The latest occupational employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that there were over 3,072,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in the country as of May 2022.  Over 489,600 of those RN jobs were in the five Great Lakes states.  BLS data revealed the Great Lakes region as a weak one for registered nurse pay, as no state in the region had an RN annual mean wage level that topped the national average. A closer look at BLS data from May 2022 reveals the following details about registered nurse pay in the Great Lakes region:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	129,390	$82,220	22nd
IN	67,350	$75,580	39th
MI	101,470	$80,660	26th
OH	130,370	$78,450	31st
WI	61,100	$81,000	25th
U.S.	3,072,700	$89,010	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 8, 2023