Medical excellence. Expansion. Innovation. All three call for registered nurses (RNs) in Phoenix, a metropolitan area known as the Valley and the largest metro in the Southwestern United States.
In the 2020 census, this metropolitan area had 4,845,832 residents, having grown by 652,945 people from April 2010 to April 2020, one of the fastest-growing metros in the country, home to just over two-thirds of Arizona’s entire population. Continue reading to find out more about RN nursing jobs in Phoenix, Arizona.
Employment and salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; population data is from the United States Census Bureau.
How Many Active RNs Are There in Phoenix?
There are over 40,240 dedicated RNs serving the Phoenix metropolitan area alone, representing a remarkable 71.81 percent of the state’s total workforce of 56,040 RNs. Their unwavering commitment to patient well-being and dedication to quality care are truly inspiring, making Phoenix a thriving haven for medical excellence.
What’s the Average RN Salary in Phoenix?
The strong job market in the Phoenix metro area offers rewarding opportunities for registered nurses, with an average RN wage of $87,410 annually, translating to a comfortable $42.03 hourly. This pay typically ranges from under $66,630 up to over $105,580 in the following percentiles:
- 10th percentile: $66,630
- 25th percentile: $78,280
- 50th percentile: $82,260
- 75th percentile: $100,250
- 90th percentile: $105,580
The percentiles indicate the percentage of nurses earning up to the given amounts. In other words, the lowest 10 percent of RNs earn less than $66,630 annually, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $105,580 annually.
These figures provide a valuable starting point for nurses considering their career options, although PRN nursing jobs in Phoenix generally pay a much higher hourly wage.
How Much Do Nurses Make in Phoenix?
Location makes a big difference in nursing pay. Arizona’s mean annual RN wage varies from $77,720 in Sierra Vista to $89,660 in Prescott. The table below shows the state’s highest-paying areas and how many nurses work in each.
Areas, Mean Annual RN Wages, Number of Actively Employed RNs
Growth of Healthcare in Phoenix
Data from the United States Census Bureau reveals a positive trend in the growth of healthcare practitioners in Phoenix, far outpacing the population growth over the past decade. The general population of Phoenix grew at an annual average of 1.04 percent in the last decade, significantly higher than the national average of 0.72 percent.
However, the number of healthcare practitioners—including RNs—tripled that rate, with an average growth of 3.2 percent in Phoenix and 2.9 percent nationally.
This increase suggests a promising outlook for the city’s healthcare system, including better access to care and specialized services. This rise in the number of clinicians correlates with the expansion of healthcare facilities.
Avant-Garde Hospitals, Innovations, and Development
The expansion of hospitals in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as investment in technology and innovation, provide job openings for RNs and other nurses. Some of the outstanding developments and award-winning institutions include the following:
- Valleywise Health will open a new 673,000-square-foot, 10-story hospital in April 2024. The new site will house a 75,000-square-foot burn center and specialties, including cardiology, trauma and emergency, maternity, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), oncology, pharmacy, radiology, and more.
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital is building a new NICU with a 44,000-square-foot area, providing specialized care for high-risk pregnancies. It will open in 2024 at the Thomas Campus. The health system is also developing a Level IIIB NICU at Phoenix Children’s Hospital - East Valley in Gilbert.
- HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center won Magnet status in 2023 for the fifth time, a recognition of nursing excellence.
Within the Phoenix metro, at least two more large healthcare organizations are expanding their facilities.
- Banner Health opened a new 6-story, 200-bed tower at Banner Estrella Medical Center in December 2022, expanding access to specialty care in the southwest Valley.
In addition, the Banner Scottsdale Medical Center is expected to open in 2026 with 106 beds and space for expansion, employ 1,000 people over the next five years, and provide over 2,500 jobs when fully developed.
Furthermore, Banner Health Phoenix, with 30 hospitals, ranks on Becker’s Hospital Review list of the largest health systems in 2023.
- HonorHealth broke ground on the Scottsdale Shea Medical Center expansion project in May 2023. The project includes a new state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Center of Excellence. The project will be complete in 2025, featuring 400 beds, advanced technology, and a focus on patient-centered care.
These are just a few examples of significant healthcare expansion and excellence underway or achieved in Phoenix in recent years. This growth trend creates many registered nursing jobs, highlights the city’s commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services to its residents, and solidifies its position as a leading healthcare hub in the region.
What Kind of Work Can I Find in Phoenix?
The most common settings for RNs in Arizona are the following:
- Hospitals: Fifty-six percent of Arizona’s 56,040 nurses work in hospitals, with a relatively high mean wage of $42.44 an hour or $88,290 annually.
- Physician’s Offices: Seven percent of RNs in Arizona work at private physician practices and earn an average wage of $37.38 per hour or $77,770 per year, 12 percent less than hospital nurses earn in this state.
- Home Health Care: Six percent of Arizona’s RN workforce is in the home healthcare sector, averaging $38.85 an hour or $80,810 annually. Home health care is booming, especially since the population over 65 grew by nearly 50 percent between 2010 and 2020. Projections indicate that by 2026, 41,000 new jobs will open in Arizona’s home healthcare sector.
- Nursing Care Facilities: Arizona has over 2,000 nursing care and assisted living facilities, which employ 4 percent of the Grand Canyon State’s nursing workforce.
Hospital jobs for registered nurses cover a broad variety of specialties and units, including operating room (OR) jobs—caring for patients before, during, and after surgery, and emergency room (ER) jobs—assessing emergency patients, developing diagnoses, and recommending courses of treatment, often providing life-saving care.
Which Are the Major Cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area?
Identified as the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan area by the United States Census Bureau, this metro serves 24 municipalities and two counties. The cities in the table below are mainly within a half-hour drive from Phoenix, so you might be interested in jobs in these locations as well.
Cities, Distance from Phoenix City, Population
How Can I Find RN Jobs near Me?
RNs, as well as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), can use Nursa to easily find high-paying per diem jobs near home in Phoenix, Arizona. Browse PRN nursing jobs, request the ones you’re interested in, and show up to work your shifts. It really is just that simple.
Additional Sources:
- Becker’s Hospital Review: 100 of the largest hospitals and health systems in America | 2023
- Arizona Technology Council: Banner Health to build $400M hospital campus in Scottsdale
- Arizona’s Economy Economic and Business Research Center: Arizona Is Getting Older…But so Is the U.S.
- Valleywise Health: New Hospital Fact Sheet
- Phoenix Children’s Building New 44,000-Square Foot Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- NursingProcess.Org: Registered Nurse Salary in Arizona + Job Outlook – 2023
