Where you work as a registered nurse changes your paycheck more than almost any other single decision. This guide uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, the newest state-level wage data the government publishes, to rank every state, the top-paying metro areas and the industries that pay RNs the most. Every figure below is a BLS estimate; we don't blend in self-reported salary sites.
National estimates for registered nurses (May 2025)
The BLS counts 3,379,720 registered nurses employed in the United States. The mean annual wage is $101,420 ($48.76 an hour) and the median is $97,550. Half of RNs earn between $80,330 and $112,350; the top 10% earn more than $137,470.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (median) | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual wage | $68,940 | $80,330 | $97,550 | $112,350 | $137,470 |
Which states pay nurses the most?
California pays registered nurses the most, with a mean annual wage of $150,280: $48,860 above the national mean. The ten highest-paying states:
- California: $150,280 a year ($72.25/hour)
- Hawaii: $124,340 a year ($59.78/hour)
- Oregon: $123,140 a year ($59.20/hour)
- Washington: $121,540 a year ($58.43/hour)
- Massachusetts: $117,960 a year ($56.71/hour)
- Alaska: $114,870 a year ($55.23/hour)
- New York: $113,440 a year ($54.54/hour)
- New Jersey: $110,100 a year ($52.93/hour)
- District of Columbia: $106,980 a year ($51.43/hour)
- Nevada: $105,710 a year ($50.82/hour)
Which states pay nurses the least?
At the other end, Alabama has the lowest mean RN wage at $77,020. The five lowest-paying states:
- Alabama: $77,020 a year ($37.03/hour)
- South Dakota: $77,140 a year ($37.09/hour)
- Mississippi: $78,950 a year ($37.96/hour)
- Iowa: $80,540 a year ($38.72/hour)
- Arkansas: $81,520 a year ($39.19/hour)
Keep in mind these are means, not offers: a nurse with ten years of ICU experience in Alabama can out-earn a new graduate in California, and the cost of housing in the highest-paying states eats into the gap (more on that below).
Registered nurse salaries in all 50 states (and D.C.)
Ranked by mean annual wage. "RNs employed" is the BLS employment estimate for the state.
| # | State | Mean hourly wage | Mean annual wage | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $72.25 | $150,280 | 338,940 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $59.78 | $124,340 | 12,940 |
| 3 | Oregon | $59.20 | $123,140 | 39,730 |
| 4 | Washington | $58.43 | $121,540 | 69,260 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $56.71 | $117,960 | 88,200 |
| 6 | Alaska | $55.23 | $114,870 | 7,510 |
| 7 | New York | $54.54 | $113,440 | 205,810 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $52.93 | $110,100 | 92,680 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $51.43 | $106,980 | 11,440 |
| 10 | Nevada | $50.82 | $105,710 | 27,070 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $50.60 | $105,250 | 40,110 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $49.72 | $103,420 | 70,110 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $48.68 | $101,260 | 10,090 |
| 14 | Arizona | $47.95 | $99,730 | 73,150 |
| 15 | Delaware | $47.82 | $99,460 | 14,290 |
| 16 | Colorado | $47.78 | $99,370 | 54,490 |
| 17 | Maryland | $47.60 | $99,010 | 52,910 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $47.07 | $97,900 | 15,390 |
| 19 | Vermont | $46.47 | $96,650 | 7,410 |
| 20 | Texas | $45.86 | $95,380 | 271,380 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $45.81 | $95,290 | 17,980 |
| 22 | Georgia | $45.71 | $95,080 | 100,950 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $45.53 | $94,690 | 68,060 |
| 24 | Illinois | $45.36 | $94,360 | 138,910 |
| 25 | Michigan | $45.34 | $94,300 | 104,950 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $45.20 | $94,020 | 146,520 |
| 27 | Virginia | $45.12 | $93,850 | 77,490 |
| 28 | Idaho | $44.57 | $92,710 | 16,880 |
| 29 | Maine | $44.09 | $91,700 | 16,540 |
| 30 | Montana | $43.99 | $91,510 | 10,950 |
| 31 | Utah | $43.72 | $90,950 | 27,420 |
| 32 | Florida | $43.58 | $90,650 | 229,940 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $43.50 | $90,470 | 111,120 |
| 34 | Indiana | $42.86 | $89,150 | 68,980 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $42.60 | $88,600 | 5,330 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $42.47 | $88,330 | 24,720 |
| 37 | Ohio | $42.18 | $87,730 | 143,730 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $42.15 | $87,670 | 49,750 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $41.81 | $86,970 | 23,430 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $41.41 | $86,140 | 50,300 |
