An Overview of the Nursing Job Market

Date Published: May 18, 2022

Recently graduated or graduating soon? Congratulations! You are one step closer to achieving your dream of becoming a nurse. To help you along the way, we’re offering a brief overview of the current job market for nurses.

Demand for Nurses

Since there will always be a need for healthcare professionals, jobs in healthcare are always in demand. In fact, healthcare is among the fastest-growing industries and employment sectors in the country. And when it comes to nursing, there’s even more of a demand as the U.S. is currently battling a nursing shortage.

Related read: Life In Scrubs’ Host, Kristen, Talks About Starting Her Nursing Career During A Pandemic

While the nursing shortage is attributed to a number of factors, some of the high demand for new nurses is due to the retirement of current nurses. 55% of practicing nurses are 55 year of age and older. As these individuals begin to retire, there will be a greater need for new nurses to replace them.

Quick Numbers

The future of nursing is bright, but what does the industry look like right now? Here’s a quick overview of current stats from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Median Pay: $37.31/hour or $77,600/year

Number of jobs in 2020: 3,080,100

Job outlook 2020-2030: 9% growth average

Nursing Industry Growth

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be around 276,800 new nursing job openings from 2020 to 2030. And as the overall civilian population ages, there will be even more job opportunities in this field due to an increase in chronic health conditions and an overall older population.

So where can all of these nursing positions be found? As of 2020, hospitals employed 61% of registered nurses, with ambulatory healthcare services and nursing/residential care facilities following behind.

Related read: Which specialty is right for you? Get an inside look from these 5 nurses.

Steep Competition

While there are plenty of nursing job opportunities, the field is still highly competitive. It’s important to create connections, expand your experience, and obtain all certifications required to present yourself as a qualified candidate.

Check out our 6 tips to kickstart the hunt for your nursing job and more tips from the Life as a Nurse section of our student blog.

You’ve Got This

No matter what path you take in becoming a nurse, you can feel confident that you will find success in a continuously growing field. As you begin your job search, it is important to keep all of your options open and remember: the world needs you!

*We recognize that COVID-19 impacted the healthcare industry in significant ways, specifically in regard to labor shortages. This article is updated according to the most up-to-date, available information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of April 2022.