Best States for CNS Salary
50 states ranked by highest-paying states for CNS licensing, updated for 2026.
#1
California
$150K
California ranks #1 for highest-paying states among all states for CNS licensing.
View California CNS requirements →Full Rankings
| # | State | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California (CA) | $150K |
| 2 | Hawaii (HI) | $124K |
| 3 | Oregon (OR) | $123K |
| 4 | Washington (WA) | $122K |
| 5 | Massachusetts (MA) | $118K |
| 6 | Alaska (AK) | $115K |
| 7 | New York (NY) | $113K |
| 8 | New Jersey (NJ) | $110K |
| 9 | Nevada (NV) | $106K |
| 10 | Connecticut (CT) | $105K |
| 11 | Minnesota (MN) | $103K |
| 12 | Rhode Island (RI) | $101K |
| 13 | Arizona (AZ) | $100K |
| 14 | Delaware (DE) | $99K |
| 15 | Colorado (CO) | $99K |
| 16 | Maryland (MD) | $99K |
| 17 | New Hampshire (NH) | $98K |
| 18 | Vermont (VT) | $97K |
| 19 | Texas (TX) | $95K |
| 20 | New Mexico (NM) | $95K |
| 21 | Georgia (GA) | $95K |
| 22 | Wisconsin (WI) | $95K |
| 23 | Illinois (IL) | $94K |
| 24 | Michigan (MI) | $94K |
| 25 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $94K |
| 26 | Virginia (VA) | $94K |
| 27 | Idaho (ID) | $93K |
| 28 | Maine (ME) | $92K |
| 29 | Montana (MT) | $92K |
| 30 | Utah (UT) | $91K |
| 31 | Florida (FL) | $91K |
| 32 | North Carolina (NC) | $90K |
| 33 | Indiana (IN) | $89K |
| 34 | Wyoming (WY) | $89K |
| 35 | Nebraska (NE) | $88K |
| 36 | Ohio (OH) | $88K |
| 37 | South Carolina (SC) | $88K |
| 38 | West Virginia (WV) | $87K |
| 39 | Kentucky (KY) | $86K |
| 40 | Missouri (MO) | $86K |
| 41 | Tennessee (TN) | $85K |
| 42 | Oklahoma (OK) | $85K |
| 43 | Louisiana (LA) | $84K |
| 44 | North Dakota (ND) | $84K |
| 45 | Kansas (KS) | $82K |
| 46 | Arkansas (AR) | $82K |
| 47 | Iowa (IA) | $81K |
| 48 | Mississippi (MS) | $79K |
| 49 | South Dakota (SD) | $77K |
| 50 | Alabama (AL) | $77K |
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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