Nursing statistics at a glance
Nursing is one of the largest and most structurally important workforces in health care, but the numbers show a system under pressure from every angle: staffing, schooling, pay, geography, and future supply.
The data below pulls together the clearest nursing statistics from global health, U.S. labor, workforce, and education sources so you can see where the profession is strong, where it is stretched, and where the biggest gaps are forming.
Table of contents
- Fast facts
- Global nursing statistics
- U.S. nursing workforce and pay
- Employment settings and job conditions
- Supply, shortages, and state pressure
- Nursing education and faculty constraints
- What the numbers say together
Fast facts
Big number: There are an estimated 29 million nurses worldwide (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
Shortage signal: WHO estimates a shortage of 4.5 million nurses by 2030 and a combined shortage of 4.8 million nurses and midwives by 2030 (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
U.S. labor market: Registered nurses held about 3.4 million jobs in 2024 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
Typical pay: The median annual wage for registered nurses was $93,600 in May 2024 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
Education pressure point: U.S. nursing schools turned away 80,162 qualified applications in 2024 to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
Future gap: HRSA projects RN shortage to narrow to 3% nationally by 2038, equal to 108,960 FTEs (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
Global nursing statistics
Nursing is a global workforce, not just a national one. The scale is large, but the distribution is uneven.
There are an estimated 29 million nurses worldwide and 2.2 million midwives worldwide (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet). Those totals make nursing one of the largest workforces in health care.
WHO also estimates a shortage of 4.5 million nurses by 2030, 0.31 million midwives by 2030, and 4.8 million nurses and midwives combined by 2030 (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet). In other words, the headline is not just growth. It is whether systems can keep up with demand.
A few global patterns stand out:
- 67% of the global health and social workforce are women (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
- More than 80% of the world’s nurses work in countries that are home to half of the world’s population (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
- One in every eight nurses practices in a country other than the one where they were born or trained (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
- Globally, 41% is the female share across all employment sectors, compared with 67% in health and social work (WHO nursing and midwifery fact sheet).
Those figures show that nursing is both highly feminized and highly concentrated. The result is a profession shaped by migration, national training pipelines, and uneven country-level capacity.
Why global distribution matters
When more than 80% of nurses are concentrated in countries that together hold only half the world’s population, the shortage is not just about total headcount. It is about where nurses are available relative to where patients live.
That is especially important because nursing demand rises with aging populations, chronic disease, and long-term care needs. The global shortage figures point to a mismatch between training output and the needs of health systems.
U.S. nursing workforce and pay
The U.S. nursing labor market is large, relatively stable, and still expanding. It is also expensive enough that staffing decisions affect hospital budgets, long-term care capacity, and access to care.
The BLS says registered nurses held about 3.4 million jobs in 2024 and employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH). That translates to about 189,100 RN openings each year on average over 2024 to 2034 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
The same source projects RN employment to rise from 3,391,000 in 2024 to 3,557,100 in 2034, an increase of 166,100 jobs (BLS Registered Nurses OOH). For a large occupation, that is meaningful growth without being explosive.
RN wage snapshot
Here is a compact view of the wage and employment structure for RNs:
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment in 2024 | 3.4 million jobs | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
| Projected growth, 2024 to 2034 | 5% | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
| Average annual openings | 189,100 | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
| Median annual wage | $93,600 | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
| Lowest 10% wage | Less than $66,030 | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
| Highest 10% wage | More than $135,320 | BLS Registered Nurses OOH |
The wage spread is wide. The lowest 10% earned less than $66,030, while the highest 10% earned more than $135,320 in May 2024 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH). That tells you RN pay depends heavily on setting, role, and likely experience.
A few setting-level wage differences make the pattern clearer:
- Government nursing jobs had a median annual wage of $106,480 in May 2024, excluding state and local education and hospitals (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Hospitals paid a median of $97,260 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Ambulatory healthcare services paid $83,780 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Nursing and residential care facilities paid $81,820 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Educational services paid $74,360 (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
That spread helps explain staffing pressure. The market rewards some settings more than others, and lower-paying settings may have a harder time retaining workers.
Where nurses work
Employment is concentrated in a small number of settings:
- Hospitals employed 59% of registered nurses (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Ambulatory healthcare services employed 19% (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Nursing and residential care facilities employed 6% (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Government employed 5% (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- Educational services employed 3% (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
That distribution matters because it shows how much the profession depends on hospitals. When hospitals are under strain, the largest share of the nursing workforce is affected.
Employment settings and job conditions
Nursing work is physically demanding, socially intense, and increasingly complex. The occupational requirement data makes that visible.
In 2025, 79.4% of registered nurses had external verbal interactions constantly, every few minutes (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses). 49.6% were required to supervise others (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses). Only 1.1% had telework routinely allowed (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
That combination says a lot about the role. Nursing is not a remote profession, and much of the work depends on continuous communication.
Other 2025 requirements for RNs include:
- 17.6% required prior work experience (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 54.3% required on-the-job training (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 61.7% were required to have an associate’s degree (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 38.2% were required to have a bachelor’s degree (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 9.1% worked in quiet-noise environments (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 93.0% were required to perform work in low postures (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 9.0% were required to climb structure-related ramps or stairs (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- 7.9% were required to drive (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
What the job conditions imply
The requirements point to three practical realities:
- Nursing is physically taxing.
- Nursing is communication-heavy.
- Nursing is difficult to substitute with automation or telework.
That matters for retention because job strain is not only about hours or pay. It is also about constant interaction, mobility, lifting, and the need to respond in real time.
Supply, shortages, and state pressure
The shortage story becomes sharper when you compare current employment with long-run supply projections.
