If you have just tired of doing your best as a nurse but feel that you are not appreciated enough, I have here 25 best states for registered nurses. And how to find out which country is the best? Well, with making the list of all the parameters that you find relevant, find information on several sites, compare the results and Voila! You got your list. Or you can just stick with me and Insider Monkey.
So how did Insider Monkey come up with 25 best states for registered nurses, especially when people are making their decisions based on all kinds of different factors? Well, simply by involving all those factors. Just kidding. When Insider Monkey’s team compiled the list, they focused on the financial incomes and outcomes, as well as the job opportunities. So, after consulted the US Bureau of Labor and Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, they came up with four main parameters for ranking: the cost of living index, annual mean wage, hourly mean wage, and the number of employees.
Before we proceed to our top 5, I have to give you some more information and explain the whole ranking part. First of all, in order to have the better view in the salary part, you have to know that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses earn about $68,450 annually, which is about $32.92 per an hour, and, as you already know, the average living cost index is counted 100, so, if your state provides the higher annual salary than $68,450 and living cost index is below 100, then you are all good. If not, stay with me here.
One more important thing: some of the states from the list are offering less than $68,450 per a year, but they are here because of the low living costs index and the high number of employees. For example, Oklahoma and Indiana are offering the median wage of $60,000, but their index of the cost of living is below 90. Although they took 18th and 19th place on the list of 25 best states for registered nurses, they are still among them.
On the other hand, we have California, which gives the highest annual wage. $101,750 to be exact. And although it is among top 5 on the list, it only took 4th place. Can you guess why? Because of the very high cost of living index, which is 134.8.
Yes, we moved on to the 4th state on the list and skipped one, although I said we were going to mention at least top 5. So, now, let’s start from the lowest ranked and that’s Oregon, with the 115.4 index and $87,000 per a year. After that, there is California that I already mentioned and explained. The third one is Texas with a lot lower salary that is about $70,390, but the low cost of living index of only 90.7. The state that ranked the second is actually the one among the top five with the lowest annual mean wage for registered nurses, only $69,100, but yet with the lowest cost of living index as well, 88.2. And now, the best out of 25 best. As mentioned at the beginning, the best one doesn’t necessarily have to be the best in every field. It can be the average, but when mixing and comparing all parameters it can turn out to be the best. And our number one is the real proof of it. It is the Nevada, which offers $83,790 per a year. This isn’t that bad considering the fact that the average wage in the US is $68,450. But, on the other hand, nothing in comparison to the salary nurses in Oregon get. But, let’s face it, none of the other states are paying more than $90,000 except Oregon, so $83,790 is more than enough in this case.
If I intrigued you enough with the top 5, get the closer look in all 25 best states for registered nurses.
