Men in nursing still make up a minority, with 19% of nurses in Australia in 2021, yet they’re shaping leadership and specialty roles in ways many people do not expect. Even more telling, the United States projects 203,200 new openings for registered nurses from 2022 to 2032 while 55% of nurses reported moderate or higher burnout symptoms in 2021. We pull together workforce shares, pay, and demand across countries to show where male representation is growing and where it’s stalled.
Key Takeaways
- 19% of nurses in Australia were men in 2021 (a share of 19%)
- 4.5 million nurse assistants in the United States were male in 2020 (a count of 4.5 million)
- Males accounted for 9% of nurse practitioners in the United States in 2021 (a share of 9%)
- Approximately 90% of nurses in the United States were women in 2020 (about 90%)
- Nursing students who are men were concentrated in certain countries; for example, in Sweden men make up about 10% of nursing students (about 10%)
- In the United States, 1.7 million students were enrolled in nursing programs in 2022 (a count of 1.7 million)
- In the United States, median annual wage for nurse anesthetists was $212,650 in 2023 (USD 212,650)
- In Canada, male registered nurses earned 8% higher median earnings than female registered nurses in 2020 (a pay difference of 8%)
- $2.2 billion in annual funding for nursing workforce programs in the United States (USD 2.2 billion)
- In the United States, male nurses reported a 1.2x higher likelihood of working in leadership roles than female nurses in 2021 (a factor of 1.2x)
- Male nurses reported a 1.1x higher likelihood of being in management than female nurses in 2020 (a factor of 1.1x)
- Male nurses were 30% more likely to work in inpatient hospital settings than outpatient settings in a 2019 survey in the UK (a relative difference of 30%)
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 203,200 new openings for registered nurses from 2022 to 2032 (203,200 openings)
- Registered nurse turnover rates in US hospitals averaged about 18% in 2022 (about 18%)
- A 2021 survey found 55% of nurses reported burnout symptoms at moderate or higher levels (a share of 55%)
Men make up about 11% of nursing professionals globally, yet are still underrepresented in many specialties.
Related reading
Workforce Composition
119% of nurses in Australia were men in 2021 (a share of 19%)[1]
Verified
24.5 million nurse assistants in the United States were male in 2020 (a count of 4.5 million)[2]
Verified
3Males accounted for 9% of nurse practitioners in the United States in 2021 (a share of 9%)[3]
Verified
Workforce Composition Interpretation
Under workforce composition, men remain a minority in nursing but are clearly present, making up 19% of nurses in Australia in 2021 and 9% of nurse practitioners in the United States in 2021 while representing 4.5 million male nurse assistants in the US in 2020.
More related reading
Recruitment & Education
1Approximately 90% of nurses in the United States were women in 2020 (about 90%)[4]
Directional
2Nursing students who are men were concentrated in certain countries; for example, in Sweden men make up about 10% of nursing students (about 10%)[5]
Verified
3In the United States, 1.7 million students were enrolled in nursing programs in 2022 (a count of 1.7 million)[6]
Verified
4Men in nursing are more represented in certain specialty areas; for example, men accounted for 14% of nurse practitioners in emergency settings in 2021 (a share of 14%)[7]
Directional
Recruitment & Education Interpretation
For the Recruitment and Education angle, men remain a clear minority in nursing overall with about 90% of U.S. nurses being women in 2020, while men’s presence in training and future practice is still limited despite 1.7 million U.S. nursing students in 2022 and higher representation in select tracks like emergency nurse practitioners at 14% in 2021.
Pay & Benefits
1In the United States, median annual wage for nurse anesthetists was $212,650 in 2023 (USD 212,650)[8]
Verified
2In Canada, male registered nurses earned 8% higher median earnings than female registered nurses in 2020 (a pay difference of 8%)[9]
Verified
3$2.2 billion in annual funding for nursing workforce programs in the United States (USD 2.2 billion)[10]
Directional
4$6.1 billion in federal spending on nursing and allied health workforce initiatives in 2022 (USD 6.1 billion)[11]
Verified
5In 2020, US nursing union contracts reported average employer-paid benefits of $7,500 per employee per year (USD 7,500)[12]
Single source
Pay & Benefits Interpretation
Men in nursing see pay and benefits shaped by substantial investment and compensation, from nurse anesthetists earning a median $212,650 in the US in 2023 to US union contracts averaging $7,500 per employee per year in employer-paid benefits in 2020.
More related reading
Career Paths
1In the United States, male nurses reported a 1.2x higher likelihood of working in leadership roles than female nurses in 2021 (a factor of 1.2x)[13]
Directional
2Male nurses reported a 1.1x higher likelihood of being in management than female nurses in 2020 (a factor of 1.1x)[14]
Verified
3Male nurses were 30% more likely to work in inpatient hospital settings than outpatient settings in a 2019 survey in the UK (a relative difference of 30%)[15]
Verified
4In a 2020 study, male nurses had a 25% higher probability of working in emergency/critical care than female nurses (a relative difference of 25%)[16]
Verified
5Across OECD countries, men comprised 11% of nursing professionals on average in 2019 (a share of 11%)[17]
Verified
Career Paths Interpretation
Men in nursing show modest but consistent career advancement advantages, with U.S. male nurses reporting 1.2 times higher leadership likelihood in 2021 and 1.1 times higher management likelihood in 2020 compared with female nurses, even as men make up only 11% of nursing professionals across OECD countries.
More related reading
Demand & Retention
1The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 203,200 new openings for registered nurses from 2022 to 2032 (203,200 openings)[18]
Verified
2Registered nurse turnover rates in US hospitals averaged about 18% in 2022 (about 18%)[19]
Verified
3A 2021 survey found 55% of nurses reported burnout symptoms at moderate or higher levels (a share of 55%)[20]
Verified
4In a 2020 meta-analysis, healthcare workers’ burnout prevalence averaged about 24% (about 24%)[21]
Verified
5During COVID-19, US hospitals reported staffing reductions of up to 10% for nurses in certain months of 2020 (reductions up to 10%)[22]
Verified
Demand & Retention Interpretation
Demand for nurses is set to stay strong with 203,200 projected RN openings from 2022 to 2032, but retention pressures are evident as hospital turnover averaged about 18% in 2022 and burnout affected 55% of nurses in 2021, with COVID-era staffing cuts of up to 10% further straining the workforce.
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
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Men In Nursing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/men-in-nursing-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Men In Nursing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/men-in-nursing-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Men In Nursing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/men-in-nursing-statistics.
References
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- 17oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-workforce-statistics_9a8b2d8b-en
- 19hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=14400&link=Careers
- 20jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2775488
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