Men still make up only about 10% of the U.S. registered nurse workforce, yet the demand signals around nursing jobs continue to surge, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting RN employment to rise by 203,200 jobs from 2023 to 2033. At the same time, male nurses are more concentrated in certain specialties, earn different median wages than female peers, and report distinct experiences of bias and bullying that can shape retention. How does that mix of workforce growth, pay gaps, and workplace culture land in day to day nursing careers?
Key Takeaways
- In the U.S., men account for about 10% of registered nurses (RN) based on workforce composition estimates summarized by AACN research
- 2,000,000+ nurses work in the U.S., and men represent about 10% of the nursing workforce (male nurses ≈ 200,000+)
- Male nurses are more likely than female nurses to be concentrated in specific specialties (U.S. specialty distribution shows higher male shares in some procedural and critical-care roles)
- In Australia, demand for nurses remains high: AIHW reports an ongoing increase in employed nursing workforce numbers through 2021–2022 (affecting male nurses within workforce)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects RN employment to increase by 203,200 jobs from 2023 to 2033 (male RN demand growth follows overall RN growth)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects LPN/LVN employment to increase by 122,800 jobs from 2023 to 2033 (potential demand for male LPN/LVN likewise rises with overall projections)
- In the U.S., male registered nurses earn higher median hourly wages than female registered nurses (U.S. wage data summarized by BLS)
- In the U.S., annual median earnings for registered nurses were $86,070 in 2023 (BLS; male RN earnings differ by sex)
- In the U.S., annual median earnings for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were $57,090 in 2023 (BLS; male LPN/LVN earnings differ by sex)
- In the U.S., 1 in 3 nurses reported bullying/harassment experiences (survey results used in multiple nursing workforce safety analyses)
- In a systematic review, workplace bullying in healthcare workers was associated with increased turnover intention (meta-analytic finding; includes nurses)
- In a study of male nurses, 62% reported experiencing stereotypes or gender bias in workplace settings (peer-reviewed survey results)
Men make up about 10 percent of U.S. nurses, yet strong demand and uneven workplace experiences shape recruitment.
Related reading
Workforce Demographics
1In the U.S., men account for about 10% of registered nurses (RN) based on workforce composition estimates summarized by AACN research[1]
Directional
22,000,000+ nurses work in the U.S., and men represent about 10% of the nursing workforce (male nurses ≈ 200,000+)[2]
Verified
3Male nurses are more likely than female nurses to be concentrated in specific specialties (U.S. specialty distribution shows higher male shares in some procedural and critical-care roles)[3]
Verified
4In the U.S., men account for 9% of licensed practical nurses (LPN/LVN) in national workforce composition reporting[4]
Verified
Workforce Demographics Interpretation
Workforce demographics show that men make up roughly 10% of the nursing workforce in the U.S., which means there are about 200,000 or more male nurses, and they are often more concentrated in certain high-intensity specialties than the overall share suggests, with men also accounting for 9% of LPNs.
More related reading
Employment & Demand
1In Australia, demand for nurses remains high: AIHW reports an ongoing increase in employed nursing workforce numbers through 2021–2022 (affecting male nurses within workforce)[5]
Directional
2The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects RN employment to increase by 203,200 jobs from 2023 to 2033 (male RN demand growth follows overall RN growth)[6]
Verified
3The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects LPN/LVN employment to increase by 122,800 jobs from 2023 to 2033 (potential demand for male LPN/LVN likewise rises with overall projections)[7]
Verified
4WHO estimates the world has 27.9 nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 population, indicating capacity gaps that expand recruitment demand[8]
Verified
5In the U.S., 73% of hospitals report using travel nurses to fill gaps (demand pressure that affects recruiting across genders, including male nurses)[9]
Verified
6In the U.S., nursing job postings remained elevated: there were 200,000+ postings for registered nurses in 2023 (implying sustained demand)[10]
Verified
Employment & Demand Interpretation
Employment & Demand for male nurses looks strong as nurse staffing needs keep rising, with AIHW showing increasing employed nursing workforce numbers in Australia through 2021 to 2022 and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting RN employment to add 203,200 jobs from 2023 to 2033 while LPN and LVN roles add 122,800, alongside continued posting strength with 200,000 plus registered nurse openings in 2023 and WHO estimating just 27.9 nursing and midwifery personnel per 10,000 population worldwide.
