RN Salary by State: What Registered Nurses Actually Earn
The median U.S. registered nurse earns $97,550 a year ($46.90/hour), and the spread is wide: from $77,080 in Alabama to $140,270 in California. Every number on this page comes from the federal wage survey (May 2025), not job-board self-reports. Click any state for its full breakdown.
Median RN Salary in Every State
Sort by any column. Salaries are gross annual pay for all RNs in the state — new grads start lower, experienced and specialty nurses earn more.
| 1.California | $140,270 | $67.44 | $213,320 | 338,940 |
| 2.Hawaii | $136,320 | $65.54 | $147,830 | 12,940 |
| 3.Oregon | $129,010 | $62.02 | $155,010 | 39,730 |
| 4.Washington | $124,200 | $59.71 | $161,910 | 69,260 |
| 5.Alaska | $109,480 | $52.64 | $149,070 | 7,510 |
| 6.New York | $109,440 | $52.62 | $157,090 | 205,810 |
| 7.New Jersey | $106,500 | $51.20 | $135,170 | 92,680 |
| 8.Massachusetts | $104,550 | $50.27 | $174,510 | 88,200 |
| 9.Nevada | $103,670 | $49.84 | $133,270 | 27,070 |
| 10.Connecticut | $102,740 | $49.39 | $134,870 | 40,110 |
| 11.Washington, D.C. | $102,540 | $49.30 | $151,170 | 11,440 |
| 12.Minnesota | $101,510 | $48.80 | $132,430 | 70,110 |
| 13.Rhode Island | $100,640 | $48.39 | $129,840 | 10,090 |
| 14.Colorado | $100,260 | $48.20 | $124,940 | 54,490 |
| 15.Maryland | $99,790 | $47.98 | $124,790 | 52,910 |
| 16.New Hampshire | $99,700 | $47.93 | $123,190 | 15,390 |
| 17.Delaware | $99,520 | $47.85 | $123,860 | 14,290 |
| 18.Arizona | $99,500 | $47.84 | $130,930 | 73,150 |
| 19.Vermont | $97,460 | $46.86 | $126,100 | 7,410 |
| 20.Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $46.36 | $117,900 | 146,520 |
| 21.Illinois | $95,990 | $46.15 | $118,190 | 138,910 |
| 22.Texas | $95,970 | $46.14 | $127,950 | 271,380 |
| 23.Wisconsin | $95,530 | $45.93 | $119,860 | 68,060 |
| 24.New Mexico | $94,340 | $45.36 | $123,540 | 17,980 |
| 25.Michigan | $94,300 | $45.34 | $116,710 | 104,950 |
| 26.Virginia | $93,600 | $45.00 | $125,580 | 77,490 |
| 27.Georgia | $93,550 | $44.98 | $128,640 | 100,950 |
| 28.Idaho | $92,460 | $44.45 | $121,230 | 16,880 |
| 29.Maine | $86,990 | $41.82 | $106,950 | 16,540 |
| 30.Montana | $85,280 | $41.00 | $113,920 | 10,950 |
| 31.Nebraska | $84,730 | $40.74 | $106,190 | 24,720 |
| 32.Utah | $84,600 | $40.67 | $109,050 | 27,420 |
| 33.North Carolina | $84,350 | $40.56 | $110,220 | 111,120 |
| 34.Florida | $84,190 | $40.48 | $120,330 | 229,940 |
| 35.Wyoming | $83,760 | $40.27 | $107,350 | 5,330 |
| 36.Indiana | $83,500 | $40.14 | $105,750 | 68,980 |
| 37.Oklahoma | $82,920 | $39.87 | $106,390 | 38,270 |
| 38.Ohio | $82,510 | $39.67 | $105,290 | 143,730 |
| 39.South Carolina | $82,360 | $39.60 | $106,520 | 49,750 |
| 40.Missouri | $81,780 | $39.32 | $104,390 | 76,310 |
| 41.Tennessee | $81,500 | $39.18 | $104,920 | 72,200 |
| 42.Kentucky | $81,040 | $38.96 | $111,750 | 50,300 |
| 43.North Dakota | $80,730 | $38.81 | $103,480 | 11,340 |
| 44.Louisiana | $80,230 | $38.57 | $104,740 | 48,970 |
| 45.West Virginia | $80,130 | $38.52 | $131,760 | 23,430 |
| 46.Kansas | $79,320 | $38.14 | $100,840 | 33,800 |
| 47.Arkansas | $78,940 | $37.95 | $103,660 | 29,400 |
| 48.Iowa | $78,630 | $37.80 | $100,500 | 34,420 |
| 49.South Dakota | $78,060 | $37.53 | $98,220 | 14,710 |
| 50.Mississippi | $77,090 | $37.06 | $100,350 | 29,060 |
| 51.Alabama | $77,080 | $37.06 | $98,910 | 54,340 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make?
The median U.S. registered nurse earns $97,550 per year ($46.90/hour) as of the BLS May 2025 data. The middle 80% of RNs earn between $68,940 (10th percentile) and $137,470 (90th percentile).
Which state pays RNs the most?
California, at a median of $140,270 per year. The lowest median is Alabama at $77,080. Cost of living explains part of the spread, but not all of it.
What does a new nurse make?
New grads generally start near the lower percentiles of their state's range — nationally the 10th percentile is $68,940 and the 25th percentile is $80,330. Most RNs cross their state's median within several years of experience.
Where do these numbers come from?
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) — the federal wage survey, not self-reported job-board data. Figures are gross pay and do not include differentials or overtime.
About this data
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141). Percentile wages are gross annual pay across all experience levels; shift differentials, overtime, and benefits are not included. Refreshed when BLS publishes each new vintage.