Over the last few years, the U.S. Labor Dept. has reported that some of the biggest job gains in the employment market have been in the healthcare field.
But industry analysts say this is still a nationwide shortage of nurses. So, some states are trying to lure more by offering higher salaries.
University ranking site Research.com analyzed official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find where nurses earn the most money. They compared median annual wages across all 50 states, as well as the number of employed registered nurses in each state.
Some states, like California, see salaries for nurses over $100,000.
Despite a looming healthcare crisis and officials’ warnings of a shortage of nurses in the U.S., Florida was named one of the best states for nurses amid the national shortage.
Florida nurses take home $82,850 a year on average, making it the 28th best state, making it a brilliant place for new nurses to start their careers or for experienced nurses to relocate to for the best opportunities and pay.
Imed Bouchrika, Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist at Research.com, said this salary findings come as health officials raise alarm bells about staffing. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration projected a nursing shortage of 78,610 full-time registered nurses by 2025.
“The substantial wage differences between states reflect varying costs of living, union presence and regional healthcare demands. Nurses should consider these salary variations when making career decisions, especially given the projected national nursing shortage. It seems the more nurses are needed in a state, the more they are paid.
“Beyond salary considerations, new nurses should look at job availability and growth potential, too. States with high wages but approaching saturation may offer fewer opportunities than states with moderate wages but growing demand,” said Bouchrika.
