Nursing has always been an excellent career option for both women and men in America. The flexible hours, plentiful job openings, and high level of satisfaction from the job mean that many have been attracted to the specialized field. In fact, the number of registered nurses has increased from 12,000 nurses in 1900 to 3 million nurses today. Almost 2.6 million of those registered nurses are actively working, but the country is surprisingly still facing a nursing shortage that has been going on for decades. The current shortage is projected to continue through 2025. How can this be?
The American healthcare system is highly complicated and involves countless influential factors, but we can narrow down part of the ongoing nursing need to the outrageous demand for care. Even as the number of nurses in the country exponentially increases, it may not be enough to keep up with the demand.
An aging population
High demands stem from an increasing population that is also aging at a rapid rate. This means that the portion of the population experiencing the debilitating effects of old age is continuing to grow, and more nurses are needed to take care of them. The Baby Boomer generation accounts for 76.4 million Americans, and they’ll all be seeking medical care as they continue to age.
The nursing shortage is highly concerning, and our government and healthcare system need to take a hard look at how to improve the situation so all Americans can receive the medical treatment they need.
Entering the nursing field
But in many ways, a shortage is welcome news for those interested in entering the field of nursing. Jobs will always be easy to come by, and shortages usually mean higher pay to make the positions more attractive to applicants. Many schools also increase their acceptance rates to help satisfy the workforce demands.
How does the shortage affect your state?
Not every state has been hit by the nursing shortage in the same way, but many are facing high needs for registered nurses. States with the fastest population growth and lowest amount of nursing programs are affected most heavily.
Let’s take a look at how this shortage is affecting all 50 states across America. Read on for a detailed profile of your state, with statistics from the U.S. Health Resources and Services
Administration. States are listed in terms of highest to lowest demand:
1. California
# of Nurses in CA by 2030: 343,400
Projected Demand: 387,900
Difference: -44,500 (shortage)
2. Texas
# of Nurses in TX by 2030: 253,400
Projected Demand: 269,300
Difference: -15,900 (shortage)
3. New Jersey
# of Nurses in NJ by 2030: 90,800
Projected Demand: 102,200
Difference: -11,400 (shortage)
4. South Carolina
# of Nurses in SC by 2030: 52,100
Projected Demand: 62,500
Difference: -10,400 (shortage)
5. Alaska
# of Nurses in AK by 2030: 18,400
Projected Demand: 23,800
Difference: -5,400 (shortage)
6. Georgia
# of Nurses in GA by 2030: 98,800
Projected Demand: 101,00
Difference: -2,200 (shortage)
7. South Dakota
# of Nurses in SD by 2030: 11,700
Projected Demand: 13,600
Difference: -1,900 (shortage)
8. Montana
# of Nurses in MT by 2030: 12,300
Projected Demand: 12,100
Difference: +200 (surplus)
9. North Dakota
# of Nurses in ND by 2030: 9,900
Projected Demand: 9,200
Difference: +700 (surplus)
10. New Hampshire
# of Nurses in NH by 2030: 21,300
Projected Demand: 20,200
Difference: +1,100 (surplus)
11. Arizona
# of Nurses in AZ by 2030: 99,900
Projected Demand: 98,700
Difference: +1,200 (surplus)
12. Delaware
# of Nurses in DE by 2030: 14,000
Projected Demand: 12,800
Difference: +1,200 (surplus)
13. Massachusetts
# of Nurses in MA by 2030: 91,300
Projected Demand: 89,300
Difference: +2,000 (surplus)
14. Louisiana
# of Nurses in LA by 2030: 52,000
Projected Demand: 49,700
Difference: +2,300 (surplus)
15. Oregon
# of Nurses in OR by 2030: 41,100
Projected Demand: 38,600
Difference: +2,500 (surplus)
16. Rhode Island
# of Nurses in RI by 2030: 15,000
Projected Demand: 12,500
