Indiana has about 7.0 million residents. Registered nurses average $89,150 a year, 34th among the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Licensure
The Indiana State Board of Nursing licenses registered nurses and licensed practical nurses through the Professional Licensing Agency. Its office is on West Washington Street in Indianapolis, telephone (317) 234-2043. Rules and applications are at in.gov/pla.
Indiana implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2020, later than most of the Midwest. A nurse living in Indiana holds one multistate license good in every other compact state, Ohio and Kentucky included, though that does not cover Illinois or Michigan next door.
Nurse practitioner practice
Indiana is in the reduced practice group. A nurse practitioner must keep a written collaborative practice agreement with a physician in order to prescribe, and the agreement is filed with the board. Diagnosis and treatment otherwise fall within the nurse practitioner's own scope. See nurse practitioner practice authority.
Nursing education
The Indiana University School of Nursing, based in Indianapolis and teaching across the IU campuses, is the largest program in the state. Purdue University, Ball State, the University of Indianapolis and Valparaiso University carry further baccalaureate programs, and Ivy Tech Community College supplies associate degree and practical nurse graduates at campuses across Indiana.
Pay and workforce
Indianapolis is the center of the state's nursing market, with Indiana University Health, Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network and Riley Hospital for Children the largest employers. Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and the northwest counties across from Chicago account for most of the rest.
Nurses in northwest Indiana frequently work in the Chicago market, which pays more but calls for a separate Illinois license, since Illinois stays out of the compact. See licensure by endorsement.
Related
- Nurse Licensure Compact
- Nurse practitioner practice authority
- Collaborative practice agreements
- Licensure by endorsement
- Nursing by state
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, state population estimates for July 1, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, registered nurses (29-1141), May 2025. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Indiana State Board of Nursing, contact details and licensing information. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Nurse Licensure Compact, member states. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners, State Practice Environment. Accessed September 8, 2026.