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Registered Nurse salary
Average registered nurse salary
$73,349
How much does a registered nurse make?
The average registered nurse salary in the United States is $73,349. Registered nurse salaries typically range between $45,000 and $117,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for registered nurses is $35.26 per hour.
Registered nurse salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Registered nurses earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Registered Nurse earn more?
Registered Nurse Salaries By Experience Level
Experience Level  | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level registered nurse | $58,200 | $27.96 |
| Mid-level registered nurse | $73,200 | $35.17 |
| Senior-level registered nurse | $100,000 | $48.24 |
Registered Nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average registered nurse salary by state
The highest-paying states for registered nurses are California, Hawaii, and Alaska. The lowest average registered nurse salary states are Kansas, Arkansas, and Nebraska.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for registered nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $97,253 | $46.76 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $89,434 | $43.00 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $79,593 | $38.27 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $89,275 | $42.92 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $78,851 | $37.91 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $81,019 | $38.95 |
| 7 | New York | $91,110 | $43.80 |
| 8 | Oregon | $92,453 | $44.45 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $93,942 | $45.16 |
| 10 | California | $104,725 | $50.35 |
| 11 | Washington | $86,379 | $41.53 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $74,799 | $35.96 |
| 13 | Nevada | $84,132 | $40.45 |
| 14 | Delaware | $83,554 | $40.17 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $89,733 | $43.14 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $100,541 | $48.34 |
| 17 | Maine | $73,820 | $35.49 |
| 18 | Texas | $75,612 | $36.35 |
| 19 | Michigan | $76,403 | $36.73 |
| 20 | Maryland | $85,067 | $40.90 |
| 21 | Vermont | $74,249 | $35.70 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $70,665 | $33.97 |
| 23 | Arizona | $77,800 | $37.40 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,670 | $33.50 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $68,356 | $32.86 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $69,137 | $33.24 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $87,910 | $42.26 |
| 28 | Indiana | $68,459 | $32.91 |
| 29 | Georgia | $72,144 | $34.68 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $72,241 | $34.73 |
| 31 | Virginia | $77,217 | $37.12 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $73,785 | $35.47 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $68,899 | $33.12 |
| 34 | Florida | $67,649 | $32.52 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $67,541 | $32.47 |
| 36 | Idaho | $70,898 | $34.09 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $63,132 | $30.35 |
| 38 | Illinois | $72,168 | $34.70 |
| 39 | Colorado | $71,881 | $34.56 |
| 40 | Montana | $67,062 | $32.24 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $66,313 | $31.88 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $66,415 | $31.93 |
| 43 | Kansas | $66,092 | $31.77 |
| 44 | Utah | $69,540 | $33.43 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $66,097 | $31.78 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $64,143 | $30.84 |
| 47 | Alabama | $67,186 | $32.30 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $59,818 | $28.76 |
| 49 | Missouri | $66,392 | $31.92 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $63,703 | $30.63 |
| 51 | Iowa | $58,751 | $28.25 |
Highest paying cities for registered nurses
The highest-paying cities for registered nurses are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $108,619 | $52.22 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $91,845 | $44.16 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $91,220 | $43.86 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $89,470 | $43.01 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $87,954 | $42.29 |
| 6 | Des Moines, WA | $87,094 | $41.87 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $85,221 | $40.97 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $83,653 | $40.22 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $79,629 | $38.28 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $79,282 | $38.12 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $77,810 | $37.41 |
| 12 | El Paso, TX | $77,559 | $37.29 |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | $77,161 | $37.10 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $76,779 | $36.91 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $74,641 | $35.89 |
| 16 | Austin, MN | $74,169 | $35.66 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $72,247 | $34.73 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $72,138 | $34.68 |
| 19 | Madison, WI | $72,115 | $34.67 |
| 20 | Denver, CO | $71,819 | $34.53 |
Registered Nurses are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Registered Nurse salary details
A registered nurse's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $117,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a registered nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $73,349 | $6,112 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying registered nurse jobs
The highest paying types of registered nurses are contractor-registered nurse, agency registered nurse, and advanced registered nurse practitioner.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric Nurse | $72,945 | $6,079 | $35.07 | 614,706 |
| Staff Nurse | $68,342 | $5,695 | $32.86 | 699,636 |
| Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner | $97,820 | $8,152 | $47.03 | 486,582 |
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Psychiatric Registered Nurse | $73,053 | $6,088 | $35.12 | 640,480 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for Registered Nurses, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sophia Thomas
President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
-Starting salaries for NPs are exceptional, and usually hover between $80,000-100,000, but that can vary significantly based on geographic location, work setting, and certification/specialty. Some salaries are higher.
