According to survey data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2007, there were 14,670 registered nurses working in Nevada nursing careers at that time. On average, these registered nurses made $67,430 per year, which is $32.42 per hour, significantly higher than the national average registered nursing wage of $62,480, or $30.04 per hour. Nurses working in Nevada nursing jobs also made significantly more than the average annual wage for workers in all industries in Nevada at that time, which was $37,440, or $18.00 per hour.
This is a great time to consider Nevada nursing programs and to take advantage of the anticipated 23% growth rate expected for the field of registered nursing by 2016. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places registered nursing as one of the fastest growing industries in the nation and projects that there will be 587,000 new nursing jobs in the next few years. Increasing numbers of highly qualified registered nurses will be needed to meet the needs of our expanding population, particularly in light of the fact that our population is aging and living longer. Other factors that will encourage this increase in demand include the rate of retirement for nurses currently in the field and the trend towards nurses providing more direct patient services as a cost cutting measure.
As with most fields, registered nurses with higher levels of education can expect to see the greatest increase in job opportunities and opportunities to advance their career. This is particularly true when comparing the job prospects for nurses with bachelor’s degrees compared to their non-degreed counterparts. Therefore, if you are considering Nevada nursing programs, you may want to keep this in mind as you choose your degree program.