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Nursing has long been considered among the best jobs in the United States. Staff nurses made a median salary of $81,220 in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—nearly $35,000 more than the $46,310 median wage among all American workers. Some nurses make much more, depending on their education level and chosen specialty.
Nurse anesthetists can bring in upwards of $203,000 annually, while nurse practitioners, who often provide primary care to patients, are paid about $120,000. Geography matters, too: Registered nurses in states along the West Coast and mid-Atlantic region make more than many of their counterparts in the Midwest or South, according to data compiled by the BLS.
Vivian Health used BLS data to identify which metro area in each state pays nurses the highest wages. Rankings of metro areas were based on the dollar difference between a registered nurse’s median annual salary and the median salary of all occupations in the area. Ranking metros in this way reveals where nurses actually make the most money relative to other occupations in the area.
Keep reading to see which metro in each state pays nurses the most relative to other occupations or jump to your state of interest within this list.
Highest Nursing Occupation Earnings by Metro Nationwide
In three states—Delaware, Rhode Island, and Vermont—data was only available for a single metro area, so that metro was ranked as the highest-paying. States in the following list are ordered alphabetically. Additionally, information on the overall ranking of that metro’s registered nurse salary throughout the state and the difference from the median wage of all jobs was included.
Alabama: Daphne
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- Nurses in Daphne typically earn $31,100 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $64,700 (#2 overall)
Alaska: Fairbanks
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- Nurses in Fairbanks typically earn $56,000 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $107,880 (#1 overall)
Arizona: Yuma
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- Nurses in Yuma typically earn $45,120 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $82,290 (#3 overall)
Arkansas: Little Rock
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- Nurses in Little Rock typically earn $32,470 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $71,460 (#1 overall)
California: Santa Cruz
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- Nurses in Santa Cruz typically earn $128,000 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $175,350 (#1 overall)
Colorado: Pueblo
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- Nurses in Pueblo typically earn $39,260 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $82,780 (#3 overall)
RELATED: Colorado: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Connecticut: Danbury
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- Nurses in Danbury typically earn $56,900 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $105,370 (#1 overall)
Delaware: Dover
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- Nurses in Dover typically earn $37,470 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $78,320 (#1 overall)
Florida: Sebastian
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- Nurses in Sebastian typically earn $41,280 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $79,190 (#4 overall)
RELATED: 10 Great Healthcare Employers in Orlando, Florida
Georgia: Rome
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- Nurses in Rome typically earn $43,360 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $81,320 (#2 overall)
Hawaii: Urban Honolulu
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- Nurses in Urban Honolulu typically earn $77,360 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $127,020 (#1 overall)
Idaho: Coeur d’Alene
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- Nurses in Coeur d’Alene typically earn $44,410 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $83,730 (#1 overall)
Illinois: Kankakee
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- Nurses in Kankakee typically earn $39,560 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $80,470 (#1 overall)
RELATED: Illinois: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Indiana: Michigan City
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- Nurses in Michigan City typically earn $34,850 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $72,720 (#3 overall)
Iowa: Sioux City
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- Nurses in Sioux City typically earn $22,610 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $62,860 (#8 overall)
Kansas: Lawrence
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- Nurses in Lawrence typically earn $28,920 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $67,150 (#2 overall)
Kentucky: Owensboro
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- Nurses in Owensboro typically earn $38,250 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $78,040 (#2 overall)
Louisiana: Shreveport
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- Nurses in Shreveport typically earn $40,640 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,790 (#2 overall)
Maine: Bangor
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- Nurses in Bangor typically earn $39,630 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $83,750 (#1 overall)
Maryland: Salisbury
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- Nurses in Salisbury typically earn $41,600 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $79,210 (#3 overall)
RELATED: Maryland Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Massachusetts: Leominster
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- Nurses in Leominster typically earn $50,590 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $96,410 (#2 overall)
Michigan: Flint
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- Nurses in Flint typically earn $46,500 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $86,210 (#1 overall)
Minnesota: Saint Cloud
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- Nurses in St. Cloud typically earn $39,710 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $85,730 (#2 overall)
Mississippi: Hattiesburg
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- Nurses in Hattiesburg typically earn $27,510 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $59,910 (#3 overall)
Missouri: Saint Louis
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- Nurses in St. Louis typically earn $31,400 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,390 (#1 overall)
RELATED: St. Louis, Missouri: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Montana: Missoula