-The bureau of labor statistics (BLS) offers an excellent breakdown of salaries by region and state as well: link
-(Note: some stats on the BLS website are reflective of the Mean or Average salary and others represent the Median or midpoint. AANP data are all reported in Median)
-As NPs advance in their careers, there is a clear and positive relationship between number of years' experience and salary growth.
Top companies hiring registered nurses now:
Which companies pay registered nurses the most?
Registered nurse salaries at NORCAL Ambulance and Soliant are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average registered nurse salary at companies like trustaff and Ambulnz are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NORCAL Ambulance | $111,499 | $53.61 |
| 2 | Soliant | $108,127 | $51.98 |
| 3 | trustaff | $106,023 | $50.97 |
| 4 | Ambulnz | $105,988 | $50.96 |
| 5 | The Citadel | $104,879 | $50.42 |
| 6 | Stability Healthcare | $104,781 | $50.38 |
| 7 | Jackson Nurse Professionals | $103,736 | $49.87 |
| 8 | Westways Staffing | $101,855 | $48.97 |
| 9 | Goodwin Recruiting | $101,581 | $48.84 |
| 10 | MAS Medical Staffing | $100,976 | $48.55 |
| 11 | Staffworks Group | $100,070 | $48.11 |
| 12 | Travel Nurse Across America | $99,799 | $47.98 |
| 13 | American Red Cross | $98,767 | $47.48 |
| 14 | Fastaff Travel Nursing | $97,760 | $47.00 |
| 15 | Small Business Services | $97,118 | $46.69 |
| 16 | Tact Medical Staffing | $97,047 | $46.66 |
| 17 | University of California-Berkeley | $96,749 | $46.51 |
| 18 | Howard University | $96,650 | $46.47 |
| 19 | Huntington Hospital | $95,932 | $46.12 |
| 20 | Advanced Recovery Systems | $95,215 | $45.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Registered Nurse salary trends
The average registered nurse salary has risen by $10,268 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average registered nurse earned $63,082 annually, but today, they earn $73,349 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for registered nurses over the last decade.
Compare registered nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average registered nurse salary over time
Compare registered nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Registered Nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,300 | $35.26 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $71,400 | $34.31 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $69,800 | $33.58 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $68,200 | $32.77 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $66,700 | $32.04 | +1.4% |
Recently added registered nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Services | Registered Nurse (RN) Opportunity-3 To Temporary Assignment | Louisville, KY | 12/18/2024 | $125,220 |
| Doylestown, Pa | Registered Nurse, Med-Tele Unit | Nevada | 12/18/2024 | $74,068 |
| Kootenai Health | Registered Nurse-3 East Acute Care Unit | Hope, ID | 12/18/2024 | $90,054 |
| Uc Health | New Graduate RN Residency: Southern Colorado | Colorado Springs, CO | 12/18/2024 | $66,805 |
| Liberty Healthcare Corporation | Registered Nurse | Enid, OK | 12/18/2024 | $73,045 |
| Generations Family Health Center | Registered Nurse (RN) | Putnam, CT | 12/18/2024 | $72,800 |
| Whitestone Healthcare | Registered Nurse (RN) | Columbus, OH | 12/18/2024 | $83,480 |
| Connectedhc | Travel Chemo Infusion RN | Williston, ND | 12/18/2024 | $139,829 |
| Connectedhc | (RN) Registered Nurse-or Circulator-Up To | Albuquerque, NM | 12/18/2024 | $125,220 |
| Unitedhealth Group Inc. | Inpatient Care Management Nurse RN-Remote In EST | Atlanta, GA | 12/17/2024 | $58,300 |
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