Which States Pays the Most for Nursing in 2021? We have the Data!

Licensed Practical Nurse

According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paying states on average for LPNs are:

1. Alaska: Yearly salary of $67,620 ($32.51/hr)
2. California: Yearly salary of $64,090 ($30.81/hr)
3. Massachusetts: Yearly salary of $60,400 ($29.04/hr)
4. Washington: Yearly salary of $59,780 ($28.74/hr)
5. Nevada: Yearly salary of $59,700 ($28.70/hr)

Alaska only employs around 330 LPNs. California, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Florida employ the most LPNs, so these tend to also be some of the best places to look for work.

Registered Nurse Salary

If you’re a registered nurse, these states will pay you the most for your services on average, according to the BLS:

1. California: $120,560 annually ($57.96/hr)
2. Hawaii: $104,830 annually ($50.40/hr)
3. Massachusetts: $96,250 annually ($46.27/hr)
4. Oregon: $96.230 annually ($46.27/hr)
5. Alaska: $95,270 annually ($45.81/hr)

California is by far the country’s largest employer of RNs, with 307,060 working across the state. Texas comes in second with 219,330; Florida with 183,130; New York with 178,550 and Pennsylvania rounds out the top 5 with 146,640 providers.

Looking at the data by state doesn’t tell the full story, though. If you’re considering moving to a new city, these areas pay the highest averages:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $149,200 a year ($71.73/hr)
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $146,870 a year ($70.61/hr)
3. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $142,140 a year ($68.34/hr)
4. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA: $134,350 a year ($64.59/hr)
5. Salinas, CA: $132,160 a year ($63.54/hr)

Clearly, California is the place to be if you’re looking to earn the most money for your time. However, many cities in this state and several others also tend to be some of the most competitive.

If you’re looking to land your first job, these areas have the highest concentrations of RNs:

• New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
• Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
• Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
• Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Let’s say you’re not a city person. If you’d rather live in the country without taking a massive pay cut, these are the highest paying nonmetropolitan areas on average:

1. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California: $103,890/year ($49.95/hr)
2. Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $102,390/year ($49.23/hr)
3. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California: $101,000/year ($48.56/hr)
4. Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area: $97,950/year ($47.09/hr)
5. North Coast Region of California: $92,760/year ($44.60/hr)

RN Salaries – Adjusted for Cost of Living

Let’s face it: living in New York, L.A., or Chicago isn’t for everyone. You’re probably spending most of your time at the hospital, so living in a big city might not be worth it. Cities like these are also among the most expensive to live in the world. Yes, we’re looking at you, San Francisco. If you’re looking to squeeze as much money out of your time as a nurse, these states pay the most when we adjust for the cost of living:

1. New Mexico: $84,770
2. California: $84,663
3. Texas: $83,478
4. Nevada: $82,491
5. Michigan: $81,656
6. Washington: $80,805
7. Minnesota: $80,397
8. Georgia: $79,721
9. Arizona: $79,348
10. Illinois: $78,484

LinkedRN.com - The RN Registered Nurse Network - 2021