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- Nurses in Missoula typically earn $35,790 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $76,550 (#2 overall)
Nebraska: Grand Island
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- Nurses in Grand Island typically earn $32,490 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $74,290 (#2 overall)
Nevada: Las Vegas
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- Nurses in Las Vegas typically earn $56,710 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $95,770 (#1 overall)
New Hampshire: Manchester
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- Nurses in Manchester typically earn $32,180 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $80,560 (#2 overall)
New Jersey: Ocean City
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- Nurses in Ocean City typically earn $46,970 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $85,490 (#3 overall)
New Mexico: Las Cruces
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- Nurses in Las Cruces typically earn $42,500 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $78,270 (#4 overall)
New York: New York City
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- Nurses in New York City typically earn $46,150 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $103,540 (#1 overall)
RELATED: 10 Great Healthcare Employers in New York City, NY
North Carolina: Fayetteville
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- Nurses in Fayetteville typically earn $44,080 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $82,390 (#1 overall)
North Dakota: Fargo
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- Nurses in Fargo typically earn $29,220 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $75,710 (#1 overall)
Ohio: Canton
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- Nurses in Canton typically earn $36,200 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $74,950 (#7 overall)
Oklahoma: Lawton
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- Nurses in Lawton typically earn $40,230 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,070 (#2 overall)
RELATED: Oklahoma: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Oregon: Bend
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- Nurses in Bend typically earn $62,550 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $108,310 (#1 overall)
Pennsylvania: Chambersburg
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- Nurses in Chambersburg typically earn $41,430 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $84,090 (#2 overall)
RELATED: 10 Great Healthcare Employers in Pennsylvania
Rhode Island: Providence
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- Nurses in Providence typically earn $36,580 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $84,770 (#1 overall)
South Carolina: Spartanburg
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- Nurses in Spartanburg typically earn $41,890 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $81,520 (#1 overall)
South Dakota: Rapid City
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- Nurses in Rapid City typically earn $24,580 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $62,920 (#1 overall)
Tennessee: Cleveland
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- Nurses in Cleveland typically earn $40,220 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $76,620 (#1 overall)
Texas: Wichita Falls
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- Nurses in Wichita Falls typically earn $43,480 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $79,800 (#6 overall)
RELATED: Texas: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Utah: Provo
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- Nurses in Provo typically earn $32,980 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $75,090 (#2 overall)
Vermont: Burlington
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- Nurses in Burlington typically earn $27,420 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,230 (#1 overall)
Virginia: Winchester
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- Nurses in Winchester typically earn $38,390 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $81,940 (#1 overall)
RELATED: Virginia: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Washington: Spokane
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- Nurses in Spokane typically earn $53,790 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $100,280 (#2 overall)
West Virginia: Huntington
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- Nurses in Huntington typically earn $39,760 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,240 (#2 overall)
Wisconsin: Racine
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- Nurses in Racine typically earn $35,830 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $77,960 (#5 overall)
RELATED: Wisconsin: Healthcare Employment Location Guide
Wyoming: Cheyenne
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- Nurses in Cheyenne typically earn $36,860 more than the metro’s median income.
- Median annual wage for nurses: $81,680 (#1 overall)
Factors for Nurses Beyond Salary
In addition to salary considerations, young workers increasingly prioritize flexible schedules and support for their mental health at work. Several nurses’ unions in recent years went on strike to push for better working conditions, citing chronic understaffing at hospitals as a major issue.
The nursing field is mentally and emotionally taxing and overtime hours notoriously lead to burnout. According to a report published in 2023 by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, roughly 100,000 RNs have left the profession since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to burnout, stress and retirement.
Another analysis from National Nurses United, the largest professional association of registered nurses, found that more than 1 million registered nurses with active licenses in 2022 weren’t actively employed as RNs. Nurses leaving hospitals due to burnout and looking for more regular schedules may turn to physicians’ offices, home health care services and nursing care facilities.
California has attracted new nursing talent with its first-in-the-nation law that sets minimum nurse staffing requirements. Lower patient-to-nurse ratios are associated with better patient outcomes and less burnout for nurses. Oregon will soon join the exclusive club, becoming the second state to mandate nurse-to-patient ratios.
Job openings for nurses are only expected to grow, with the BLS projecting a rate of 6% growth from 2022 to 2032—double the rate of growth projected for all occupations. To learn more about the latest tech, trends and updates in the nursing field, check out Vivian’s Community Hub.
Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Nicole Caldwell. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.
Feature Photo Credit: Canva
