Nurses were, without a doubt, one of the most talked about professions over the last year. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation, nurses dashed to the frontlines, and were called heroes time and time again for doing so. But were they being paid hero-level wages?

Below are the 10 states where nurses earned the most and the least, on average, according to 2020 salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Registered Nurses – Highest Paying States

1. California – $120,560
2. Hawaii – $104,830
3. Massachusetts – $96,250
4. Oregon – $96,230
5. Alaska – $95,270
6. Washington – $91,310
7. District of Columbia – $90,050
8. New York – $89,760
9. Nevada – $89,750
10. New Jersey – $85,720

Registered Nurses – Lowest Paying States

1. Alabama – $60,230
2. South Dakota – $60,960
3. Mississippi – $61,250
4. Iowa – $62,570
5. Arkansas – $63,640
6. Tennessee – $64,120
7. Kansas – $64,200
8. Kentucky – $64,730
9. West Virginia – $65,130
10. Missouri – $65,900

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.