There were nearly 3 million registered nurses working in the U.S. in 2020, accounting for 2.1% of all American workers. In addition to the usual demands of their job, many nurses had to care for COVID-19 patients and take extra precautions to prevent catching and transmitting the virus while performing their duties.
While this added difficulty undoubtedly made the job more challenging, registered nurses in some parts of the country were better equipped to handle the challenges. This is because, in some metro areas, nurses received relatively high wages and were able to avoid the staffing and equipment shortages that impacted many hospitals and doctors offices in other metro areas.
To determine the best cities for nurses, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index consisting of several measures related to nurse wage and employment.
The 25 best metro areas for nurses are located in just four states — California, Oregon, Minnesota, and Hawaii. California dominates the list, with 19 entries. Oregon metro areas feature three times, Minnesota has two metros on the list, and Hawaii has one.
The metro areas on this list rank as the best for nurses in large part because of their relatively high compensation. In 17 of the 25 metro areas on this list most registered nurses earn over $100,000 per year. The median annual income for RNs nationwide is $75,330.These are the highest paying jobs in America.
The number of Americans working in the health care sector grew from 12 million in 2015 to 15 million in 2020, a 25% increase. Yet in every metro area that ranks as the best for nurses, the number of health care workers increased by more than 30% — in some cases more than doubling.
Click here to see the 25 best cities for nurses.
Click here to see our methodology.
25. St. Cloud, MN
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $86,750
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $42,010
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +31.1% (10,190 to 13,360)
> Total registered nurses: 3,060
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24. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $105,290
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $40,890
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +32.0% (8,770 to 11,580)
> Total registered nurses: 1,790
23. Medford, OR
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $92,920
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $38,940
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +36.3% (8,020 to 10,930)
> Total registered nurses: 2,170
22. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $108,330
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $44,130
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +30.4% (4,010 to 5,230)
> Total registered nurses: 1,160
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21. Eugene, OR
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $96,620
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $39,720
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +39.7% (12,610 to 17,610)
> Total registered nurses: 3,390
20. Bakersfield, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $95,740
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $38,070
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +52.7% (19,020 to 29,040)
> Total registered nurses: 5,280
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19. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $112,500
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $48,200
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +41.1% (99,790 to 140,760)
> Total registered nurses: 24,840
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18. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $110,220
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $42,820
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +38.5% (12,320 to 17,060)
> Total registered nurses: 3,480
17. Grants Pass, OR
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $89,280
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $35,320
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +112.6% (2,060 to 4,380)
> Total registered nurses: 450
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16. Fresno, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $97,280
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $37,050
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +69.4% (28,130 to 47,640)
> Total registered nurses: 7,610
15. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $113,370
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $45,550
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +67.9% (401,150 to 673,440)
> Total registered nurses: 109,790
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14. Santa Rosa, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $119,700
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $46,990
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +48.8% (15,280 to 22,730)
> Total registered nurses: 3,640
13. Napa, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $116,260
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $47,420
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +49.7% (6,000 to 8,980)
> Total registered nurses: 1,940
12. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $109,280
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $39,630
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +68.1% (99,720 to 167,660)
> Total registered nurses: 30,200
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11. Merced, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $103,740
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $36,040
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +83.1% (4,080 to 7,470)
> Total registered nurses: 820
10. El Centro, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $84,850
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $35,510
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +166.0% (3,000 to 7,980)
> Total registered nurses: 850
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9. Modesto, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $110,180
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $39,200
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +46.0% (14,480 to 21,140)
> Total registered nurses: 4,720
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8. Rochester, MN
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $71,870
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $47,310
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +45.7% (24,960 to 36,360)
> Total registered nurses: 11,700
7. Stockton-Lodi, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $115,100
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $39,540
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +50.1% (17,420 to 26,150)
> Total registered nurses: 4,780
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6. Redding, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $115,880
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $39,940
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +53.4% (6,690 to 10,260)
> Total registered nurses: 1,650
5. Salinas, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $132,650
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $38,880
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +52.8% (10,070 to 15,390)
> Total registered nurses: 2,910
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4. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $155,170
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $61,790
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +57.5% (141,260 to 222,440)
> Total registered nurses: 40,600
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3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $155,980
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $69,620
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +64.6% (56,670 to 93,270)
> Total registered nurses: 17,750
2. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $150,850
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $47,720
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +51.3% (12,600 to 19,060)
> Total registered nurses: 3,690
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1. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA
> Median annual wage for registered nurses: $137,040
> Median annual wage for all occupations: $48,070
> Change in health care employment (2015-2020): +75.3% (65,230 to 114,320)
> Total registered nurses: 21,920
Methodology:
To determine the best and worst cities for nurses, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index consisting of several measures related to nurse wage and employment. Data on the annual median wage for registered nurses in a given metropolitan area came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program and was included in the index at full weight. Data on the annual median wage for all registered nurses was also adjusted for cost of living using regional price parity in 2019 from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and was included in the index at full weight. Data on the location quotient of registered nurses — the ratio of registered nurses as a percentage of total employment in a given metropolitan statistical area relative to the national registered nurse workforce as a percentage of the total national workforce, a measure of relative concentration — came from the BLS OEWS and was included in the index at full weight. Finally, the employment growth of all health care workers from 2015 to 2020 was calculated using data from the BLS OEWS and was included in the index at full weight.
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