According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics for May 2007, there were 50,690 registered nurses working in Wisconsin nursing jobs making an average annual wage of $59,980, or $28.84 per hour. While this is slightly lower than the average annual wage for registered nurses across the nation ($62,480) it is over $20,000 more than the average annual wage of all workers in all industries across Wisconsin, which was $38,070, or $18.30 per hour, at that time. With this considerably higher than average compensation and better standard of living for nurses in Wisconsin, it is no surprise that so many people are drawn to Wisconsin nursing programs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition includes projections stating that the nursing industry is undergoing a massive expansion with an expected growth rate of 23% between the years of 2006 and 2016. If this growth rate continues as expected, it will result in an additional 587,000 nursing jobs across the nation, and is one of the fastest anticipated growth rates across industries. This increasing demand for registered nurses is a response to the growing health care needs of our nation’s population as it expands and ages. Other factors that increase the demand for registered nurses include the expected rate of retirement for current nurses, the increasing trend of using nurses to provide more extensive patient services in order to keep heath care costs down, and the simple fact that people are living longer. Wisconsin nursing careers can be expected to expand at this same rate as Wisconsin responds to its own growing and aging population.
Prospective nurses considering Wisconsin nursing programs should also keep in mind that the best and most lucrative job opportunities will be presented to registered nurses who hold at least a bachelor’s degree.