Checked
Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses earn a median $97,550 a year in the U.S., with 3,379,720 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $97,550 a year
- Employment
- 3,379,720
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 180,800
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $97,550 · $46.90 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $101,420 · $48.76 an hour (estimate error ±0.2%)
- 10th percentile
- $68,940 · $33.14 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $80,330 · $38.62 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $112,350 · $54.02 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $137,470 · $66.09 an hour
- Employment
- 3,379,720 (estimate error ±0.3%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes Clinical Nurse Specialists. Excludes “Nurse Anesthetists” (29-1151), “Nurse Midwives” (29-1161), and “Nurse Practitioners” (29-1171).
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 3.47 million
- Projected for 2035
- 3.66 million
- Change
- +194,700 (+5.6%)
- Openings each year
- 180,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 0.5%
Occupational Outlook Handbook (duties, how to become one, work environment)
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| 3 | Oregon | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,200 | 69,260 |
| 5 | Alaska | $109,480 | 7,510 |
| 6 | New York | $109,440 | 205,810 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $106,500 | 92,680 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $104,550 | 88,200 |
| 9 | Nevada | $103,670 | 27,070 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $102,740 | 40,110 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 338,940 | $140,270 |
| Texas | 271,380 | $95,970 |
| Florida | 229,940 | $84,190 |
| New York | 205,810 | $109,440 |
| Pennsylvania | 146,520 | $96,430 |
| Ohio | 143,730 | $82,510 |
| Illinois | 138,910 | $95,990 |
| North Carolina | 111,120 | $84,350 |
| Michigan | 104,950 | $94,300 |
| Georgia | 100,950 | $93,550 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | 22,930 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | 4,120 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | 41,750 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | 3,720 |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | 23,590 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | 1,750 |
| 7 | Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | 1,080 |
| 8 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | 1,270 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | 28,680 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | 9,680 |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $138,820 | 2,180 |
| 12 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $137,360 | 3,280 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197,740 | $119,720 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 109,360 | $135,560 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 100,240 | $100,490 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 76,680 | $101,420 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 73,790 | $101,180 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 65,910 | $99,830 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,240 | $106,180 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 61,670 | $91,380 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 56,460 | $100,490 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53,700 | $100,830 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 46,830 | $102,710 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 44,310 | $97,280 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- H-1B (FY 2026 through Q3)858 certified filingsMedian offered wage $80,028
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)3 certified filingsMedian offered wage $106,051
Registered Nurses pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do registered nurses make?
- The median wage for registered nurses in the U.S. is $97,550 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $80,330 and $112,350.
- Which state pays registered nurses the most?
- California has the highest median wage for this occupation at $140,270 a year.
- What is the job outlook for registered nurses?
- BLS projects employment to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180,800 openings each year on average.
- What education do registered nurses need?
- The typical entry-level education is: bachelor's degree.