4. Alaska — $95K – $118K
Alaska has the highest nominal RN pay of any state per BLS OES data, and it earns that number honestly. Geography drives the shortage: dozens of rural villages and Alaska Native health corporations depend on a small pool of RNs willing to work in weather-isolated communities accessible only by plane or barge for much of the year.
Anchorage and Fairbanks fill relatively well, but bush facilities run vacancy rates well above the national average. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the state hospital association both list nursing as a top-tier workforce priority, with recruitment budgets scaled accordingly.
Alaska RN pay ranges from $95K to $118K per BLS OES, with rural and tribal facilities layering on housing, travel stipends, and completion bonuses that push totals higher. Cost of living in Anchorage is elevated, but bush assignments often come with housing included, which changes the net calculation considerably.
