Nursing Salary Comparison by State
See how the same rate nets out in all 50 states.
Price your package in every state
All 51 jurisdictions ranked
$35.00/hour for 36 hours plus $1,140/week in stipends — $2,400 gross a week, filed as Single, over 48 worked weeks. Median weekly net: $2,154.57.
| # | State | Tax type | State tax / wk | Weekly net | 13-week net | Vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 2 | Florida | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 3 | Nevada | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 4 | New Hampshire | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 5 | North Dakota | Progressive | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 6 | South Dakota | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 7 | Tennessee | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 8 | Texas | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 9 | Wyoming | No income tax | $0.00 | $2,197.83 | $28,572 | — |
| 10 | Washington | No income tax | $17.48 | $2,180.35 | $28,345 | -$17 |
| 11 | Ohio | Progressive | $19.73 | $2,178.10 | $28,315 | -$20 |
| 12 | Arizona | Flat rate | $23.11 | $2,174.72 | $28,271 | -$23 |
| 13 | Louisiana | Flat rate | $29.75 | $2,168.08 | $28,185 | -$30 |
| 14 | Iowa | Flat rate | $35.13 | $2,162.70 | $28,115 | -$35 |
| 15 | Indiana | Flat rate | $37.17 | $2,160.66 | $28,089 | -$37 |
| 16 | Vermont | Progressive | $39.19 | $2,158.64 | $28,062 | -$39 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | Flat rate | $39.56 | $2,158.27 | $28,058 | -$40 |
| 18 | North Carolina | Flat rate | $39.68 | $2,158.15 | $28,056 | -$40 |
| 19 | Missouri | Progressive | $39.79 | $2,158.04 | $28,055 | -$40 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | Progressive | $39.81 | $2,158.02 | $28,054 | -$40 |
| 21 | Mississippi | Flat rate | $40.15 | $2,157.68 | $28,050 | -$40 |
| 22 | New Mexico | Progressive | $41.23 | $2,156.60 | $28,036 | -$41 |
| 23 | Kentucky | Flat rate | $41.65 | $2,156.18 | $28,030 | -$42 |
| 24 | South Carolina | Progressive | $41.81 | $2,156.02 | $28,028 | -$42 |
| 25 | Nebraska | Progressive | $42.67 | $2,155.16 | $28,017 | -$43 |
| 26 | West Virginia | Progressive | $43.26 | $2,154.57 | $28,009 | -$43 |
| 27 | New Jersey | Progressive | $43.81 | $2,154.02 | $28,002 | -$44 |
| 28 | Arkansas | Progressive | $45.31 | $2,152.52 | $27,983 | -$45 |
| 29 | Colorado | Flat rate | $46.22 | $2,151.61 | $27,971 | -$46 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | Progressive | $46.27 | $2,151.56 | $27,970 | -$46 |
| 31 | Montana | Progressive | $48.06 | $2,149.77 | $27,947 | -$48 |
| 32 | Idaho | Flat rate | $49.00 | $2,148.83 | $27,935 | -$49 |
| 33 | California | Progressive | $51.43 | $2,146.40 | $27,903 | -$51 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | Progressive | $51.76 | $2,146.07 | $27,899 | -$52 |
| 35 | Georgia | Flat rate | $52.42 | $2,145.41 | $27,890 | -$52 |
| 36 | Michigan | Flat rate | $53.55 | $2,144.28 | $27,876 | -$54 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | Progressive | $54.88 | $2,142.95 | $27,858 | -$55 |
| 38 | Maryland | Progressive | $55.44 | $2,142.39 | $27,851 | -$55 |
| 39 | Virginia | Progressive | $56.60 | $2,141.23 | $27,836 | -$57 |
| 40 | Utah | Flat rate | $56.70 | $2,141.13 | $27,835 | -$57 |
| 41 | Alabama | Progressive | $59.04 | $2,138.79 | $27,804 | -$59 |
| 42 | Minnesota | Progressive | $59.48 | $2,138.35 | $27,799 | -$59 |
| 43 | Connecticut | Progressive | $59.98 | $2,137.85 | $27,792 | -$60 |
| 44 | Delaware | Progressive | $60.87 | $2,136.96 | $27,780 | -$61 |
| 45 | New York | Progressive | $61.04 | $2,136.79 | $27,778 | -$61 |
| 46 | Illinois | Flat rate | $62.37 | $2,135.46 | $27,761 | -$62 |
| 47 | Maine | Progressive | $63.29 | $2,134.54 | $27,749 | -$63 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | Flat rate | $64.22 | $2,133.61 | $27,737 | -$64 |
| 49 | Kansas | Progressive | $64.30 | $2,133.53 | $27,736 | -$64 |
| 50 | Hawaii | Progressive | $71.99 | $2,125.84 | $27,636 | -$72 |
| 51 | Oregon | Progressive | $101.83 | $2,096.00 | $27,248 | -$102 |
"State tax / wk" includes employee-paid state programmes — California SDI, WA Cares, the paid-leave premiums — not just income tax. That is why several no-income-tax states still show a cost.
