According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics for May 2007, there were 7,160 registered nurses in the State of Montana making an average annual wage of $53,320, which is $25.63 per hour. This is considerably higher than the average wage earned by workers across industries in Montana, which was $32,640 per year, or $15.69 per hour. This shows that Montana nursing careers offer a significantly higher than average standard of living in Montana.
This is an exciting time to enter Montana nursing programs, as the nursing industry across the nation is poised for 23% growth by the year 2016. This projection comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition, which puts registered nursing among the industries expected to experience the greatest expansion over the next few years. This growth would result in the availability of an additional 587,000 registered nursing jobs in the United States. Reasons for this anticipated growth include the expansion of the population, the aging of the population, the fact that people are living longer, and the rate of retirement for current registered nurses. Montana is set to experience each of these factors as well, meaning that Montana nursing careers should experience a similar rate of growth.
It is important to note that the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition also points out that registered nurses that have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher will experience significantly higher growth rates in regards to employment opportunities than non-bachelor degree nurses. Therefore, students considering Montana nursing programs may want to consider programs that confer bachelor-level degrees or higher.