Washington’s nurse shortage numbers have been distorted by the recent economic downturn, and the fact that many experienced nurses have begun converting from part time to full time status in addition to working extra shifts. Registered nurse salaries tend to range from $66,000 to $71,000 in the larger cities of Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, where there are still plenty of nursing jobs to be found.
The top hospital employer in the state are Providence Health & Services in Renton with 19,000 employees. St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane each have around 4,000 employees. Three other hospitals in the state have 2,500 to 3,000 employees each.
Ten Largest Washington Hospitals
- Western State Hospital
- Swedish Health Services
- Sacred Heart Medical Center
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System
- Tacoma General Hospital
- University Of Washington Medical Center
- Harborview Medical Center
- Virginia Mason Medical Center
- Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital
- Eastern State Hospital
Top cities in Washington
Washington Facts and Figures
- 2012 Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
- Unemployment Rank: 35 of 50
- 2011 Per Capita Income: $44,294.00
- Per Capita Income Rank: 13 of 50
- 2011 Cost of Living Index: 100.6
- Cost of Living Rank: 32 of 50
