list- best states for pay?

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Awhile ago there was a list revolving on these boards that ranked all fifty states according to best pay rate per hour for RN's, taking into account cost of living. If I remember correctly, texas was number one but I can't seem to find the post anymore (darn, I knew I should have hit kudos! lol).

Does anyone have that list/know where to find it?

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Which ever one you can find a job in is the highest paying...

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You know, I happened to read this post on a bad day for me...so i'm just going to put this bluntly.

If you're going into nursing for the money and to quickly zoom to the state that will pay you the most for the least amount of work, then please do us all a favor and just become a lawyer or politician or something BESIDES a nurse.

I've worked with enough nurses that were just there for the paycheck and not b/c they cared at all. Long story short, they were CRAPPY nurses. Don't join those ranks. Either be a nurse for the right reason or simply stay out of the field.

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I think looking at pay whether as a curiousity or a necessity is completely valid. I had to move a couple of years ago for my husband's work. I made almost $30,000 more when I moved to Texas from Mississippi. I didn't love nursing any more or less because of my salary. It did makes things easier at home though. If someone is flexible and can move wherever they choose then why not look at the pay.

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I worked in a town with three hospitals. Mine paid the least. However it had something I didn't really pay attention to, a great retirement system. The competition did not. I am now retired (work per diem), get a great retirement income. It doesn't always come down to the week to week paycheck! (Who wants to live in Texas, ha ha, just joking!!!!!)

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Specializes in NICU.

How come whenever someone mentions $ another person has to jump in and call them a crappy nurse? I don't see how there's anything wrong with wanting to be paid as much as you can for whatever it is you choose to do.

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@Brownbook: I'm just counting the days until we can move :) Which will probably be another couple of years! ha

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.
You know, I happened to read this post on a bad day for me...so i'm just going to put this bluntly.

If you're going into nursing for the money and to quickly zoom to the state that will pay you the most for the least amount of work, then please do us all a favor and just become a lawyer or politician or something BESIDES a nurse.

I've worked with enough nurses that were just there for the paycheck and not b/c they cared at all. Long story short, they were CRAPPY nurses. Don't join those ranks. Either be a nurse for the right reason or simply stay out of the field.

There is not one thing wrong with going where you can make the most money. This person may be for all you know able to live, travel any where they wish.....so why not go where the money is the best???? I am sick of seeing people attacked because they inquire about pay....do you work for free???

I dont know about the rest of the world but I have bills and if I tell the people I owe sorry I work because it is a "calling" and I did not ask about a paycheck...........I would be out on the street in a heartbeat! I love what I do and I am dang good at it, I also want to make as much money as I can while I do it!

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I just happened to read this on a good day, so I'm going to put this bluntly. Good pay is a good thing. If you're in it for the money, good for you! I'm going into nursing to help others, because that is my nature. I'll be d***ned if I'll do it for free, though. I happen to know that I am worth a LOT.

I know the post you're talking about. I hope someone finds the link, 'cause I need to know where to move, too. ;)

PS - There are still nuns around if you WANT to work for free. I'm sure they'll let you join them.

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Specializes in NICU Transport/NICU.
You know, I happened to read this post on a bad day for me...so i'm just going to put this bluntly.

If you're going into nursing for the money and to quickly zoom to the state that will pay you the most for the least amount of work, then please do us all a favor and just become a lawyer or politician or something BESIDES a nurse.

I've worked with enough nurses that were just there for the paycheck and not b/c they cared at all. Long story short, they were CRAPPY nurses. Don't join those ranks. Either be a nurse for the right reason or simply stay out of the field.

Your response is pretty crappy. There are nurses on here everyday griping about not finding work who have no intention of moving somewhere else. At least the OP is willing to go somewhere else to work whether it be for money or not. I can be sure there isn't a person on this website that didn't consider pay when they took there nursing job. I guess you work at a free health clinic and take no pay, just for your love of nursing right? I'm sure you've never asked for or hoped for a single raise since the day you started working as a nurse right?

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You know, I happened to read this post on a bad day for me...so i'm just going to put this bluntly.

If you're going into nursing for the money and to quickly zoom to the state that will pay you the most for the least amount of work, then please do us all a favor and just become a lawyer or politician or something BESIDES a nurse.

I've worked with enough nurses that were just there for the paycheck and not b/c they cared at all. Long story short, they were CRAPPY nurses. Don't join those ranks. Either be a nurse for the right reason or simply stay out of the field.

Sorry, but you don't get to decide what the "right" reason is for being a nurse. There is no one right reason for being a nurse and getting paid well is just as valid any other. No one does it for free. Every nurse has bills to pay, and though some get paid less than others, none would do it at all if it didn't cover all their expenses, even you.

Crappy nurses are crappy for lots of reasons. Some may have to do with their motivation for becoming nurses, whether it was for money or something else, and others just have a bad work ethic and they would be crappy employees in any industry. There's no way you can know why every crappy nurse is crappy, as much as you would like to blame it on a perceived notion that he or she is "just there for the paycheck." Besides, being a nurse for the paycheck does not automatically mean you don't care.

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Just went to the department of labor's website and found this:

Alabama

42880 27.82 57860

Alaska

5010 36.04 74970

Arizona

38570 32.27 67130

Arkansas

23050 27.42 57040

California

233030 40.90 85080

Colorado

41750 32.12 66800

Connecticut

35790 34.58 71930

Delaware

10220 34.02 70770

District of Columbia

8890 35.60 74040

Florida

150940 29.94 62270

Georgia

65370 29.30 60940

Guam

500 23.86 49630

Hawaii

8930 38.47 80020

Idaho

10540 29.48 61320

Illinois

116340 31.46 65440

Indiana

57880 27.84 57910

Iowa

30750 24.97 51930

Kansas

26320 26.79 55730

Kentucky

43250 27.94 58110

Louisiana

39560 28.99 60290

Maine

14410 31.37 65240

Maryland

51620 36.70 76330

Massachusetts

83060 39.32 81780

Michigan

84620 30.82 64100

Minnesota

57560 34.98 72760

Mississippi

28030 27.70 57630

Missouri

62130 27.62 57460

Montana

8340 27.10 56380

Nebraska

18930 26.46 55040

Nevada

16100 35.07 72940

New Hampshire

13330 29.84 62060

New Jersey

74730 36.05 74990

New Mexico

12340 30.55 63550

New York

165730 34.99 72790

North Carolina

88190 28.31 58880

North Dakota

6260 26.98 56110

Ohio

117870 28.72 59740

Oklahoma

27340 25.58 53210

Oregon

30730 35.24 73300

Pennsylvania

129810 30.58 63600

Puerto Rico

17720 14.40 29950

Rhode Island

11630 33.09 68830

South Carolina

38020 28.69 59680

South Dakota

10530 25.73 53520

Tennessee

61980 28.62 59520

Texas

168020 31.09 64670

Utah

17670 28.54 59370

Vermont

5680 30.40 63230

Virgin Islands

440 23.98 49890

Virginia

60230 30.42 63270

Washington

54260 34.83 72450

West Virginia

17340 25.50 53030

Wisconsin

53510 30.39 63200

Wyoming

4700 27.91 58060

The first number is the # of people employed as registered nurses. The second is the hourly mean wage and the third is the annual mean wage.

The only problem is that this isn't adjusted for cost of living.

Hawaii looks good, though... Mmmm, piña coladas and men on the beach... :)

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