Everyone knows that salaries are tied to the regional cost of living, and can vary widely among states, and even cities within the same state. Nursing salaries are also impacted by regional variations, so many nurses are interested in knowing where the best paying jobs can be found. The “best” pay, however, isn’t defined by the highest hourly wage. Instead, the best pay can be influenced by other factors like the cost of living, the cost of housing and the cost of commuting. Here are the results of a survey conducted in 2009 by job placement site Monster.com that shows the US cities where nursing pay is the highest.
Nurses who are looking for a boost in pay should head over to the Lone Star State, where several cities pay the highest salaries for people with Registered Nurse degrees.
Austin, TX: Austin is the capital of Texas and also leads the nation in nursing salaries. Good job growth, relatively low unemployment and good business prospects have brightened the picture for nurses who want to work in a bustling metropolitan area.
San Antonio, TX: If Austin isn’t your style, try San Antonio. San Antonio is home to the Alamo, but it also has a large business and education community. Fort Sam Houston is also just steps away, providing yet another opportunity for solid employment.
Salt Lake City, UT: SLC hits the list at Number 3 and offers plenty of economic firepower. It’s the home of the nation’s largest retail banking complex and offers one of the lowest commute times of all of the cities in the survey.
Oklahoma City, OK: With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, Oklahoma City is ready for business. In 2008, Forbes called OKC the country’s most “recession-proof city.” Oklahoma City still makes much of its bones from the energy industry and although it’s a large metropolitan area, the commute time to its major hospitals and healthcare centers is under 20 minutes.
Raleigh, NC: Raleigh has distinguished itself as a center for research, academics and high-technology, but that hasn’t significantly increased the area’s cost of living. An unemployment rate that’s lower than the national average also helps, along with a relatively short 21-minute average commute.
Seattle, WA: Hitting the list at Number 6, Seattle offers a relatively high salary, pleasant working conditions and a lower than average unemployment rate. If the average commute time of 26 minutes were lower, Seattle would have secured a top-five spot.
Rochester, NY: Rochester is home to business, industry and academics – a combination that helps to ensure that nursing jobs are well paid. The Rochester nursing landscape offers a lower-than-average unemployment rate and a good salary, along with an average commute of less than 20 minutes.
Portland, OR: Portland has suffered a bit during the recession and has experienced higher-than-average unemployment rates and higher-than average foreclosure rates. Despite the downturn, nursing positions are still readily available. On the positive side, Portland is home to more than 1,200 technology companies.
Denver, CO: Denver offers the largest metropolitan area in Colorado, a relatively low cost of living, and a lot of diverse job growth in air transportation and aerospace, information technology and telecommunications, manufacturing and government. The city’s unemployment rate is lower than average and salaries average in the mid-40′s.
Honolulu, HI: Honolulu has a bad rap for being an expensive place to live (and that’s true), but what’s not to like about Hawaii? Very low unemployment and a diverse economy mean that RN degrees (Registered Nurse Degrees) are welcome in the Aloha State.
If none of these places appeal to you, try Nashville, TN; Virginia Beach, VA; Kansas City, MO; Pittsburgh, PA; or Charlotte, NC.
Sara House loves to write on her freetime, she just enjoys the creativity that goes into words on the paper, she reads many blogs to give her ideas.
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