National Nurses Week 2017: 15 Best And Worst States For Nursing Jobs

To coincide with National Nurses Week, which runs May 6-12, personal finance website WalletHub released new data Wednesday revealing the most and least favorable states for nurses. With the occupation projected to grow 16 percent by 2024, the research specifically appealed to individuals looking to enter the field. The data considered such factors as average starting salary, job availability and health care facilities per capita.

“In order to help newly minted nurses find the best markets for their profession, WalletHub’s analysts compared the relative attractiveness of the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics,” said the report. “Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for nurses.”

Read: National Nurses Week 2017: 12 Quotes To Celebrate Health Professionals

Wisconsin topped the list of best states for nurses in terms of overall rank, with New Mexico, Iowa, Texas and Colorado coming in close behind. The top 15 states based on this metric are as follows:

1. Wisconsin
2. New Mexico
3. Iowa
4. Texas
5. Colorado
6. North Dakota
7. Delaware
8. Utah
9. Arizona
10. Washington
11. Minnesota
12. Idaho
13. Oregon
14. Maine
15. Virginia

The District of Columbia topped the list of areas with the most nursing job opportunities per capita, with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Vermont also leading the metric. Adjusted for the cost of living, the states with the highest paying salaries included Wyoming, Nevada, Michigan, Texas and Arizona.

Scroll over the states to see how they rank nationally.

New York was the least favorable state for nursing job openings, trailed by Washington, Mississippi, Hawaii and Utah. States with lowest annual nursing salary after factoring the cost of living included Maryland, New York, Vermont, the District of Columbia and Hawaii.

The 15 worst states for nurses in terms of overall rank are:

1. District of Columbia
2. Hawaii
3. New York
4. Louisiana
5. Alabama
6. Alaska
7. New Jersey
8. Ohio
9. Georgia
10. Nevada
11. Massachusetts
12. Mississippi
13. Pennsylvania
14. West Virginia
15. California

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an aging population is expected to create demand for healthcare services over the course of the next 10 years, particularly registered nurses. In addition, career opportunities within the field will be promising “because of the need to replace workers who retire over the coming decade and because of the growing number of people with access to healthcare services.”