What the ranking actually tells you
The same contract is worth about $1,324 more over 13 weeks in Alaska than in Oregon. That is the number recruiters do not volunteer when they compare two offers by weekly gross, and it is large enough to outweigh a meaningful difference in the headline rate.
Nine states levy no income tax on wages at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Seven of those charge nothing else either. Washington is the exception worth knowing — it runs both the WA Cares long-term-care premium, which is uncapped, and a paid-leave contribution, so it ranks below the other eight despite having no income tax.
Progressive states are not automatically expensive
At travel-nursing income the ranking is frequently counter-intuitive. California has the highest top rate in the country at 13.3%, but its bottom brackets run from 1% and it grants a personal exemption credit, so at around $60,000 of taxable wages it costs less than New York — which has a smaller standard deduction and reaches 5.4% by $13,900 of income. The rate a state is famous for is its top rate, and most travellers never reach it.
Where you live still matters
This table prices the state you work in. If your permanent residence is somewhere else, your home state may tax the same income and then credit what you paid to the work state — usually leaving you at the higher of the two rates rather than the lower. A traveller domiciled in California taking a Texas contract does not simply escape California tax. Treat the figures here as the work-state floor and check your own residency position.
What this does not include
Cost of living is not modelled, and it moves in the opposite direction to tax often enough to matter — the no-tax states include some of the most expensive housing markets in the country. Local and municipal income taxes are excluded, which understates New York City, Yonkers and around 2,900 jurisdictions across Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Common questions
Which state pays nurses the most after tax?
For the same gross package, the seven states with no income tax and no employee payroll programmes net the most: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. Washington and New Hampshire also have no income tax, but Washington charges the WA Cares premium and a paid-leave contribution. The full ranking for your own package is in the table above.
How much does state tax change my take-home?
Between the best and worst jurisdictions the spread on a typical travel package is a few hundred dollars a week, which is thousands across a 13-week contract — often more than the difference between two agencies quoting different rates.
Is California really the most expensive state for nurses?
Not at travel-nursing income. California has the highest top rate in the country, but its bottom brackets start at 1% and it grants a personal exemption credit, so at around $60,000 of taxable wages it costs less than New York. California only becomes the expensive option much further up the income scale.
Do I pay tax where I live or where I work?
Where you work. If you live in another state, your home state may also tax the same income and give you a credit for what you paid to the work state — usually leaving you at the higher of the two rates. This table prices the work state only, so treat it as a floor if you cross state lines.
Does this account for cost of living?
No. It compares tax only. Several no-tax states have expensive housing markets, so a higher net can still buy less. Use the ranking to understand the tax difference, then weigh housing separately — particularly if you take a stipend rather than agency-provided housing.
Sources & limits
Every jurisdiction is priced by the same engine from published 2026 federal, FICA and state tables, as annual liability divided back to a weekly figure. Employee-paid state programmes are included as separate lines. Rankings are recomputed per scenario and cached for 24 hours.
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