Best and worst states for nurses 2024
Comparing all 50 states on 20 metrics of job satisfaction for nurses, WalletHub has landed on a familiar favorite for the top spot.
There must be something good in coastal air at the Northern extremes of the contiguous 48, because Washington State landed at No. 1 for the third consecutive year, and Maine is close behind at No. 2—also for the third straight year.
WalletHub’s popular “Best & Worst” lists are more serious exercises in comparison “shopping” than they might sound, as reflected in a report posted April 30.
For example, this year’s metrics included such objective criteria as job openings for nurses per capita, average salaries, mandatory overtime restrictions and the quality of nursing homes. The 20 metrics were roughly grouped into two categories, “opportunity & competition” and “work environment.”
Also buttressing the project’s authoritativeness is the consistency of its results from year to year. This year’s top 10 has nine returnees from last year. The newcomer is Connecticut, which nudged Texas out of the top 10.
Here are the 10 best states for nurses in 2024 going by the sturdy parameters of WalletHub’s methodology:
- Washington
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Montana
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Minnesota
- Wyoming
- Connecticut
- Arizona
Led by John Kiernan, WalletHub’s managing editor, the report’s authors noted Washington’s high-median earnings for nurses across various work settings and levels of educational attainment. Washington is also home to some of the highest-ranked nursing schools, they added.
More:
Around 46% of Washington residents live in a primary care HPSA (Health Professional Shortage Area), which means that new nurses are needed and it’s easier to find a nursing job. Nurses also enjoy good working conditions. They can avoid burnout because the state restricts mandatory overtime, and nurses who work in nursing homes benefit from the fact that the state has a very high percentage of nursing homes rated five stars.
As for the worst states for nurses, WalletHub found the bottom populated by Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas and—at dead last—Hawaii.
For details on methodology and findings plus additional insights, read the full report.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.