Article archive
Older salary, licensing, career, and staffing guides from Ava Health.
Step-by-step guide to getting your Physical Therapist Assistant license in Alaska. Covers CAPTE programs, NPTE-PTA exam, state application, PT Compact, CE requirements, and high-demand rural travel PTA opportunities.
Alaska does not require a separate state radiologic technologist license. Learn how ARRT certification works as the practice standard, how employer credentialing fills the gap, and the top imaging employers in Alaska.
Complete guide to Alaska RD/RDN licensure: ACEND education, CDR exam, DCCED application, and top employers including Providence and Alaska Native health systems.
Complete guide to Alaska respiratory therapist licensure in 2026. NBRC exam requirements, state application steps, remote and frontier market premiums, CE rules, and top employers.
Full guide to getting your COTA license in Arizona: ACOTE programs, NBCOT exam, Arizona Board of OT Examiners application, OT Compact membership, 24 CE hours, and top employers like Banner and Dignity Health.
Complete 2026 guide to Arizona RDH licensure: NBDHE, ADEX clinical exam, Arizona Board of Dental Examiners application, 26 CE hours with mandatory infection control, and Phoenix/Tucson salary ranges.
Full guide to LCSW licensure in Arizona: MSW, supervised hours, ASWB exam, board application, and how Arizona's LCSW Compact membership benefits multistate practitioners.
Step-by-step guide to earning your LPN license in Arizona: covering accredited programs, NCLEX-PN, the Arizona State Board of Nursing, eNLC compact, mandatory opioid CE, and top employers like Banner, Dignity, and HonorHealth.
Getting a pharmacist license in Arizona involves passing the NAPLEX and MPJE through the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, documenting 1,500 intern hours, and submitting a board application fee of approximately $165. Score transfers are available after one year of active licensure in another state.
Full guide to earning your PTA license in Arizona. CAPTE program prerequisites, NPTE-PTA exam details, Arizona Board of Physical Therapy Examiners application, PT Compact, CE requirements, and Phoenix/Tucson market employers.
Step-by-step guide to getting your Arizona radiologic technologist license through the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA). ARRT certification, state application, fees, CE requirements, and top employers in Phoenix and Tucson.
Arizona has no mandatory state dietitian license: learn the CDR-only pathway, employer credentialing standards, and top hiring employers like Banner Health and Mayo Clinic Arizona.
Step-by-step guide to Arizona respiratory therapist licensure for 2026. Arizona Board of Respiratory Care Examiners, NBRC requirements, Banner Health careers, and CE obligations.
Step-by-step guide to getting your COTA license in Arkansas: ACOTE programs, NBCOT exam, Arkansas State Medical Board application, OT Compact membership, 20 CE hours, and top employers like UAMS and CHI St. Vincent.
Full guide to Arkansas RDH licensure in 2026. Covers NBDHE, ADEX and CRDTS clinical exams, Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners application, CE requirements, and salary ranges in a state with widespread dental shortage areas.
Step-by-step guide to earning your LCSW license in Arkansas: CSWE-accredited MSW, 3,000 supervised hours, ASWB Clinical exam, board application, and CE requirements.
Complete guide to earning your LPN license in Arkansas: accredited programs, NCLEX-PN, the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, eNLC compact, one of the lowest CE requirements in the country at 15 hours, and top employers like UAMS and Baptist Health.
Earning a pharmacist license in Arkansas requires passing the NAPLEX and MPJE through the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, completing 1,500 intern hours, and paying a board application fee of approximately $110. Arkansas is a lower-cost state to license in with straightforward Board processes.
Complete walkthrough for earning your Physical Therapist Assistant license in Arkansas. Covers CAPTE programs, NPTE-PTA exam, state board application, PT Compact membership, CE requirements, and top employers.
Complete guide to earning your Arkansas radiologic technologist license through the Arkansas Department of Health Radiation Control Section. ARRT certification, state application, fees, CE, and top employers like UAMS and Baptist Health.
Step-by-step guide to earning your Registered Dietitian license in Arkansas: ACEND programs, CDR exam, Arkansas Board of Dietetics, fees, and top employers.
Complete Arkansas respiratory therapist license guide for 2026. Arkansas Department of Health application, CRT minimum and RRT preference, CE requirements, and UAMS careers.
The best states for nurses balance high salary, strong job demand, low cost of living, and favorable licensing rules. Our 2026 ranking covers every angle nurses actually care about.
Complete guide to earning your COTA license in California: CBOT application process, ACOTE programs, NBCOT exam, California CE requirements, OT Compact status, and top employers like Kaiser and Dignity Health.
Complete 2026 guide to California RDH licensure: NBDHE, CSCE clinical exam (CSCE only, not standard ADEX/WREB), Dental Board of California application, 25 CE hours, local anesthesia permit, and LA/Bay Area salary ranges up to $105K.
Complete guide to LCSW licensure in California: 3,200 supervised hours (more than most states), BBS application, ASWB exam, and California's high-demand market for clinical social workers.
Complete guide to earning your LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) license in California: covering BVNPT-approved programs, NCLEX-PN, the California Board of Vocational Nursing, non-compact status, 30-hour CE, and top employers like Kaiser, Dignity, and Sutter.
California requires pharmacists to pass the NAPLEX and the California-specific CPJE (California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination): not the MPJE used in other states. With a board application fee of approximately $485 and a 12-16 week timeline, California is one of the most involved licensure processes in the country but offers the highest pharmacist salaries nationwide.
Complete guide to earning your Physical Therapist Assistant license in California. CAPTE programs, NPTE-PTA exam, PTBC application process, why California is NOT a PT Compact member, mandatory CE topics, and top LA/Bay Area/San Diego employers.
