Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$68,940
- 25th Percentile — Junior$80,330
- 50th Percentile — Median$97,550
- 75th Percentile — Senior$112,350
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$137,470
The top 10% of Registered Nurses earn $137,470 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $68,940, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Registered Nurses Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Registered nurses assess patients, administer medications and treatments, monitor recovery, coordinate care with physicians and other providers, and teach patients and families how to manage health conditions. They work in hospitals, physician offices, home health, nursing facilities, schools, and outpatient centers.
How to become one
RNs complete either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), then pass the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain a state license. Many hospitals prefer or require a BSN, and many ADN nurses later complete an RN-to-BSN program.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $150,280 | +48.2% |
| Hawaii | $124,340 | +22.6% |
| Oregon | $123,140 | +21.4% |
| Washington | $121,540 | +19.8% |
| Massachusetts | $117,960 | +16.3% |
| Alaska | $114,870 | +13.3% |
| New York | $113,440 | +11.9% |
| New Jersey | $110,100 | +8.6% |
| District of Columbia | $106,980 | +5.5% |
| Nevada | $105,710 | +4.2% |
| Connecticut | $105,250 | +3.8% |
| Minnesota | $103,420 | +2.0% |
| Rhode Island | $101,260 | -0.2% |
| Arizona | $99,730 | -1.7% |
| Delaware | $99,460 | -1.9% |
| Colorado | $99,370 | -2.0% |
| Maryland | $99,010 | -2.4% |
| New Hampshire | $97,900 | -3.5% |
| Vermont | $96,650 | -4.7% |
| Texas | $95,380 | -6.0% |
| New Mexico | $95,290 | -6.0% |
| Georgia | $95,080 | -6.3% |
| Wisconsin | $94,690 | -6.6% |
| Illinois | $94,360 | -7.0% |
| Michigan | $94,300 | -7.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $94,020 | -7.3% |
| Virginia | $93,850 | -7.5% |
| Idaho | $92,710 | -8.6% |
| Maine | $91,700 | -9.6% |
| Montana | $91,510 | -9.8% |
| Utah | $90,950 | -10.3% |
| Florida | $90,650 | -10.6% |
| North Carolina | $90,470 | -10.8% |
| Indiana | $89,150 | -12.1% |
| Wyoming | $88,600 | -12.6% |
| Nebraska | $88,330 | -12.9% |
| Ohio | $87,730 | -13.5% |
| South Carolina | $87,670 | -13.6% |
| West Virginia | $86,970 | -14.2% |
| Kentucky | $86,140 | -15.1% |
| Missouri | $85,900 | -15.3% |
| Tennessee | $85,390 | -15.8% |
| Oklahoma | $85,060 | -16.1% |
| Louisiana | $84,190 | -17.0% |
| North Dakota | $83,600 | -17.6% |
| Kansas | $82,360 | -18.8% |
| Arkansas | $81,520 | -19.6% |
| Iowa | $80,540 | -20.6% |
| Mississippi | $78,950 | -22.2% |
| South Dakota | $77,140 | -23.9% |
| Alabama | $77,020 | -24.1% |
What Factors Affect Registered Nurses Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Registered Nurses is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $150,280, while Alabama pays $77,020 — a gap of $73,260 per year.
State is one of the largest pay factors for nurses, driven by local cost of living, union representation, and regional nursing shortages. Hospital settings generally pay more than physician offices or schools, and night, weekend, and specialty-unit differentials (ICU, ER, operating room) add meaningfully to base pay. Travel nursing contracts can pay well above staff rates.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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- Software Developers $148,100/yr United States +46.0% vs this role
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Registered Nurses?
The average salary for Registered Nurses in the United States is $101,420 per year, with a median of $97,550.
What is the starting salary for Registered Nurses?
Entry-level Registered Nurses typically earn between $68,940 and $80,330 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Registered Nurses the most?
California pays Registered Nurses the most at $150,280 per year on average, followed by Hawaii ($124,340) and Oregon ($123,140).
How much do Registered Nurses make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $101,420, Registered Nurses earn approximately $48.76 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Registered Nurses a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 3,379,720 Registered Nurses jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $101,420 and a median of $97,550 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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