To identify the best and worst states for nurses, analysts used 22 metrics to compare states across two dimensions: opportunity and competition, and work environment. Metrics include average annual salary, healthcare facilities per capita, nursing job openings per capita, mandatory overtime restrictions, and ratio of nurses to hospital beds. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, and states were ranked from highest overall score to lowest. Read more about the methodology here.
Here are the 10 best states to work as a nurse based on the analysis:
1. Arizona
2. Washington
3. Nevada
4. Wyoming
5. New Mexico
6. Montana
7. Oregon
8. Missouri
9. Alaska
10. Maine
Here are the 10 worst states to work as a nurse based on the analysis:
1. Maryland
2. Delaware
3. Vermont
4. New Jersey
5. Alabama
6. Utah
7. Louisiana
8. Oklahoma
9. Mississippi
10. Kentucky
