Top 10 Best and Worst States to Be a Nurse

There is a projected need for 1,001,000 nurses needed in the United States by 2016. Nurses are one of the most in demand professions in America, but with so many job openings, it begs the question: Where should you work?

Below is the 10 best and worst places to be a Nurse based on salary and job openings.

Top 10 Highest Nurse Paying States
State Salary (hourly)
1. California $25.45
2. Hawaii $24.76
3. Massachusetts $23.38
4. New Jersey $23.33
5. Alaska $23.09
6. Delaware $22.98
7. Oregon $22.91
8. Nevada $22.83
9. Maryland $22.79
10. Connecticut $22.62

Top 10 Lowest Nurse Paying States
State Salary (hourly)
1. North Dakota $17.60
2. Louisiana $17.50
3. Wyoming $16.88
4. Oklahoma $16.76
5. Kansas $16.74
6. West Virginia $16.52
7. Arkansas $16.44
8. Mississippi $16.42
9. Iowa $16.36
10. South Dakota $16.35

Top 10 States with the Most Nurse Job Openings
State Average Annual Job Openings
1. California 10,900
2. Florida 7,440
3. New York 6,360
4. Ohio 4,630
5. North Carolina 4,093
6. Illinois 4,020
7. New Jersey 3,700
8. Michigan 3,500
9. Georgia 3,340
10. Massachusetts 3,290

Top 10 States with the Least Nurse Job Openings
State Average Annual Job Openings
1. Rhode Island 570
2. New Mexico 520
3. South Dakota 500
4. Montana 420
5. Delaware 410
6. Hawaii 390
7. North Dakota 280
8. Vermont 270
9. Alaska 260
10. Wyoming 210

[taken from NursingLink]