Registered Nurses Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for registered nursess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $101,420 ≈ $49/hr
National median salary $97,550
Total employment 3,379,720 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings 189,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 3,391,000 → 3,557,100 (+166,100)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$150,280
- Hawaii$124,340
- Oregon$123,140
- Washington$121,540
- Massachusetts$117,960
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$77,020
- South Dakota$77,140
- Mississippi$78,950
- Iowa$80,540
- Arkansas$81,520
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $150,280 | $140,270 | $72 | +48.2% | 338,940 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $124,340 | $136,320 | $60 | +22.6% | 12,940 |
| 3 | Oregon | $123,140 | $129,010 | $59 | +21.4% | 39,730 |
| 4 | Washington | $121,540 | $124,200 | $58 | +19.8% | 69,260 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $117,960 | $104,550 | $57 | +16.3% | 88,200 |
| 6 | Alaska | $114,870 | $109,480 | $55 | +13.3% | 7,510 |
| 7 | New York | $113,440 | $109,440 | $55 | +11.9% | 205,810 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 | $53 | +8.6% | 92,680 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $106,980 | $102,540 | $51 | +5.5% | 11,440 |
| 10 | Nevada | $105,710 | $103,670 | $51 | +4.2% | 27,070 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $105,250 | $102,740 | $51 | +3.8% | 40,110 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $103,420 | $101,510 | $50 | +2% | 70,110 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $101,260 | $100,640 | $49 | -0.2% | 10,090 |
| 14 | Arizona | $99,730 | $99,500 | $48 | -1.7% | 73,150 |
| 15 | Delaware | $99,460 | $99,520 | $48 | -1.9% | 14,290 |
| 16 | Colorado | $99,370 | $100,260 | $48 | -2% | 54,490 |
| 17 | Maryland | $99,010 | $99,790 | $48 | -2.4% | 52,910 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $97,900 | $99,700 | $47 | -3.5% | 15,390 |
| 19 | Vermont | $96,650 | $97,460 | $46 | -4.7% | 7,410 |
| 20 | Texas | $95,380 | $95,970 | $46 | -6% | 271,380 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $95,290 | $94,340 | $46 | -6% | 17,980 |
| 22 | Georgia | $95,080 | $93,550 | $46 | -6.3% | 100,950 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $94,690 | $95,530 | $46 | -6.6% | 68,060 |
| 24 | Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 | $45 | -7% | 138,910 |
| 25 | Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 | $45 | -7% | 104,950 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $96,430 | $45 | -7.3% | 146,520 |
| 27 | Virginia | $93,850 | $93,600 | $45 | -7.5% | 77,490 |
| 28 | Idaho | $92,710 | $92,460 | $45 | -8.6% | 16,880 |
| 29 | Maine | $91,700 | $86,990 | $44 | -9.6% | 16,540 |
| 30 | Montana | $91,510 | $85,280 | $44 | -9.8% | 10,950 |
| 31 | Utah | $90,950 | $84,600 | $44 | -10.3% | 27,420 |
| 32 | Florida | $90,650 | $84,190 | $44 | -10.6% | 229,940 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $90,470 | $84,350 | $44 | -10.8% | 111,120 |
| 34 | Indiana | $89,150 | $83,500 | $43 | -12.1% | 68,980 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $88,600 | $83,760 | $43 | -12.6% | 5,330 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $88,330 | $84,730 | $42 | -12.9% | 24,720 |
| 37 | Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 | $42 | -13.5% | 143,730 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $87,670 | $82,360 | $42 | -13.6% | 49,750 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $86,970 | $80,130 | $42 | -14.2% | 23,430 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $86,140 | $81,040 | $41 | -15.1% | 50,300 |
| 41 | Missouri | $85,900 | $81,780 | $41 | -15.3% | 76,310 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $85,390 | $81,500 | $41 | -15.8% | 72,200 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $85,060 | $82,920 | $41 | -16.1% | 38,270 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $84,190 | $80,230 | $40 | -17% | 48,970 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $83,600 | $80,730 | $40 | -17.6% | 11,340 |
| 46 | Kansas | $82,360 | $79,320 | $40 | -18.8% | 33,800 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $81,520 | $78,940 | $39 | -19.6% | 29,400 |
| 48 | Iowa | $80,540 | $78,630 | $39 | -20.6% | 34,420 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $78,950 | $77,090 | $38 | -22.2% | 29,060 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $77,140 | $78,060 | $37 | -23.9% | 14,710 |
| 51 | Alabama | $77,020 | $77,080 | $37 | -24.1% | 54,340 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 516 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $194,950 | 22,930 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $182,820 | 4,120 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $176,900 | 41,750 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $170,000 | 3,720 |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $164,200 | 23,590 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $159,830 | 1,750 |
| 7 | Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $150,970 | 1,080 |
| 8 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | $127,320 | 1,270 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $145,060 | 28,680 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | $124,740 | 9,680 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing registered nursess (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $124,630 | $123,040 | 920 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $121,260 | $129,260 | 101,050 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $121,240 | $129,220 | 101,140 |
| 4 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $115,500 | $120,400 | 150 |
| 5 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $114,680 | $116,430 | 50 |
| 6 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $114,680 | $116,430 | 50 |
| 7 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $113,760 | $120,700 | 140 |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $111,010 | $120,660 | 9,110 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $110,780 | $116,410 | 169,640 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $110,780 | $116,410 | 169,640 |
| 11 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $110,170 | $111,040 | 7,100 |
| 12 | Facilities Support Services | $109,940 | $112,830 | 1,000 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in the U.S.?
The median registered nurses salary in the United States is $97,550 per year (mean $101,420), and about 80% earn between $68,940 and $137,470.
How much do registered nurses make per hour?
Roughly $49 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $101,420 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays registered nurses the most?
California has the highest average pay for registered nurses at $150,280 per year (median $140,270).
What is the job outlook for registered nurses?
Employment is projected to change +4.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 189,100 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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