Difference: +2,500 (surplus)
17. Vermont
# of Nurses in VT by 2030: 9,300
Projected Demand: 6,800
Difference: +2,500 (surplus)
18. Wyoming
# of Nurses in WY by 2030: 8,300
Projected Demand: 5,500
Difference: +2,800 (surplus)
19. Minnesota
# of Nurses in MN by 2030: 71,800
Projected Demand: 68,700
Difference: +3,100 (surplus)
20. Hawaii
# of Nurses in HI by 2030: 19,800
Projected Demand: 16,500
Difference: +3,300 (surplus)
21. Connecticut
# of Nurses in CT by 2030: 43,500
Projected Demand: 40,000
Difference: +3,500 (surplus)
22. Nebraska
# of Nurses in NE by 2030: 24,700
Projected Demand: 21.200
Difference: +3,500 (surplus)
23. Illinois
# of Nurses in IL by 2030: 143,000
Projected Demand: 139,400
Difference: +3,600 (surplus)
24. Idaho
# of Nurses in ID by 2030: 18,900
Projected Demand: 15,300
Difference: +3,600 (surplus)
25. Utah
# of Nurses in UT by 2030: 33,500
Projected Demand: 29,400
Difference: +4,100 (surplus)
26. West Virginia
# of Nurses in WV by 2030: 25,200
Projected Demand: 20,800
Difference: +4,700 (surplus)
27. Maine
# of Nurses in ME by 2030: 21,200
Projected Demand: 16,500
Difference: +4,700 (surplus)
28. Alabama
# of Nurses in AL by 2030: 85,100
Projected Demand: 79,800
Difference: +5,300 (surplus)
29. Oklahoma
# of Nurses in OK by 2030: 46,100
Projected Demand: 40.600
Difference: +5,500 (surplus)
30. Michigan
# of Nurses in MI by 2030: 110,500
Projected Demand: 104,400
Difference: +6,100 (surplus)
31. Washington
# of Nurses in WA by 2030: 85,300
Projected Demand: 79,100
Difference: +6,200 (surplus)
32. Wisconsin
# of Nurses in WI by 2030: 78,200
Projected Demand: 72,000
Difference: +6,200 (surplus)
33. Mississippi
# of Nurses in MS by 2030: 42,500
Projected Demand: 35,300
Difference: +7,200 (surplus)
34. Nevada
Average RN Salary: $81,460
# of Nurses in NV by 2030: 33,900
Projected Demand: 25,800
Difference: +8100 (surplus)
35. Pennsylvania
# of Nurses in PA by 2030: 168,500
Projected Demand: 160,300
Difference: +8,200 (surplus)
36. Tennessee
# of Nurses in TN by 2030: 90,600
Projected Demand: 82,200
Difference: +8,400 (surplus)
37. Colorado
# of Nurses in CO by 2030: 72,500
Projected Demand: 63,200
Difference: +9,300 (surplus)
38. New Mexico
# of Nurses in NM by 2030: 31,300
Projected Demand: 21,600
Difference: +9,700 (surplus)
39. Arkansas
# of Nurses in AR by 2030: 42,100
Projected Demand: 32,300
Difference: +9,800 (surplus)
40. Iowa
# of Nurses in IA by 2030: 45,400
Projected Demand: 35,300
Difference: +10,100 (surplus)
41. Kentucky
# of Nurses in KY by 2030: 64,200
Projected Demand: 53,700
Difference: +10,500 (surplus)
42. Maryland
# of Nurses in MD by 2030: 86,000
Projected Demand: 73,900
Difference: +12,100 (surplus)
43. Kansas
Number of Nurses in KS by 2030: 47,500
Projected Demand: 34,900
Difference: 12,600 (surplus)
44. Indiana
# of Nurses in IN by 2030: 89,300
Projected Demand: 75,300
Difference: 14,000 (surplus)
45. North Carolina
# of nurses by 2030: 135,100
Projected demand:118,600
Difference: 16,500 (surplus)
46. Missouri
# of nurses by 2030: 135,100
Projected demand: 118,600
Difference: 16,500 (surplus)
47. New York
# of nurses by 2030: 213,400
Projected demand: 195,200
Difference: 18,200 (surplus)
48. Virginia
# of nurses by 2030: 109,200 nurses
Projected demand: 86,500
Difference: 22,700 (surplus)
49. Ohio
# of nurses by 2030: 181,900
Projected demand: 132,800
Overall need: 49,100 (surplus)
50. Florida
# of nurses by 2030: 293,700
Projected demand: 240,000
Difference: 53,700 (surplus)
Become a nurse
In the top 10 states on this list, nursing is greatly needed to care for an aging population. This means that nurses are highly sought after and should have an easy time finding a job. But no matter what state you plan to take a job in, nursing will be a career that plays an important role in our country’s healthcare system for many decades to come.
Nursing is a great career path with high job security. Learn more about the path to earning a bachelor of science in nursing.