Nursing Jobs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States employs more than 366,000 healthcare workers. That means you’ll have your pick of great nursing jobs in Philadelphia. The city also has much to offer in terms of culture and history — all at a relatively affordable cost of living.

Quick Facts About Nursing Jobs in Philadelphia

• Is Pennsylvania a compact state? Yes
• What do RNs earn in Philadelphia? The average annual salary for RN jobs in Philadelphia is $87,830, compared to the national average RN salary of $89,010.
• Where can I find information about RN license requirements in Pennsylvania? You can visit the Pennsylvania Department of State Nursing Navigator website for up-to-date information.

What to Know When Pursuing Nursing Jobs in Philadelphia

Almost 1.6 million people live in the City of Brotherly Love. If you’re looking for jobs as an RN, CNA, or LPN, there are ample opportunities for full-time, part-time, contract, and per diem work.

Note that cultural competence and proficiency in a language other than English are valuable skills to have before you apply to nursing jobs — Philadelphia is a diverse city: 41% of residents are Black; 15% are of Hispanic ethnicity; and around 7% are Asian. Furthermore, greater Philadelphia’s healthcare workforce exceeds national estimates when it comes to African-American/Black representation.

The median age is around 34, with more women than men. People ages 65 and over make up around 14% of the population. Compared to the rest of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia residents have higher hospitalization rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular diseases, heart diseases, influenza and pneumonia, and septicemia.

Around 33% of residents are married; 21% are married with children; and 30% are not married but have children. If you need help looking after your kids while you’re working a shift, Philadelphia has affordable childcare and early learning programs, and provides resources for after school and summer programs.

When it comes to pets, Philly leads the nation in cat ownership, but almost a third of the region’s households include a dog. If you want someone to walk your dog or feed your cat while you’re working a double, you can rely on pet-sitting services to help you out.

Working in Philadelphia

The majority (51%) of the city’s job force drives solo to work and has a commute time of around 33 minutes. More than 1.3 million riders rely on the trains, subways, buses, trolleys run by the Southeastern Philadelphia Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to get around the city.

Healthcare, education, professional/tech services, manufacturing, and finance/insurance are among the leading industries in Philadelphia. The largest employers in the city are:

• University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine
• Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• The Giant Company
• Temple University and Health System

The metropolitan area has the fourth highest employment level of healthcare practitioners and technical occupations in the U.S., contributing to the many nursing jobs in Philadelphia. In fact, the area is also the fourth largest in the country for people employed in RN jobs.

The largest hospitals in Philadelphia are:

• Temple University Hospital
• Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
• UPMC Presbyterian Hospital
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest

In addition to private hospitals offering nursing jobs, Philadelphia operates eight city health centers via the Department of Health, and there are more than 265 nursing homes that employ skilled nursing professionals if you prefer to work in long-term care.

Living in Philadelphia

History aficionados can get their fill in Philadelphia, the only UNESCO World Heritage City in the entire country. From Carpenters’ Hall to the Liberty Bell Center to Independence Hall to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, there’s seemingly endless landmarks to explore.

You can catch touring Broadway shows at the Academy of Music and take in the masterpieces at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation. Healthcare professionals shouldn’t miss the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia — a collection of medical specimens including skulls and skeletons, tumors, and even slides of Albert Einstein’s brain.

Hungry? Philly has a well-established food scene, including more than 300 BYOB restaurants. Head over to Reading Terminal Market, in operation since 1893, where locals and tourists alike go to eat their way through the food stalls that sell everything from produce to baked goods. Philadelphia is also where you’ll find the famed Italian Market, the oldest outdoor market in the U.S.

Speaking of old, Philadelphia is home to the oldest and one of the largest urban park systems in the country — more than 100 parks cover over 10,000 acres. Among the offerings are the scenic trails in Wissahickon Valley Park and Valley Forge National Historical Park, while Fairmount Park features a Japanese garden, historic mansions, and the oldest zoo in the country.

If you’re looking to travel, you have access to three airports, but the main one is Philadelphia International, which has flights to more than 120 destinations around the world. There are also plenty of accessible day trips by car, train, or bus, including to the Brandywine Museum of Art, the Bucks County Playhouse, and Sesame Place.

The weather in Philadelphia is warm, wet, and humid in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter. Temperatures range from 26 degrees to 87 degrees over the year. July is the hottest month, and January is the coldest.

With all it has to offer, Philadelphia has a relatively modest cost of living that’s only around 4.5% higher than the rest of the country. The average home price is around $430,600, compared to the nation’s average of $451,000, and monthly rents go for an estimated $1,500.

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