If you’re considering a career as a nurse practitioner (NP), you may wonder about the current demand. The opportunities for NPs continue to increase rapidly across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks NPs among the top five fastest-growing occupations with the highest projected growth at 52% between 2020-2030.
Read on to learn about the top 10 best states for nurse practitioners.
Top 10 States for NP Job Growth
The tables in this section list the top 10 states for NP job growth from 2018-2028 as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Projections Central. The first table provides the number of projected new jobs in each state from 2018-2028, and the second table lists the projected percentage of job growth for those states.
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Top 10 States for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)*
State
*Number of Jobs
1. New York
21,870
2. California
19,700
3. Texas
16,430
4. Florida
15,200
5. Illinois
10,700
6. Tennessee
10,060
7. Ohio
9,620
8. Georgia
8,850
9. Massachusetts
8,550
10. Pennsylvania
8,220
Top 10 States for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)*
State
*% Change
1. Georgia
41.4
2. New York
41.3
3. Florida
36.9
4. Tennessee
34.7
5. Texas
31.9
6. Illinois
31.1
7. California
30.5
8. Pennsylvania
26.5
9. Ohio
24.6
10. Massachusetts
16.2
New York
Projections Central reports a projected 21,870 NP jobs in New York by 2028, with an average of 1,640 new positions added annually from 2018-2028. New York’s Department of Labor breaks down the numbers within the top 10 regions.
Projections Central’s data for California points to 19,700 NP jobs by 2028 and 1,390 average annual openings from 2018-2028. The top 10 regional data is pulled from the California Employment Development Department.
San Francisco — Redwood City — South San Francisco
26.1%
San Jose — Sunnyvale — Santa Clara
24.4%
Anaheim — Santa Ana — Irvine
21.7%
Texas
According to Projections Central, Texas should see an annual average job increase of 1,170 for a total of 16,430 NP jobs by 2028. These include the Texas Labor Market Information’s regional projected openings for 2018-2028.
Top 10 Regions in Texas for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
Number of Jobs
Gulf Coast
1,065
Alamo
447
Capital Area
199
East Texas
46
North Texas
43
South Texas
41
Heart of Texas
39
West Central
27
Cameron County
25
Golden Crescent
19
Top 10 Regions in Texas for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
South Texas
42.7%
Gulf Coast
40.9%
Capital Area
37.4%
Golden Crescent
33.9%
Alamo
32.4%
Cameron County
30.1%
North Texas
26.7%
Heart of Texas
25.3%
West Central
21.4%
East Texas
14.3%
Florida
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity figures for 2020-2028 contribute to the 15,200 total NP jobs projected by 2028, broken down to an average annual increase of 1,110 openings.
Top 10 Regions in for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2020-2028)Florida
Region
Number of Jobs
Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties
671
Broward County
552
Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and Saint Johns Counties
434
Hillsborough County
431
Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties
338
Pinellas County
331
Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties
251
Palm Beach County
235
Brevard County
134
Flagler and Volusia Counties
115
Top 10 Regions in for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2020-2028)Florida
Region
% Change
Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties
57.6%
Broward County
51.3%
Hillsborough County
49.9%
Pinellas County
49.1%
Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties
45%
Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties
28.9%
Palm Beach County
28%
Brevard County
27.8%
Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and Saint Johns Counties
27.6%
Flagler and Volusia Counties
26.1%
Illinois
Projections Central offers projections of 760 average new Illinois NP positions per year between 2018 and 2028, for a total of 10,700 jobs by 2028. Regional projections are provided by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Top 10 Regions in Illinois for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
Number of Jobs
Northeast
1,731
Central
142
North Central
126
Northern Stateline
116
East Central
108
Southwestern
99
Southern
92
Northwest
57
Southeastern
41
West Central
38
Top 10 Regions in Illinois for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
Northern Stateline
38.8%
Southern
36.1%
East Central
34.2%
Northeast
30.9%
Central
30.3%
Southwestern
30%
Southeastern
29.5%
West Central
29.2%
North Central
28.4%
Northwest
23.6%
Tennessee
According to Projections Central, Tennessee NPs should see an increase of 730 job openings per year from 2018-2028. By 2028, the total number of NP jobs is projected to hit 10,060.
