For the second consecutive year, Washington is the best state for nurses, while Louisiana is the worst, according to an analysis from WalletHub.
Researchers analyzed data from all states and the District of Columbia (which came in last), identifying and weighting 14 measures that address nursing-job opportunities in each market.
The top five states were:
- Washington
- Illinois
- Texas
- Oregon
- Iowa
Meanwhile, the bottom five states (in descending order) were:
- New York
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Hawaii
- Louisiana
Although the District of Columbia came in behind Louisiana, the District beat all states for nursing job openings per capita.
In the long term, opportunities in the field will increase nationwide, according to Glenn Melnick, chair of healthcare finance at the University of Southern California. As the baby boomer population ages, annual retirements are projected to accelerate to nearly 80,000 over the next decade, Melnick told WalletHub. "We project that this outflow will be more than offset by continued strong entry of new RNs into the workforce," he said.
To learn more:
- read the rankings