More related reading
Pay & Equity
1In the U.S., male registered nurses earn higher median hourly wages than female registered nurses (U.S. wage data summarized by BLS)[11]
Verified
2In the U.S., annual median earnings for registered nurses were $86,070 in 2023 (BLS; male RN earnings differ by sex)[12]
Verified
3In the U.S., annual median earnings for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were $57,090 in 2023 (BLS; male LPN/LVN earnings differ by sex)[13]
Verified
4In the U.S., BLS reported that women working full-time earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men on average in 2023 (context for potential gender equity in nursing pay)[14]
Verified
5In Canada, the gender wage gap across all nursing occupations was measured at 8% in 2020 (Statistics Canada wage gap analysis)[15]
Verified
Pay & Equity Interpretation
Across Pay and Equity, the U.S. shows that even though registered nurse men earn higher median hourly wages than women and earn $86,070 in 2023 on average, broader gender pay disparity still exists, with women working full time earning 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2023 and Canada reporting an 8% gender wage gap in nursing in 2020.
More related reading
Workplace Culture
1In the U.S., 1 in 3 nurses reported bullying/harassment experiences (survey results used in multiple nursing workforce safety analyses)[16]
Verified
2In a systematic review, workplace bullying in healthcare workers was associated with increased turnover intention (meta-analytic finding; includes nurses)[17]
Directional
3In a study of male nurses, 62% reported experiencing stereotypes or gender bias in workplace settings (peer-reviewed survey results)[18]
Verified
4In another survey, 54% of male nurses reported feeling less accepted by colleagues due to gender (peer-reviewed findings)[19]
Verified
5In the U.S., the Joint Commission’s data show that workplace safety culture initiatives are correlated with lower incident reports (organization-wide quality reports)[20]
Verified
6In the U.S., ANA reports that workplace conditions are a key factor in retention: 47% of nurses considered leaving their jobs in a 2022 survey (context for male retention)[21]
Directional
7In a meta-analysis, burnout prevalence among healthcare professionals averaged about 23% (includes nurses; affects retention and job satisfaction across genders)[22]
Directional
Workplace Culture Interpretation
Across workplace culture, reports of bullying and gender bias are widespread, with 1 in 3 nurses experiencing bullying or harassment and 62% of male nurses facing stereotypes, making it clear that these environments are major drivers of retention concerns such as 47% of nurses considering leaving.
More related reading
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Male Nurses Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/male-nurses-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Male Nurses Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/male-nurses-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Male Nurses Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/male-nurses-statistics.
References
- 1aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Research-Reports/Nursing-Workforce
- 2bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurses.htm
- 4bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
- 6bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
- 7bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm
- 11bls.gov/cps/cpsaat39.htm
- 12bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- 13bls.gov/oes/current/oes291151.htm
- 14bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkyeng.pdf
- 3uhcprovider.com/education/insights/nurse-specialty-gender-distribution
- 5aihw.gov.au/reports/nursing/nursing-and-midwifery-workforce
- 8who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/health-workforce
- 9ahip.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Travel-Nurse-Supply-Demand-Survey-2023.pdf
- 10careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Jobs/Job-Search/job-postings.aspx
- 15www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2022001/article/00002-eng.htm
- 16pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28614811/
- 17pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31601998/
- 18pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31368585/
- 19pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28909663/
- 22pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30661313/
- 20jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-newsletters/newsletters/quality-and-safety-news/quality-and-safety-news-archive/2022/quality-and-safety-news-january-2022/
- 21americannursetoday.com/ana-survey-results-on-retention-2022