The Best-paying States for Nurses in 2021

From Business.org,  January 11, 2021

Over 2.9 million nurses work in the United States, and they make an average salary of $77,460 per year.1 But some states pay better than others. And living expenses don’t always line up with income.

To help our health-care heroes find a new spot to live, we found the best states for nursing salaries. Using this list, our health-care heroes can get a better idea of where they may want to move (or start) their nursing careers.

In each state, we compared the average nursing salary to the average income to find the percentage difference. We then calculated how many hours nurses must work to afford rent.

In which states do nurses earn the most?

Nationally, nurses make 45% more than the average salary for all other occupations. And in 15 states, nurses make more than the national average. 

Hawaii tops our list, with nurses making 89% more than other occupations for a total salary of $104,060. Washington DC ranks last on our list. Nurses in DC make only 5.6% more than the average salary for all other occupations.

California boasts the highest wage per hour for nurses, at $54.44. South Dakota has the lowest wage per hour for nurses at $28.63—which is nearly half what they make in California.

In which states do nurses have to work the longest to afford their rent?

Nationally, nurses work an average of 29.5 hours to be able to afford a month’s rent. The national average income requires 42.7 hours of work to afford rent. That means nursing requires 13.2 hours less of work than the average occupation to afford rent every month.

In Florida, nurses must work 38 hours to afford the median monthly rent, while Maryland and Colorado nurses are a close second–they must work 37 hours to afford their rent.

In West Virginia, nurses only have to work 23 hours to afford the median monthly rent. All other occupations in the Mountain State work an average of 35 hours to afford monthly rent.

While nurses get paid more than other occupations on average, it’s hard work with long hours and a lot of frustration. Do you think nurses get paid enough? Let us know in the comments below, or share our findings on social media to keep the discussion going. 

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