Best States for CNM Salary
50 states ranked by highest-paying states for CNM licensing, updated for 2026.
California
$195K
California ranks #1 for highest-paying states among all states for CNM licensing.
View California CNM requirements →Full Rankings
| # | State | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California (CA) | $195K |
| 2 | Hawaii (HI) | $165K |
| 3 | Massachusetts (MA) | $162K |
| 4 | Arizona (AZ) | $160K |
| 5 | New Jersey (NJ) | $159K |
| 6 | Vermont (VT) | $148K |
| 7 | Oregon (OR) | $146K |
| 8 | Alaska (AK) | $144K |
| 9 | New York (NY) | $143K |
| 10 | Maryland (MD) | $142K |
| 11 | Washington (WA) | $141K |
| 12 | Virginia (VA) | $140K |
| 13 | Colorado (CO) | $139K |
| 14 | Nebraska (NE) | $137K |
| 15 | New Hampshire (NH) | $137K |
| 16 | Rhode Island (RI) | $136K |
| 17 | Minnesota (MN) | $135K |
| 18 | Connecticut (CT) | $132K |
| 19 | Missouri (MO) | $131K |
| 20 | Maine (ME) | $131K |
| 21 | Delaware (DE) | $131K |
| 22 | Nevada (NV) | $129K |
| 23 | Utah (UT) | $129K |
| 24 | Wisconsin (WI) | $127K |
| 25 | Michigan (MI) | $125K |
| 26 | Ohio (OH) | $125K |
| 27 | North Carolina (NC) | $124K |
| 28 | Iowa (IA) | $123K |
| 29 | Texas (TX) | $123K |
| 30 | New Mexico (NM) | $122K |
| 31 | South Carolina (SC) | $121K |
| 32 | Georgia (GA) | $119K |
| 33 | Louisiana (LA) | $117K |
| 34 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $116K |
| 35 | Idaho (ID) | $116K |
| 36 | Tennessee (TN) | $116K |
| 37 | Indiana (IN) | $115K |
| 38 | Montana (MT) | $114K |
| 39 | Illinois (IL) | $114K |
| 40 | Wyoming (WY) | $113K |
| 41 | Florida (FL) | $112K |
| 42 | Kansas (KS) | $112K |
| 43 | Oklahoma (OK) | $110K |
| 44 | Kentucky (KY) | $109K |
| 45 | South Dakota (SD) | $109K |
| 46 | Arkansas (AR) | $107K |
| 47 | Alabama (AL) | $106K |
| 48 | Mississippi (MS) | $105K |
| 49 | West Virginia (WV) | $103K |
| 50 | North Dakota (ND) | $100K |
Methodology
Rankings are based on official state licensing data collected from state nursing boards. Salary data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data is verified regularly and updated for 2026.
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