According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics for May 2007, there were 49,910 registered nurses working in Washington nursing jobs at that time and that the average annual wage for those nurses was $67,430, or $32.42 per hour. This is considerably higher than the national average annual wage for registered nurses across the country, which was $62,480 ($30.04 per hour) at that time. According to this data, Washington nursing careers also pay significantly more than the average annual wage for workers across industries in Washington, which was $44,710, or $21.50 per hour. This data clearly shows that Washington nurses receive compensation that is considerably higher than average, and enjoy a significantly better than average standard of living in Washington.
The data provided in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition makes this career choice even more appealing with projections that indicate a 23% growth rate in the nationwide nursing industry between 2006 and 2016, which would result in 587,000 additional registered nursing positions across the country. This anticipated growth is among the fastest growth rates across all industries and is a result of the increasing demand for registered nurses based on the nation’s growing and aging population, the expected rate of retirement for current registered nurses and the growing need for registered nurses to provide additional patient services to keep health care costs as low as possible.
Prospective registered nurses entering Washington nursing programs can expect the Washington nursing industry to undergo the same rate of growth and to continue to expand well into the future.