Complete guide to earning your California radiologic technologist license through CDPH Radiologic Health Branch. ARRT requirements, state application, fluoroscopy permit, fees, CE, and top employers like Kaiser and Cedars-Sinai.
California has no mandatory state dietitian license: learn the CDR-only pathway, employer standards at Kaiser and Cedars-Sinai, and competitive RD salaries in LA and the Bay Area.
Full guide to California respiratory therapist licensure in 2026. California Board of Respiratory Care, RRT requirements, LA and Bay Area salaries up to $100K+, and Kaiser and Cedars-Sinai careers.
Cardiac nurse salary in 2026: national average $90K, Cath Lab vs CV-ICU vs telemetry pay breakdown, CMC/CSC/CCRN certification premiums, and travel rates.
Nurse case manager salaries average $82,000-$98,000 in 2026. Insurance, hospital, and utilization review settings each have distinct pay structures, and the CCM certification adds $6K-$12K.
Cath Lab RNs earn $85,000-$125,000+ base in 2026, with experienced nurses in high-demand markets like Florida exceeding $130K. Demand is strong and growing: here is what to expect.
Everything you need to know about CCRN certification: eligibility, exam content, study strategies, and how it affects your salary and job prospects.
CEN certification guide for emergency nurses: eligibility, exam content, study tips, salary impact, and how CEN compares to TNCC and CPEN.
Charge nurses earn $85,000-$105,000 on average in 2026, combining a base salary premium of $5,000-$15,000 over staff RN roles with shift differentials and leadership incentives.
How to become a clinical documentation specialist: CCDS certification requirements, salary data, daily workflow, and why health systems are aggressively hiring CDSs in 2026.
Clinical Nurse Specialists earn $95,000-$135,000 in 2026. CNS is a distinct APRN role from NP: focused on system-level clinical improvement, education, and research rather than direct patient care.
CNA salary in 2026 averages $32K-$46K nationally. Long-term care, memory care, and hospital CNAs earn more than home health. California and Washington pay the highest CNA wages nationally. STNA and CENA specialty credentials add 5-8%.
CNOR certification guide for OR nurses: eligibility requirements, exam content, study resources, salary differential, and what perioperative experience counts.
Full guide to getting your COTA license in Colorado: ACOTE programs, NBCOT exam, Colorado Division of Professions application, OT Compact membership, 20 CE hours, and top employers like UCHealth and Children's Colorado.
Step-by-step guide to Colorado RDH licensure in 2026: NBDHE, ADEX and WREB clinical exams, Colorado Dental Board application, 30 CE hours, and Denver/Boulder salary ranges in a growing market.
Complete guide to LCSW licensure in Colorado via DORA: MSW degree, supervised hours, ASWB exam, 40 CE hours, and how Colorado's LCSW Compact membership works.
Step-by-step guide to earning your LPN license in Colorado: covering DORA-regulated programs, NCLEX-PN, eNLC compact, 30-hour CE, and top Denver-area employers like UCHealth, SCL Health, and Centura.
Getting a pharmacist license in Colorado requires passing the NAPLEX and MPJE through the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy, completing 1,500 intern hours, and submitting a board application fee of approximately $185. Colorado is home to major health systems including UCHealth and Children's Hospital Colorado.
Complete guide to earning your Physical Therapist Assistant license in Colorado. CAPTE programs, NPTE-PTA exam, Colorado Physical Therapy Licensure Board application, PT Compact membership, CE requirements, and Denver/Boulder/Colorado Springs employers.
Colorado does not require a separate state radiologic technologist license. Learn how ARRT certification serves as the practice standard, what employers require, salary ranges, and top imaging employers like UCHealth and Children's Colorado.
Complete guide to Colorado RD/RDN certification: ACEND education, CDR exam, DORA application, fees, and top employers including UCHealth and Children's Colorado.
Full Colorado respiratory therapist licensure guide for 2026. Colorado Medical Board application, RRT requirements, UCHealth careers, Denver market salaries, and CE obligations.
Complete guide to earning your COTA license in Connecticut: ACOTE programs, NBCOT exam, Connecticut Occupational Therapy Board application, OT Compact membership, 20 CE hours, and top employers like Yale New Haven and Hartford HealthCare.
Full guide to Connecticut RDH licensure in 2026: NBDHE, ADEX clinical exam, Connecticut Dental Commission application, only 12 CE hours per renewal, and Hartford/New Haven salary ranges.
Full guide to Connecticut LCSW licensure through the Department of Public Health: MSW requirements, supervised hours, ASWB exam, and Connecticut's notably low 15-hour CE requirement.
Everything you need to know about earning your LPN license in Connecticut: accredited programs, NCLEX-PN, the CT Board of Examiners for Nursing, eNLC compact, one of the lowest CE requirements at 15 hours, and top employers like Yale New Haven and Hartford Health.
Connecticut pharmacist licensure is administered through the CT Drug Control Division and requires passing the NAPLEX and MPJE, completing 1,500 intern hours, and paying a board application fee of approximately $135. The state offers strong hospital system employment with Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare.
Step-by-step guide to earning your Physical Therapist Assistant license in Connecticut. CAPTE programs, NPTE-PTA exam, Connecticut Physical Therapy Board application, PT Compact, CE requirements, and top employers including Yale New Haven and Hartford Health.
Step-by-step guide to earning your Connecticut radiologic technologist license through the CT Department of Public Health. ARRT certification, state application, fees, CE requirements, and top employers like Yale New Haven and Hartford HealthCare.
Step-by-step guide to Connecticut RD/RDN licensure: ACEND programs, CDR exam, CT DPH application, fees, and top employers like Yale New Haven and Hartford HealthCare.
Full Connecticut respiratory therapist licensure guide for 2026. CT Dept of Public Health application, RRT requirements, Yale New Haven and Hartford Hospital careers, and CE rules.