The Findings May Surprise You.
WalletHub, a personal finance website compared the relative attractiveness of the 50 states across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from monthly average starting salary for nurses to health-care facilities per capita to nursing-job openings per capita.
Best and Worst States for Nurses
| Best States | Worst States |
|---|---|
| 1. Washington | 41. Kansas |
| 2. Maine | 42. Georgia |
| 3. New Mexico | 43. South Carolina |
| 4. Minnesota | 44. Tennessee |
| 5. New Hampshire | 45. Louisiana |
| 6. Oregon | 46. Mississippi |
| 7. Arizona | 47. Arkansas |
| 8. Montana | 48. Hawaii |
| 9. Rhode Island | 49. Alabama |
| 10. Connecticut | 50. Oklahoma |
Best vs. Worst
- California has the highest annual mean wage for registered nurses (adjusted for cost of living), $91,709, which is 1.5 times higher than in South Dakota, the lowest at $60,743.
- Utah has the lowest current competition (number of nurses per 1,000 residents), 9, which is 2.2 times lower than in North Dakota, the highest at 20.
- Nevada has the lowest future competition (projected number of nurses per 1,000 residents by 2028), 2, which is 11.5 times lower than in North Dakota, the highest at 23.
- Minnesota has the highest ratio of nurses to hospital beds, 4.99, which is two times higher than in Wyoming, the lowest at 2.44.
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