There’s no doubt that nurses are in demand across the country, but while in demand some nurses have found it hard to land jobs or new roles. While this could be tied to the current job market of the nation and status of the economy, this article is intended to help nurses like me navigate the job market. By focusing on the data, we can gather which states have the greatest demand for nurses, largest population, or potential for job opportunity based on the health of the state. Using the highest demand for nurses, we can infer that these states will have the greatest opportunity for nursing employment and job growth.  

Leading into 2025, which states have the highest demand for nurses?  

Data collected by the U.S Health and Human Services and U.S. Census Bureau will be used in this post.  

Top 10 states with the greatest demand for nurses:

According to data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the demand for registered nurses (RNs) is projected to grow into 2025. There will still be a shortage of nurses in the U.S. only meeting 94% of the total demand for RNs based on the predicted supply (or number of nurses available). In 2025, predictions show that the U.S. will need 56,180 more nurses to meet the demand needs of the growing and aging population. 

The following list outlines the top states with the greatest demand for more nurses followed by the projected number of nurses needed. This list ranks the top states based on the number of nurses needed to meet the demand.

1. California (5,920 more nurses needed) 

2. Texas (4,270 more nurses needed) 

3. Florida (3,870 more nurses needed) 

4. New York (3,330 more nurses needed) 

5. Pennsylvania (2,370 more nurses needed) 

6. Ohio (2,150 more nurses needed) 

7. Illinois (2,050 more nurses needed) 

8. North Carolina (1,860 more nurses needed) 

9. Michigan (1,860 more nurses needed) 

10. Georgia (1,780 more nurses needed) 

2023-2024 U.S. Census Bureau Data

More data from the 2023 U.S Census Bureau shows that the states with the largest population and greatest population growth by both numbers and percentage were Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, and Georgia. These four states were found in each data table of 2023 population growth. 

The data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau.  

Additionally, the following table shows the data from the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau. 

Similarities amongst both the 2023 and 2024 list are noted about the growing states in the U.S. Each table further supports the data of projected states with the greatest demand for nurses in 2025.  

Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau outlined that while many states showed an increase in growth post-pandemic, the southern states accounted for most of the nation’s growth.

Top Unhealthiest States

Paired with the southern states’ recent growth, other statistics show the some of the unhealthiest U.S. states in 2024 are: 

1. West Virginia 

2. Mississippi 

3. Tennessee 

4. Arkansas  

5. Kentucky 

6. Alabama 

7. Kentucky 

8. Louisiana  

9. Oklahoma  

10. South Carolina  

How can Nurses use this information? 

It is no doubt that nurses are needed across the nation, but as recession predictions arise this data allows nurses to navigate the job market with insight on the greatest needs nationwide. Nurses can focus on the states with the greatest projected need/demand for nurses, states with the highest population growth, or states with the sickest population to increase their likelihood of finding new jobs and landing new roles within the profession.   

Nurse Compact License: 1 License with Multi-state Opportunity  

Since the pandemic, efforts have been made to allow 1 nursing license to grant you the ability to work in different states. This access is because of the nurse compact license. With 1 license depending on if your state is a part of the compact, can allow you to work in 42 different jurisdictions (at the making of this post in November 2024). This is great news for nurses, because instead of applying for multiple licenses or paying high application fees, nurses can move across states and still work under 1 nursing compact license.  

For more info on whether your state is a part of the nursing compact license (click here)

States excluded from the compact license:  

• Oregon  

• Nevada 

• California  

• Minnesota  

• Illinois  

• New York  

• Alaska 

• Hawaii  

• Michigan and Massachusetts having pending legislation 

• Pennsylvania has partial implementation

Conclusion  

In a previous post, I discussed whether nursing is recession proof and concluded that it all depends on the location and specialty. This article focused on the location aspect of being recession proof.  

Key Takeaways:  

• Focus on the states with the greatest demand for nurses  

• Focus on the states with the largest growth these past 2 years  

• Focus on the states with the sickest population

The good news is, nurses are in demand in general compared to other industries and professions. The better news is that with your 1 license you easily have the opportunity to work in multiple states under the nurse compact licensing.  

My goal as always is to help nurses navigate the job market being aware and prepared professionally.  

Additional Posts:

• Top States with the Highest Demand for Nurses in 2025
• What is the 2024-2025 Job Market Like For Nurses?
• Is Nursing Really Recession Proof?
• The 6 Highest Pillars of Wellbeing From a Nurse
• Career Update! New GI/Pain Management Nurse Position