Those considering Las Vegas nursing jobs have plenty of opportunities to choose from.

The Las Vegas-Paradise area's education and health services industry employed 69,700 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 69,300 workers during November and a 3.4 percent increase from December 2008.

Nevada Workforce Informer states that the education and health services industry in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, is ranked fourth in terms of high-wage industries. In addition, seven of the top 10 high-wage occupations in Clark County are healthcare related.

According to Salary.com, the average pay for a staff registered nurse in Las Vegas is between $60,699 per year and $74,200 per year, while the average pay for a licensed practical nurse is between $38,747 per year and $46,646 per year.

Some of the most well-known hospitals in the Las Vegas area, according to Wikipedia, include:

University Medical Center of Southern Nevada - A 588-bed nonprofit facility run by Clark County and affiliated with the University of Nevada School of Medicine. The hospital is home to the only Level I trauma center and the only burn care facility in Nevada. It also offers an orthopedic center, an adult and pediatric emergency department, physical therapy, a pulmonary function lab, cardiac rehab, hyperbaric chamber, infusion clinic and outpatient clinic.

Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center - A 730-bed for-profit facility operated by Sunrise Healthcare System and owned by Hospital Corporation of America. The hospital offers a Level II trauma center, neonatal intensive care unit and the only children's hospital in the Las Vegas valley.

St. Rose Dominican Hospital-San Martin Campus - A facility owned and operated by Catholic Healthcare West. All of its 111 beds are located in private rooms. The hospital also offers a healing garden, a 33-bed emergency department and six surgery suites.

Nevada Cancer Institute - A nonprofit organization composed of researchers and physicians. This hospital boasts unconventional services and a branch of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Desert Springs Hospital - A 286-bed for-profit facility owned and operated by Universal Health Services. The hospital's diabetes treatment center is the only program in southern Nevada accredited by the American Diabetes Association.

Summerlin Hospital - A 480-bed for-profit facility owned and operated by Universal Health Services. The hospital also offers two medical office buildings, a four-bed pediatric emergency room and a 17-bed neonatal intensive care unit.

Valley Hospital Medical Center - A 409-bed for-profit facility owned and operated by Universal Health Services. The hospital offers a cardiac center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit.

MountainView Hospital - A 199-bed for-profit facility operated by Sunrise Healthcare System and owned by Hospital Corporation of America. The hospital is known for its surgical intensive care unit.

Spring Valley Hospital - A 176-bed for-profit facility owned and operated by Universal Health Services. The hospital has a 16-bed intensive care unit.

Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center - A 130-bed for-profit facility operated by Sunrise Healthcare System and owned by Hospital Corporation of America.

Other hospitals in the area include: Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital; Desert Willow Treatment Center; Harmon Medical and Rehabilitation Hospital; Healthsouth Hospital of Tenaya; Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital-Las Vegas; Horizon Specialty Hospital; Kindred Hospital Las Vegas, Desert Springs Campus; Kindred Hospital Las Vegas-Sahara; Progressive Hospital; Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services; Spring Mountain Treatment Center; University Medical Center-Rancho Rehab; and Vegas Valley Rehabilitation Hospital.