HRSA projects RN supply to be 92% adequate in 2028 at the national level (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038). By 2038, national RN supply adequacy is projected at 97% (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038). That still leaves a national RN shortage projected at 3%, equal to 108,960 FTEs (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
For LPNs, the outlook is tighter. HRSA projects 83% adequacy in 2028 and only 70% adequacy by 2038 nationally (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038). The projected LPN shortage reaches 245,950 FTEs by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
For advanced practice roles, the picture is different:
- Nurse practitioner supply is projected to be 126% adequate in 2028 and 175% adequate by 2038 nationally (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
- Nurse anesthetist supply is projected at 102% adequate in 2028 and 113% adequate by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
- Nurse midwife supply is projected at 104% adequate in 2028 and 140% adequate by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
This is the clearest labor-market split in the dataset: shortages are more acute in some support and generalist roles, while some advanced practice roles are projected to move toward surplus nationally.
State-level RN pressure
HRSA’s state projections show where the strain is expected to be heaviest. By 2038, RN shortages are projected at:
- 22% in California (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 20% in North Carolina (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 20% in Georgia (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 18% in Michigan (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 17% in Washington (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 16% in Maryland (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 13% in Oklahoma (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 12% in South Carolina (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 11% in Louisiana (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
- 8% in Virginia (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038)
The same projection set also shows the opposite pattern in some places. RN supply adequacy is projected to be 79% oversupply in Wyoming by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038). That contrast reinforces that nursing labor markets are local, not just national.
Metro and nonmetro differences
Geography matters even within the same state or occupation. HRSA projects RN shortages of 11% in nonmetro areas by 2038 versus 2% in metro areas (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038). In earlier years the gap is even wider: 24% in nonmetro areas in 2028 versus 5% in metro areas, and 18% in nonmetro areas in 2033 versus 4% in metro areas (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
That is one of the most important nursing statistics in the dataset because it suggests that access problems can be much worse outside major population centers, even when national supply looks manageable.
Nursing education and faculty constraints
A labor shortage is hard to fix when the education pipeline is constrained.
AACN reported that U.S. nursing schools turned away 80,162 qualified applications to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2024 (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet). That is a large number of people already interested and qualified to enter the pipeline.
The faculty bottleneck is part of the reason. AACN identified 1,588 full-time nurse faculty vacancies in a 2025 survey of 863 nursing schools, with a 7.2% national nurse faculty vacancy rate (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet). Nursing schools also cited 150 additional faculty positions needed to accommodate student demand (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
The survey response rate was 80.3% (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet), which gives the vacancy estimate some weight. But the most important point is structural: if schools cannot staff classrooms, labs, and clinical supervision, they cannot expand enrollment fast enough.
More education pressure points:
- 80.9% of AACN faculty vacancies required or preferred a doctoral degree (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- One third of current nursing faculty in baccalaureate and graduate programs are expected to retire by 2025 (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- Master’s-prepared nurse faculty had average ages of 55.0 for professors, 54.7 for associate professors, and 47.5 for assistant professors (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- Doctorally prepared nurse faculty averaged 61.2 years for professors, 55.6 years for associate professors, and 49.6 years for assistant professors (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
The data also shows enrollment softening:
- AACN reported a 0.9% decline in master’s program enrollment from 2022 to 2023, equal to 1,176 students (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- AACN reported a 3.1% decline in PhD nursing program enrollment from 2022 to 2023, equal to 137 students (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- PhD nursing program enrollment declined 17.5% from 5,145 students in 2013 to 4,244 students in 2023 (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- AACN found 5,491 qualified applications turned away from master’s programs in 2023 and 4,461 qualified applications turned away from doctoral programs in 2023 (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
Faculty shortage in one view
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time faculty vacancies | 1,588 | AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet |
| National faculty vacancy rate | 7.2% | AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet |
| Qualified applications turned away in 2024 | 80,162 | AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet |
| Master’s enrollment change, 2022 to 2023 | -0.9% | AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet |
| PhD enrollment change, 2022 to 2023 | -3.1% | AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet |
This is the most direct bridge between labor shortages and training capacity. When faculty are scarce, enrollment cannot expand cleanly, and when enrollment cannot expand, workforce shortages persist longer.
What the numbers say together
The nursing statistics point to a profession that is large, indispensable, and under persistent pressure.
A few themes repeat across the dataset:
- Supply is large but unevenly distributed.
- Shortages are worse outside major metro areas.
- Pay varies sharply by setting, with government and hospitals generally above lower-paid care settings (BLS Registered Nurses OOH).
- The job is physically and socially demanding, with constant verbal interaction and low-posture work common for RNs (BLS Occupational Requirements Survey: Registered Nurses).
- Education capacity remains a bottleneck, especially where faculty vacancies and retirements limit student throughput (AACN Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet).
- Advanced practice roles appear stronger in projected national supply than LPNs and general RN roles, but that does not erase local or specialty-level pressure (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections, 2023-2038).
One of the most revealing statistics in the set is the contrast between 40% of nurses indicating intent to leave the workforce by 2029 and the estimate that this could represent 1.6 million nurses (NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study infographic). Paired with the fact that 138,000 nurses left the workforce since 2022 (NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study infographic), it suggests a workforce that still carries post-pandemic strain.
Another important signal is that 73% of nurses had a baccalaureate degree or higher in the 2024 NCSBN study (NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study infographic). That helps explain why the profession can support complex care, but it also highlights the level of education already embedded in the workforce.
The overall picture is not of a broken profession. It is of a workforce that remains central to care delivery while navigating uneven pay, hard working conditions, training bottlenecks, and location-specific shortages.