Nurse Practitioner Pay in the U.S. Southeast

Earlier this summer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that more than 303,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) were employed in the United States as of May 2024.  The twelve-state U.S. Southeast accounted for 93,630 NP jobs in May 2024.  The U.S. Southeast region is the weakest in the nation for nurse practitioner pay.  The average NP annual mean wage in every state in the region is below the national average, and the region is home to seven of the ten worst states in the nation for nurse practitioner annual mean wages.  A further examination of BLS data from May 2024 shows the following about nurse practitioner pay in the U.S. Southeast:

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the U.S. Southeast

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	4,730	$109,650	48th
AR	3,350	$116,030	46th
FL	24,690	$128,340	24th
GA	10,580	$125,490	35th
KY	4,710	$116,930	45th
LA	4,480	$124,850	36th
MS	4,170	$122,930	39th
NC	8,020	$124,830	37th
SC	5,850	$113,950	47th
TN	14,300	$108,180	49th
VA	6,470	$122,180	41st
WV	2,280	$122,140	42nd
U.S.	303,410	$130,077	-------

(*) 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 20, 2025

Data released recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that, as of May 2023, there were over 3,175,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in the country.  More than 252,000 of those RN jobs were in the seven Great Plains states.  BLS data revealed the Great Plains as one of the weakest regions of the country for registered nurse pay.  Only one state in the region, Minnesota, recorded an RN annual mean wage level above the national average pay for registered nurses, and it was home to only 26% of the region's employed RNs. Meanwhile, all other RNs in the region lived in one of six Great Plains states that ranked among the ten states in the country with the lowest annual mean wage levels for registered nurses. A closer examination of BLS data from May 2023 reveals the following details about registered nurse pay in the Great Plains states:

Registered Nurse Pay in the Great Plains States

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	33,300	$74,610	48th
KS	31,120	$76,240	45th
MN	66,700	$94,830	13th
MO	73,190	$77,590	44th
NE	22,870	$79,780	41st
ND	10,350	$79,190	42nd
SD	14,600	$69,030	51st
U.S.	3,175,440	$89,611	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on February 13, 2025

There were more than 3,175,000 registered nurses (RNs) working in the U.S. as of May 2023 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  RNs work in varied healthcare settings, including hospitals, physician offices, home healthcare agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. Like many other healthcare professionals with advanced training and skills, registered nurses usually earn higher salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2023, the national mean wage for registered nurses was $94,480 per year.  While RNs realize better than average pay in comparison to most workers, the annual mean wage for registered nurses varies widely from state to state.  Per BLS data, as of May 2023, these were the ten best and worst states for registered nurse pay based on annual mean wage levels:

The Best and Worst States for Registered Nurse Pay

Best Paying States
California	$137,690
Hawaii	$119,710
Oregon	$113,440
Washington	$111,030
Alaska	$109,210
Massachusetts	$108,850
District of Columbia	$106,850
New York	$106,620
New Jersey	$101,960
Connecticut	$101,840

Worst Paying States
North Dakota	$79,190
Tennessee	$78,240
Missouri	$77,590
Kansas	$76,240
West Virginia	$75,990
Mississippi	$75,510
Iowa	$74,610
Arkansas	$72,900
Alabama	$71,370
South Dakota	$69,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on April 22, 2024

Protecting the Public: State Nursing Boards

 Registered nurses (RNs), vocational or practical nurses (LVNs or LPNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and various other nursing professionals must be licensed in the states in which they practice.  In most states, it is a State Nursing Board, or the equivalent, that provides regulatory oversight of the nursing professions.  With more than four (4) million RNs, LVNs, LPNs and other nursing professionals employed in the United States, effective oversight is significant task for state licensing authorities.  These regulatory authorities protect the health and safety of the public by determining licensure qualifications for new nursing professionals, establishing standards for practitioners to follow in order to maintain their license to practice, disciplining licensees who fail to adhere to those requirements, and promoting the delivery of the high quality nursing care. In addition to nurses and other nursing professionals, in many states the Nursing Board, or its equivalent, provides regulatory oversight of various institutions that provide nurse training and education.  To find the Nursing Board, or the equivalent, serving in each state, check out our resource guide:

State Nursing Boards | Health Guide USA