What States Pay the Highest and Lowest Nursing Salaries
Every nurse is interested in knowing how their salary compares to that of others. The new grad who is searching for that first job wants to know where the highest paying jobs are. Based on data provided by more than 18,000 nurse respondents in the allnurses Salary Survey, below you will find some general figures to help guide you.
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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.
