,245 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
4. Texas
Total surgical nurse jobs: 13,622 Average annual salary: $66,745 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. California
Total surgical nurse jobs: 13,533 Average annual salary: $104,489 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
6. Hawaii
Total surgical nurse jobs: 355 Average annual salary: $109,761 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
7. Nevada
Total surgical nurse jobs: 1,112 Average annual salary: $75,161 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
8. Florida
Total surgical nurse jobs: 16,608 Average annual salary: $61,592 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.69
9. Oregon
Total surgical nurse jobs: 2,026 Average annual salary: $78,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
10. Louisiana
Total surgical nurse jobs: 2,849 Average annual salary: $60,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
Surgical nurse jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a surgical nurse
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a surgical nurse
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $71,245 | $46,000 | 7,016,270 | 3,871 |
| 2 | Washington | $75,503 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,850 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $67,245 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,438 |
| 4 | Texas | $66,745 | $41,000 | 28,304,596 | 13,622 |
| 5 | California | $104,489 | $67,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,533 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $109,761 | $80,000 | 1,427,538 | 355 |
| 7 | Nevada | $75,161 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 1,112 |
| 8 | Florida | $61,592 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 16,608 |
| 9 | Oregon | $78,325 | $54,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,026 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $60,862 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,849 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $59,853 | $41,000 | 869,666 | 879 |
| 12 | Alaska | $71,904 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 621 |
| 13 | Colorado | $67,432 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 3,818 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $59,864 | $37,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,825 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $63,647 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 1,863 |
| 16 | Georgia | $61,272 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 6,610 |
| 17 | Kansas | $60,384 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,076 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $59,098 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 3,697 |
| 19 | Idaho | $65,313 | $45,000 | 1,716,943 | 947 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $57,793 | $40,000 | 755,393 | 733 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $64,172 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 3,499 |
| 22 | Montana | $55,715 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 926 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $56,649 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 5,913 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $55,792 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 416 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $49,495 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,151 |
| 26 | Delaware | $48,529 | $21,000 | 961,939 | 857 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $57,981 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 3,019 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $54,910 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,390 |
| 29 | Illinois | $59,549 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 6,761 |
| 30 | Indiana | $48,815 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 5,572 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $55,818 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 2,454 |
| 32 | Missouri | $56,128 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 3,468 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $56,764 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,196 |
| 34 | Alabama | $55,430 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 2,207 |
| 35 | Michigan | $49,061 | $25,000 | 9,962,311 | 5,109 |
| 36 | Ohio | $50,413 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 6,176 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $54,207 | $25,000 | 693,972 | 552 |
| 38 | Virginia | $50,869 | $24,000 | 8,470,020 | 5,156 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $46,290 | $19,000 | 1,059,639 | 514 |
| 40 | Iowa | $51,983 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 2,273 |
| 41 | Utah | $57,080 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 743 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $50,302 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 1,306 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $40,032 | $17,000 | 12,805,537 | 7,742 |
| 44 | Maryland | $42,935 | $19,000 | 6,052,177 | 4,001 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $34,264 | $14,000 | 6,859,819 | 6,772 |
| 46 | New York | $40,836 | $17,000 | 19,849,399 | 7,312 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $35,237 | $14,000 | 3,588,184 | 2,263 |
| 48 | Maine | $27,270 | $11,000 | 1,335,907 | 1,268 |
| 49 | Vermont | $32,091 | $13,000 | 623,657 | 586 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $31,125 | $12,000 | 1,342,795 | 1,404 |
| 51 | New Jersey | $40,761 | $17,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,852 |
Highest paying states for surgical nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Surgical Nurse Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $71,245 |
| 2 | Washington | $75,503 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $67,245 |
| 4 | Texas | $66,745 |
| 5 | California | $104,489 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $109,761 |
| 7 | Nevada | $75,161 |
| 8 | Florida | $61,592 |
| 9 | Oregon | $78,325 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $60,862 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $59,853 |
| 12 | Alaska | $71,904 |
| 13 | Colorado | $67,432 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $59,864 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $63,647 |
| 16 | Georgia | $61,272 |
| 17 | Kansas | $60,384 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $59,098 |
| 19 | Idaho | $65,313 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $57,793 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $64,172 |
| 22 | Montana | $55,715 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $56,649 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $55,792 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $49,495 |
| 26 | Delaware | $48,529 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $57,981 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $54,910 |
| 29 | Illinois | $59,549 |
| 30 | Indiana | $48,815 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $55,818 |
| 32 | Missouri | $56,128 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $56,764 |
| 34 | Alabama | $55,430 |
| 35 | Michigan | $49,061 |
| 36 | Ohio | $50,413 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $54,207 |
| 38 | Virginia | $50,869 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $46,290 |
| 40 | Iowa | $51,983 |
| 41 | Utah | $57,080 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $50,302 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $40,032 |
| 44 | Maryland | $42,935 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $34,264 |
| 46 | New York | $40,836 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $35,237 |
| 48 | Maine | $27,270 |
| 49 | Vermont | $32,091 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $31,125 |
| 51 | New Jersey | $40,761 |
Expert opinions on the best states for surgical nurses
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for surgical 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.
Surgical nurse best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025