Best Cities to be a Nurse

Many great RN jobs exist around the nation, but many experts agree the best cities to be a nurse are San Francisco, New York and Boston. Although the cost of living is much higher in these cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas compared to some other areas, the higher wages and wide range of available jobs in nursing more than make up for it. Here are some details about these cities and why nurses flock to them.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the best places to be a nurse because the pay is higher, among other reasons. The metropolitan areas of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Napa and Visalia have the highest mean hourly earnings for nurses according to the Bureau of Labor Services. All of these cities are in California, and four of them are in the SF Bay Area with Visalia being in nearby Central California. With an average hourly wage of compared to the national average of , nursing is a lucrative career in the Bay Area. There are also many respected hospitals, universities and nursing schools in the area.

New York City is a hub of activity, and a great place to be a nurse. The metropolitan area that includes the five boroughs of NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and White Plains is home to approximately 260,000 nurses earning nearly ,000 a year. Some of the nation’s leading medical facilities are in the Big Apple as well.

Boston, Massachusetts is home to more than 65,000 nurses making an average of per hour. With top nursing schools and hospitals including Children’s Hospital of Boston, Brigham Women’s Hospital and Tufts-New England Medical Center, it is a good place to train or get a job. Many surrounding suburbs provide a nice place to live and offer employment opportunities that are still very close to the action and rich history this city has to offer.

Some of the other best cities to be a nurse include Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Nashville, Kansas City, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Savannah, Baton Rouge, Charleston, Pueblo and Roanoke. For more information, just look up job stats in the city you’re interested in.