Quick access

Add to my tools

How Much Does a Registered Nurse Make?

A registered nurse in the US earns a median salary of $97,550 a year, or $46.90 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $101,420, and the middle half earn between $80,330 and $112,350.

Median a year $97,550
Median an hour $46.90
Median a month $8,129
Average a year $101,420

Registered nurse pay range

What registered nurses earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $68,940 $33.14
25th $80,330 $38.62
Median (50th) $97,550 $46.90
75th $112,350 $54.02
90th (top 10%) $137,470 $66.09

The median is 91% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 3,379,720 people work as registered nurses in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,876
Every two weeks
$3,752
Twice a month
$4,065
A month
$8,129

At the median salary, before tax.

Registered nurse salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays registered nurses the most, at $150,280 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $150,280 $140,270 338,940 After tax
Hawaii $124,340 $136,320 12,940 After tax
Oregon $123,140 $129,010 39,730 After tax
Washington $121,540 $124,200 69,260 After tax
Massachusetts $117,960 $104,550 88,200 After tax
Alaska $114,870 $109,480 7,510 After tax
New York $113,440 $109,440 205,810 After tax
New Jersey $110,100 $106,500 92,680 After tax
District of Columbia $106,980 $102,540 11,440 After tax
Nevada $105,710 $103,670 27,070 After tax
Connecticut $105,250 $102,740 40,110 After tax
Minnesota $103,420 $101,510 70,110 After tax
Rhode Island $101,260 $100,640 10,090 After tax
Arizona $99,730 $99,500 73,150 After tax
Delaware $99,460 $99,520 14,290 After tax
Colorado $99,370 $100,260 54,490 After tax
Maryland $99,010 $99,790 52,910 After tax
New Hampshire $97,900 $99,700 15,390 After tax
Vermont $96,650 $97,460 7,410 After tax
Texas $95,380 $95,970 271,380 After tax
New Mexico $95,290 $94,340 17,980 After tax
Georgia $95,080 $93,550 100,950 After tax
Wisconsin $94,690 $95,530 68,060 After tax
Illinois $94,360 $95,990 138,910 After tax
Michigan $94,300 $94,300 104,950 After tax
Pennsylvania $94,020 $96,430 146,520 After tax
Virginia $93,850 $93,600 77,490 After tax
Idaho $92,710 $92,460 16,880 After tax
Maine $91,700 $86,990 16,540 After tax
Montana $91,510 $85,280 10,950 After tax
Utah $90,950 $84,600 27,420 After tax
Florida $90,650 $84,190 229,940 After tax
North Carolina $90,470 $84,350 111,120 After tax
Virgin Islands $89,910 $84,120 470
Indiana $89,150 $83,500 68,980 After tax
Wyoming $88,600 $83,760 5,330 After tax
Nebraska $88,330 $84,730 24,720 After tax
Ohio $87,730 $82,510 143,730 After tax
South Carolina $87,670 $82,360 49,750 After tax
West Virginia $86,970 $80,130 23,430 After tax
Kentucky $86,140 $81,040 50,300 After tax
Missouri $85,900 $81,780 76,310 After tax
Tennessee $85,390 $81,500 72,200 After tax
Oklahoma $85,060 $82,920 38,270 After tax
Louisiana $84,190 $80,230 48,970 After tax
North Dakota $83,600 $80,730 11,340 After tax
Kansas $82,360 $79,320 33,800 After tax
Arkansas $81,520 $78,940 29,400 After tax
Iowa $80,540 $78,630 34,420 After tax
Mississippi $78,950 $77,090 29,060 After tax
South Dakota $77,140 $78,060 14,710 After tax
Alabama $77,020 $77,080 54,340 After tax
Puerto Rico $46,190 $39,880 21,270

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Registered Nurses” (SOC 29-1141). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a registered nurse make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a registered nurse is $46.90, and the average is $48.76. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33.14 an hour and the top 10% over $66.09.

How much does a registered nurse make a month?

At the median salary of $97,550, a registered nurse earns about $8,129 a month before tax, or $3,752 every two weeks.

Which state pays registered nurses the most?

California has the highest average pay for a registered nurse, at $150,280 a year. Next are Hawaii and Oregon. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a registered nurse?

The lowest-paid 10% of registered nurses earn less than $68,940 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $80,330. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid registered nurses make?

The top 10% earn more than $137,470 a year, and the top 25% more than $112,350.