Nursing, State by State
One page per state that joins what is otherwise scattered: the schools and their first-time NCLEX pass rates, what registered nurses and nurse practitioners earn, and whether the state issues a multistate (compact) license — 40 of 51 do. Pick a state for the full picture, or compare them all here.
| State | Schools | Median RN pass rate | RN median pay | NP median pay | Compact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 65 | 94.2% | $77,080 | $105,750 | Yes |
| Alaska | 4 | 76.5% | $109,480 | $155,170 | No |
| Arizona | 32 | 90.8% | $99,500 | $134,420 | Yes |
| Arkansas | 51 | 89.2% | $78,940 | $125,660 | Yes |
| California | 290 | 92.9% | $140,270 | $168,520 | No |
| Colorado | 44 | 88.4% | $100,260 | $132,930 | Yes |
| Connecticut | 31 | 93% | $102,740 | $138,470 | Yes |
| Delaware | 8 | 89.9% | $99,520 | $131,040 | Yes |
| Washington, D.C. | 9 | 88.8% | $102,540 | $135,880 | No |
| Florida | 425 | 82.9% | $84,190 | $129,510 | Yes |
| Georgia | 66 | 88.5% | $93,550 | $129,430 | Yes |
| Hawaii | 8 | 93.3% | $136,320 | $135,570 | No |
| Idaho | 12 | 94.8% | $92,460 | $132,540 | Yes |
| Illinois | 112 | 88.2% | $95,990 | $130,680 | No |
| Indiana | 88 | 87.8% | $83,500 | $128,830 | Yes |
| Iowa | 35 | 89.5% | $78,630 | $130,160 | Yes |
| Kansas | 45 | 88.6% | $79,320 | $126,650 | Yes |
| Kentucky | 46 | 90% | $81,040 | $122,870 | Yes |
| Louisiana | 57 | 90.8% | $80,230 | $125,600 | Yes |
| Maine | 19 | 88.6% | $86,990 | $130,260 | Yes |
| Maryland | 34 | 92.3% | $99,790 | $131,110 | Yes |
| Massachusetts | 74 | 90.5% | $104,550 | $142,440 | Not yet |
| Michigan | 89 | 86.5% | $94,300 | $131,450 | No |
| Minnesota | 53 | 84.4% | $101,510 | $133,260 | No |
| Mississippi | 26 | 98.8% | $77,090 | $124,730 | Yes |
| Missouri | 102 | 89.1% | $81,780 | $129,930 | Yes |
| Montana | 16 | 93.7% | $85,280 | $137,210 | Yes |
| Nebraska | 19 | — | $84,730 | $132,130 | Yes |
| Nevada | 20 | — | $103,670 | $140,670 | No |
| New Hampshire | 18 | 97.8% | $99,700 | $137,550 | Yes |
| New Jersey | 95 | 89.5% | $106,500 | $159,310 | Yes |
| New Mexico | 26 | 87.6% | $94,340 | $137,520 | Yes |
| New York | 197 | 86.9% | $109,440 | $153,510 | No |
| North Carolina | 102 | 90.5% | $84,350 | $128,990 | Yes |
| North Dakota | 13 | 93.6% | $80,730 | $130,070 | Yes |
| Ohio | 201 | 87.6% | $82,510 | $124,870 | Yes |
| Oklahoma | 65 | 84% | $82,920 | $133,390 | Yes |
| Oregon | 37 | 92% | $129,010 | $155,680 | No |
| Pennsylvania | 132 | 92.9% | $96,430 | $130,140 | Yes |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 85.4% | $100,640 | $135,970 | Yes |
| South Carolina | 45 | 94.6% | $82,360 | $123,290 | Yes |
| South Dakota | 14 | 92.4% | $78,060 | $128,840 | Yes |
| Tennessee | 91 | 93.2% | $81,500 | $117,590 | Yes |
| Texas | 164 | 91.4% | $95,970 | $131,670 | Yes |
| Utah | 31 | 87.5% | $84,600 | $130,920 | Yes |
| Vermont | 3 | — | $97,460 | $134,740 | Yes |
| Virginia | 154 | 90.2% | $93,600 | $127,810 | Yes |
| Washington | 61 | 86% | $124,200 | $156,100 | Yes |
| West Virginia | 50 | 88.2% | $80,130 | $127,320 | Yes |
| Wisconsin | 51 | 96.7% | $95,530 | $131,980 | Yes |
| Wyoming | 8 | 90.1% | $83,760 | $132,200 | Yes |
Pass rates: 2025 first-time test takers, from each state board of nursing. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Compact: NCSBN map. Full citations below.
Degree Pathways
What each step on the nursing ladder pays and requires, using federal wage data and the program outcomes in our school dataset.
- ADN vs BSNBoth degrees lead to the same RN license. Here is how associate and bachelor’s programs actually compare on NCLEX pass rates, graduate debt, and earnings.
- LPN to RNThe pay difference between a practical nurse and a registered nurse, and how practical-nursing and RN programs compare on pass rates, debt, and graduate earnings.
- RN to nurse practitionerWhat nurse practitioners earn compared with RNs — nationally and in every state — and what the step requires.
- RN to CRNANurse anesthesia is the highest-paid rung on the nursing ladder. What it pays against RN and NP wages, how few jobs there are, and what you need before you can apply.
- RN to nurse midwifeWhat certified nurse midwives earn against RN and NP wages, how small the field is, and what the step requires.
Specialties
What a new nurse needs to know in each specialty, the certifications that matter, and the clinical topics to study.
Sources
- First-time NCLEX pass rates by programEach state board of nursing — the exact board documents are linked on every state page · Data: 2025 first-time test takers · Checked
- Registered nurse wages and employment (SOC 29-1141)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · Data: May 2025 · Checked
- Nurse practitioner wages and employment (SOC 29-1171)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · Data: May 2025 · Checked
- Nurse Licensure Compact member states and implementation datesNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) · Checked
Keep going
- CollectionNurse practitioner salary by stateWhat nurse practitioners earn in every state, and how far that is above RN pay.
- CollectionNursing schools by stateEvery board-approved nursing program in the U.S. with its first-time NCLEX pass rate.
- FinderNurse Salary Ladder: CNA to CRNACompare national median pay, pay range, headcount, and the typical education path for six nursing roles, from CNA to CRNA, using federal BLS data.
- GuideThe Nurse Salary Ladder: What CNA, LPN, RN, NP, and CRNA Actually Earn (2026)One profession, a 5x pay spread. Every rung of the nursing career ladder — median pay, education path, and time investment — from real BLS data, in one interactive climb from CNA to CRNA.
- Degree pathwayRN to nurse practitionerWhat nurse practitioners earn compared with RNs — nationally and in every state — and what the step requires.
- Degree pathwayLPN to RNThe pay difference between a practical nurse and a registered nurse, and how practical-nursing and RN programs compare on pass rates, debt, and graduate earnings.