Top 9 Regions in Tennessee for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
Number of Jobs
Northern Middle Tennessee
729
East Tennessee
625
Southeast Tennessee
326
Greater Memphis
242
Northwest Tennessee
231
Northeast Tennessee
210
Southern Middle Tennessee
162
Upper Cumberland
135
Southwest Tennessee
67
Top 9 Regions in Tennessee for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
Northwest Tennessee
108.9%
East Tennessee
45.6%
Upper Cumberland
39.9%
Southern Middle Tennessee
37.2%
Northern Middle Tennessee
37%
Southeast Tennessee
34.1%
Northeast Tennessee
34%
Southwest Tennessee
27.2%
Greater Memphis
20.2%
Ohio
Ohio breaks down its 2018-2028 labor projections into seven metropolitan statistical areas. NPs can look forward to a total of 9,620 new positions by 2028, with an average annual increase of 650 jobs per year from 2018-2028, as reported by Projections Central.
Top 7 Regions in for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)Ohio
Region
Number of Jobs
Columbus
398
Cincinnati
356
Dayton
156
Akron
125
Toledo
91
Youngstown — Warren — Boardman
59
Canton — Massillon
37
Top 7 Regions in Ohio for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
Columbus
30.6%
Toledo
26.7%
Youngstown — Warren — Boardman
24.9%
Cincinnati
24.9%
Dayton
23.3%
Akron
21.6%
Canton — Massillon
18.4%
Georgia
From 2018-2028, Projections Central expects to see an increase of 660 average annual positions for a total of 8,850 NP openings. The Georgia Department of Labor lists top 10 regional data for the same time period.
Top 10 Regions in for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)Georgia
Region
Number of Jobs
Atlanta
495
Cobb County
409
Fulton County
371
Georgia Mountains
203
DeKalb County
198
Coastal Georgia
147
Northeast Georgia
138
West Central Georgia
122
Northwest Georgia
99
Southern Georgia
88
Top 10 Regions in Georgia for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
Cobb County
49%
Atlanta
48.9%
Georgia Mountains
48.9%
Northeast Georgia
48.8%
DeKalb County
44.2%
West Central Georgia
43.3%
Coastal Georgia
43.1%
Fulton County
41.8%
Northwest Georgia
38.8%
Southern Georgia
30.7%
Massachusetts
The Department of Unemployment Assistance in Massachusetts provides regional projections from 2018-2028 for the number of new NP positions, but not percentages of change. NPs should see an increase of 540 positions each year during that time frame, and a total of 8,550 jobs by 2028.
The Center for Workforce Information & Analysis at Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry reports regional NP job projections data for 2018-2028. Projections Central’s figures point to an average of 570 new positions during that time, for a total number of NP jobs of 8,220 by 2028.
Top 10 Regions in Pennsylvania for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
Number of Jobs
Philadelphia County
220
Three Rivers
220
Montgomery County
150
South Central
150
Lehigh Valley
120
Luzerne — Schuylkill
90
Bucks County
80
Berks County
70
Central
60
Delaware County
60
Top 10 Regions in Pennsylvania for Nurse Practitioner Job Growth (2018-2028)
Region
% Change
Berks County
29.2%
Bucks County
25.8%
Central
27.3%
Delaware County
23.1%
Lehigh Valley
30.8%
Luzerne — Schuylkill
34.6%
Montgomery County
29.4%
Philadelphia County
22.7%
South Central
29.4%
Three Rivers
24.7%
FAQs: Nurse Practitioner Demand
Which state has the highest demand for nurse practitioners?
Nurse practitioner demand is the highest in New York, with an average of 1,640 annual openings projected from 2018-2028. This translates into a projected 21,870 NP positions by 2028.
Why are nurse practitioners in such high demand?
A number of factors contribute to the high demand for NPs, including an aging U.S. population experiencing chronic disease, turnover due to retirement, challenges in nursing education and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an overarching nationwide primary care physician shortage.
Is there a shortage of nurse practitioners?
While a nationwide registered nurse shortage continues, a 2020 study found that the NP population grew by more than 100% between 2010 and 2017. In states where NPs enjoy full-practice authority, the NP growth rate is even higher at 133%.
Is being a nurse practitioner a good career?
Highly trained NPs earn competitive salaries that far exceed those of other nurses. They also benefit from a higher level of autonomy in their patient care, especially in states where they have full-practice authority. NPs perform many of the same duties as physicians, without the extended educational and residency requirements, and are seen as the best solution to the country’s primary care physician shortage.
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