Amid nationwide concerns over the availability of qualified nurses, Texas stands out as a leading state for nursing professionals.
Forbes Advisor recently crowned Texas the No. 2 best state for nurses, solidifying its reputation as a hotspot for healthcare careers.
Boasting employment for over 231,000 nurses, Texas trails only California, which employs about 325,620 nurses. Florida completes the top three with a nursing workforce of over 197,000.
When considering a nursing career, salary often comes to the forefront of the decision-making process. The median annual wage for U.S. nurses is $81,220, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
Trusted Health estimates a slightly lower yearly salary for Texas nurses at $74,540. However, when the cost of living is taken into consideration, Texas offers a competitive financial landscape compared to other states like Florida and California.
Other criteria like job opportunities, economic stability, and licensing procedures also hold significant weight when choosing a location to pursue a nursing career.
As for job prospects, Texas shines again. Projections Central anticipates demand for over 16,000 new nursing roles in the state between 2020 and 2030. This optimistic outlook places Texas second only to California for future nursing employment opportunities.
One of Texas’ key advantages is its participation in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). This agreement allows nurses to quickly transfer their licenses between participating states, offering greater flexibility in their career paths.
Through the NLC, nurses can lend their expertise to other member states during emergencies and offer telehealth services across state lines.
Using information from Projections Central and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forbes evaluated each state based on four criteria: number of job opportunities, density of nursing professionals, future job prospects, and income levels.
The top 5 states for nursing careers, ranked by number of nurses employed, are:
- California: 325,620
- Texas: 231,060
- Florida: 197,630
- New York: 190,470
- Pennsylvania: 137,970
According to Forbes Advisor, California secured a spot in the top five states for nurses in three of the four evaluated categories: employment level, job outlook, and salary. South Dakota took the top spot for the highest concentration of nurses per 1,000 job openings, at 32.99.
