What States Pay the Highest and Lowest Nursing Salaries

[allnurses]

As with any job, salaries for nurses vary greatly from state to state and even city to city within the same state. Below are listed average high and low state salaries by degree based on the results of the allnurses salary survey. In order to find the "best" state to work in, more than just the numbers below have to be considered.

These figures represent nurses of all levels of experience, age, position, specialty area, work setting, etc. The figures also do not account for the cost of living indexes.

Cost of Living

We all know that the cost of living index greatly affects the value of the salary and what that salary will buy.

Generally, the cost of living is highest on the West Coast and in the Northeast. The states in the South, Midwest, and sections of the Mountain West have the lowest cost of living.

Based on cost of living data provided by research conducted by the Council for Community and Economic Research, the cost of living indexes for the highest and lowest states are as follows.

States with the Highest Cost of Living:

HAWAII: 167.1

WASHINGTON DC: 144.8

CONNECTICUT: 132.7

ALASKA: 134.5

NEW YORK: 130.4

States with the Lowest Cost of Living:

TENNESSEE: 90.6

KENTUCKY: 91

ARKANSAS: 91.5

INDIANA: 91.7

KANSAS: 91.9

How does your salary stack up to the ones listed?

Are you thinking about moving in search of a higher salary?

Remember......it's more than the numbers that count.

what-states-pay-the-highest-and-lowest-nursing-salaries.pdf

[Lavernh]

I have a very serious question and I would appreciate input from you guys. I am 42 years old an I just started school at my local college ( Broward College) but I as wondering if I have waited too long. I worked for a hospital for over 4 years and I got such a thrill watching the nurses do something that I've always wanted to do. Do any of you think that it is too late or do you know of someone that have gone back to school at this point in their life to become an RN ( hopefully a NP someday)? Btw, I am doing my prereqs' because a school that I attended before was shutown due to not being accredited and fraud.

[sweetumsRN]

I'm kind of amazed that Nebraska isn't on the list. I'm in an urban area (yes, we *do* have those) and a local system just increased their pay rates: $23.81/hr for ADN/diploma, $25/hr for BSN, and $26.25/hr for MSN. There is a differential for the 1500-2300 shift (I think it's 10%) and for overnights and weekends (15%?). But keep in mind, that this area just saw a significant pay increase for nurses due to a battle with a particular insurance company. The battle caused facilities to lose business, nurses began to jump ship. Competing facilities increased base wages to lure nurses away, which caused an increase in base wages all over the metro area. I myself received an extra $3/hr due to the SNAFU.

[Axgrinder]

Lavernh said:

I have a very serious question and I would appreciate input from you guys. I am 42 years old an I just started school at my local college ( Broward College) but I as wondering if I have waited too long. I worked for a hospital for over 4 years and I got such a thrill watching the nurses do something that I've always wanted to do. Do any of you think that it is too late or do you know of someone that have gone back to school at this point in their life to become an RN ( hopefully a NP someday)? Btw, I am doing my prereqs' because a school that I attended before was shutown due to not being accredited and fraud.

Never for too late - until you are dead.

My husband left real estate appraising after more than 20 years to get an OTAC associates degree. He graduates in less than 2 weeks - and he just turned 51. It's not nursing, but it's medical … and you get the idea …

I say go for it. We always need more nurses! Good luck!

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

In my area, ADNs and BSNs are paid the same hourly. The only advantage a BSN is here is some jobs require it..but hospitals that hire both, pay them equally.

I had no idea diploma nurses were paid so much less than ADNs and BSNs. In fact, I didn't realize there was such a difference in some states between all three.

Texas pay for bedside nurses is pretty good. We don't make much as school nurses, but the trade off for all the time off is worth it, if you can afford to swing it. :)

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

dirtyhippiegirl said:

Woohoo, Kansas representin' our crappie salaries.

NO kidding. I got the biggest pay increase just from moving out of that hell hole state

[KatelynRodriguez]

It's definitely not too late. Just be prepared for nursing school. I just started the broward college nursing program and it is super intense. Before you even apply I would get all your ceu's done (it's listed online and they are good for two years. Go on ceufast.com) also one thing that was extremely taxing on our time for the first two weeks is that we had to do our hospital orientations online and they took forever. So I would try to do those ahead. Also a tip for studying, don't try to read everything. Follow the modules they give you and read along with the book. Also for math i bought the kaplan math review for nurses and it helped me so much.You just have to have faith in yourself. You can do it.

[Kssrn404]

You are NOT TOO old!!! I say go for it!!! I'm 52 and just starting back to work in cardiac critical care after being off for 14 years to raise my three kids. I had to go back to school for a while but it was a blast! I couldn't learn fast enough. I love it!! You will do great!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

No doubt that cost of living, particularly housing and utilities can vary wildly even within a state. I'm in WI and COL is much higher in Madison or Milwaukee than it is where I live. But wages are also much higher in the big metropolitans than where I am.

I looked into moving to Washington a few years back and decided against it as the housing was so sky high in any place west of the Cascades that there was pretty much no way I could see affording to live there. I still have relatives in the Seattle/Olympia area and it is beautiful on that side of the mountains but the pay wasn't high enough to justify the massive increase in housing costs I would have faced by moving.

[gizmopacurn]

Glad to see Oregon on the top. I love living and working in Oregon and northwest in general but want to travel in a few years after I finish my BSN. Oregon does have a high cost of living though and rent and mortgage's here is increasing rapidly.

[gizmopacurn]

I have a very serious question and I would appreciate input from you guys. I am 42 years old and I just started school at my local college ( Broward College) but I as wondering if I have waited too long. I worked for a hospital for over 4 years and I got such a thrill watching the nurses do something that I've always wanted to do. Do any of you think that it is too late or do you know of someone that have gone back to school at this point in their life to become an RN ( hopefully an NP someday)? Btw, I am doing my prereqs' because a school that I attended before was shut down due to not being accredited and fraud.

Hi Lavernh, I was 41 when I graduated and received my RN-ADN degree. I went from being a lab tech to an MA, to a pharmacy technician to nursing. I love being an RN now and I am currently working on my BSN and I am 50. I found that being an older nursing student I had more knowledge and life experience from being in the medical field than the new young students with no life experience yet. I think you will do great and not regret at all doing it. Good luck future RN!!

[estellebb]

Maybe California is an option after all.... So, the extras - like holiday pay - is in addition to your 130K? What is the going rate for BSN then??

[sourapril]

Does the average salary look low to you guys? I remembered reading or asking folks here in other posts and the hourly rates seemed higher.