It’s 2021 and yet for all the work nurses accomplish, they are still being underpaid. Luckily, some states show nurses their value.
On average, the 2.9+ million U.S.-based nurses make an average salary of $77,460* per year (*according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Surprisingly, this annual salary reflects nurses have a 45% higher average than other nation-wide occupations.
According to Business.org, a recent study compared the average salary of nurses to the average income in each state to find the percentage difference. From there, the study looked further into how many hours a nurse would need to work to afford their living expenses. Below are the highest and lowest ranking states according to salaries.
HAWAII: Nurses are projected to be the highest-paid in their profession making an average of $104,060 per year. This ends up being 89% higher than the average wage for all other occupations.
CALIFORNIA pays the highest wage per hour at $54.44 with an average salary of $113,240. This is 84% higher than the average wage for nurses in comparison to all other occupations.
SOUTH DAKOTA nurses earn the lowest hourly wage nationwide with an annual salary of $59,540, making 38% more than all other occupations.
WASHINGTON D.C. officially ranks last on the list where nurses make an average salary of $94,820. This is just 5% higher than the city’s average salary.
Read the original article here.