As of May 2007, there were 157,870 registered nurses working in Texas nursing jobs making an average annual wage of $59,720, which is $28.71 per hour. This data was gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and published in their Occupational Employment Statistics report for May 2007, which also states that the average annual wage for all workers in all industries in Texas at the time was $37,880, or $18.21 per hour. This shows that Texas nursing careers provide for a significantly better than average standard of living and nearly $22,000 more in wages per year when compared to the average working Texan.
This alone is a great reason to consider Texas nursing programs and Texas nursing careers, but the idea becomes even more enticing when coupled with the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition projections that foresee 587,000 additional nursing positions coming available over the next few years. This report states that the nursing industry is undergoing an expected 23% increase across the country between 2006 and 2016 and is one of the fastest growing employment sectors across industries. This anticipated growth has come about in response to the demand for more nurses created by the nation’s growing and aging population, the number of registered nurses expected to retire from the field, and the growing trend in the health care industry of using nurses to fulfill more patient needs in order to keep health care costs down.
Those considering Texas nursing programs should also keep in mind that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports notes that the best and most abundant job opportunities will fall to registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher, so prospective nurses may want to plan their education accordingly.