2017 Trends: Nurse Salary, Top Nursing Schools, In-Demand Specialties [Infographic]

The demand for nurses is at an all-time high. In 2016, the healthcare industry added an average of 35,000 jobs each month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The infographic below shows the state of nursing in 2017, including top nursing schools, average nurse salary, in-demand specialties, and more.

States with the highest demand for nurses

The states with the highest demand for nurses are California, Florida, New York, Ohio and North Carolina. These are states with high populations in general, as well as a particularly high aging population. As Baby Boomers need more medical nurses, the demand for nurses consistently rises.

Average nurse salary

Salary ranges vary by specialty, location and experience, but the average salary for a Registered Nurse is about $71,000, according to U.S. News. This number rises each year. In popular cities like San Francisco, Registered Nurses can make more than $100,000. For other nursing jobs like travel nursing, this pay converts to about $34 per hour.

Specialties in demand

The nursing specialties experiencing the highest growth are:

• Emergency medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Dialysis
• Radiology
• Cardiology

Top nursing schools

Interested in starting a career in nursing? The top nursing schools in the nation are Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Washington University and University of California, Los Angeles.

Traditional nursing and travel nursing

Traditional nursing means a consistent job in the same place. Some nurses love being able to see repeat patients and get to know them, as well as get to know their coworkers. Other nurses find traditional nursing gets weighed down by paperwork or facility politics.

Travel nursing is always a new adventure, with assignments typically lasting 13 weeks. Familiarity can be nice, but travel nursing offers exciting changes of scenery. Travel nursing means less paperwork and more time spent with with patients.

Sources

http://www.fastaff.com/blog/5-states-most-need-nurses

https://www.nurse.com/blog/2016/02/16/u-s-still-headed-for-nurse-shortage/

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/registered-nurse/salary