Nurses are some of the unsung heroes of our society, working long hours in hazardous conditions in order to make sure the public stays healthy. Despite the difficulties of the occupation, nurses are generally well-rewarded for their life-saving work. Nursing is one of the most lucrative careers, with a mean annual wage of more than $98,000 and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.

WalletHub took stock of the nursing industry to help nurses, particularly new graduates, pick the best place to live comparing the 50 states across 20 key metrics ranging from job openings for nurses per capita and average salaries to mandatory overtime restrictions and the quality of nursing homes.

Chip Lupo, Wallet Hub Analyst said, “Nurses are among the most essential workers in the country, as we’ve seen all too well over the past few years. Since they work in such a demanding profession, nurses deserve to work in places that will compensate them appropriately and offer them reasonable working conditions. The best states for nurses have high salaries, mandatory overtime limits, high-quality health care facilities and plenty of job opportunities.”

Best States to Work as a Nurse

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Opportunity & Competition Rank	Work Environment Rank
1	Maine	64.99	10	3
2	New Hampshire	64.76	12	1
3	Washington	64.75	4	6
4	Oregon	62.44	9	4
5	Arizona	61.96	1	25
6	West Virginia	58.50	8	20
7	Minnesota	58.36	21	7
8	Montana	58.29	2	35
9	Connecticut	58.02	41	2
10	Florida	55.99	5	36
11	New York	55.80	31	9
12	New Mexico	55.63	3	42
13	Nevada	55.42	7	31
14	Massachusetts	55.34	40	5
15	Idaho	55.13	22	19
16	Alaska	54.81	34	10
17	Illinois	54.39	26	15
18	Iowa	53.58	13	32
19	Missouri	53.53	15	30
20	South Carolina	53.37	6	41
21	Wyoming	52.72	14	34
22	Pennsylvania	52.57	36	14
23	Rhode Island	52.48	37	13
24	Texas	52.46	28	22
25	North Carolina	52.38	11	38
26	Delaware	52.09	35	21
27	California	51.64	27	28
28	Maryland	51.63	43	11
29	Wisconsin	51.56	25	29
30	New Jersey	51.53	45	8
31	Indiana	51.13	18	37
32	Kansas	50.90	32	27
33	Georgia	50.65	17	40
34	Kentucky	50.42	24	33
35	Nebraska	49.62	38	26
36	Ohio	49.59	19	44
37	Michigan	49.38	16	45
38	Colorado	48.83	42	24
39	Utah	48.75	48	12
40	Vermont	48.48	46	17
41	Virginia	48.23	30	39
42	Hawaii	47.00	47	23
43	Arkansas	46.94	23	47
44	Tennessee	46.88	33	43
45	Louisiana	46.40	29	46
46	South Dakota	46.40	49	16
47	Mississippi	45.45	20	49
48	Alabama	43.77	39	48
49	North Dakota	43.20	50	18
50	Oklahoma	37.30	44	50

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that category.

Methodology

In order to determine the best and worst states for nurses, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Work Environment.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for nurses.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Opportunity & Competition – Total Points: 70

1. Monthly Average Starting Salary for Nurses: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
   Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
2. Average Annual Salary for Nurses: Double Weight (~13.33 Points)
   Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
3. Health-Care Facilities per Capita: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
4. Share of Population Living in a Primary-Care HPSA: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
   Note: “HPSAs,” as defined by the Health Resources & Services Administration, “are designations that indicate health care provider shortages in: Primary care; Dental health; or Mental Health” and “may be geographic-, population-, or facility-based.”
5. Projected Share of Elderly Population in 2050: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
   Note: “Elderly population” includes adults aged 65 and older.
6. Quality of Nursing Schools: Half Weight (~3.33 Points)
7. Tuition Cost per Credit for BSN Online Program: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
8. Nursing-Job Openings per Capita: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
9. Nurses per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
10. Projected Competition in 2032: Full Weight (~6.67 Points) Note: “Competition” refers to the number of nurses per 1,000 residents.

Work Environment – Total Points: 30

1. Mandatory Overtime Restrictions: Double Weight (~5.45 Points)
2. Ratio of Nurses to Hospital Beds: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
3. Nurses Job Growth (2024 vs 2020): Double Weight (~5.45 Points)
4. Presence of Nursing Licensure Compact Law: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
   Note: This metric considers the presence or absence of a Nursing Licensure Compact law in the state. The compact allows nurses to practice in their home state and other participating states.
5. Regulatory Requirement for Nurse Practitioners: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
6. Share of Best Nursing Homes: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
   Note: This metric is based on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Nursing Homes” rating.
7. Quality of Public Hospital System: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
   Note: This metric is based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
8. Friendliness Toward Working Moms: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
9. Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Working Moms” ranking. In 2023, there were 4.1 million employed nurses in the U.S., and about 3.6million were female.
10. Average Number of Work Hours: Half Weight (~1.36 Points)
11. Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.36 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of March 31, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRSA Data Warehouse, University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Indeed.com, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. News & World Report, Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, Nurse.org, The Lore Law Firm, American Association of Nurse Practitioners and WalletHub research.