| 41 | Missouri | $41.30 | $85,900 | 76,310 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $41.05 | $85,390 | 72,200 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $40.90 | $85,060 | 38,270 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $40.48 | $84,190 | 48,970 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $40.19 | $83,600 | 11,340 |
| 46 | Kansas | $39.60 | $82,360 | 33,800 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $39.19 | $81,520 | 29,400 |
| 48 | Iowa | $38.72 | $80,540 | 34,420 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $37.96 | $78,950 | 29,060 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $37.09 | $77,140 | 14,710 |
| 51 | Alabama | $37.03 | $77,020 | 54,340 |
California employs the most registered nurses (338,940) and Wyoming the fewest (5,330).
Top-paying metropolitan areas for registered nurses
The highest-paying metro areas in the country are all in California, the state's mean wage is so far above every other state's that no metro elsewhere comes close:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $194,950
- Vallejo, CA: $182,820
- San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA: $176,900
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA: $170,000
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: $164,200
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: $159,830
- Yuba City, CA: $150,970
- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA: $147,410
- Stockton, CA: $145,400
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: $145,060
Outside California, the best-paying large metros in the May 2025 data are:
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: $126,390
- Salem OR: $125,750
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: $125,230
- Urban Honolulu, HI: $124,740
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: $119,600
- Eugene-Springfield OR: $117,700
Top-paying industries for registered nurses
Setting matters as much as geography. National mean annual wages for RNs by industry:
- Federal executive branch: $129,260
- Outpatient care centers: $112,690
- Colleges, universities and professional schools: $109,130
- Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals: $107,050
- Scientific research and development services: $106,900
- General medical and surgical hospitals: $104,360
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals: $102,630
- State government: $99,270
Hospitals employ the majority of RNs, and general medical and surgical hospitals pay a little above the national mean. Outpatient centers, universities and research organizations pay more but hire far fewer nurses.
What the numbers don't tell you
- Cost of living. BLS wages are not adjusted for housing or taxes. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York and Washington top the pay table and also have some of the highest housing costs in the country; states like Texas, Georgia and Arizona sit near the national mean with far cheaper housing. Compare take-home pay after rent or a mortgage, not the headline number.
- Mean vs. median. The mean is pulled up by highly paid specialists and overtime. The national median ($97,550) is the better "typical nurse" figure.
- Differentials and overtime. Night, weekend and charge differentials, on-call pay and overtime are inside these figures, so a bedside nurse working nights in a mid-ranked state can land well above their state's mean.
- Travel and compact licensure. A multistate license lets you chase high-paying assignments without a new license in each state, see our compact nursing states list. California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts are not fully in the compact, so the very highest-paying states still need their own state license.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Registered Nurses (29-1141), May 2025, national, state, metropolitan-area and industry estimates. Retrieved September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which state pays registered nurses the most?
California. The BLS May 2025 mean annual wage for RNs in California is $150,280, followed by Hawaii ($124,340) and Oregon ($123,140).
What is the average registered nurse salary in the United States?
The BLS May 2025 mean annual wage for registered nurses is $101,420; the median is $97,550. The top 10% of RNs earn more than $137,470 a year.
Which state pays nurses the least?
Alabama, with a mean annual RN wage of $77,020 in May 2025, followed by South Dakota ($77,140) and Mississippi ($78,950).
Which city pays nurses the most?
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, where RNs average $194,950 a year, the highest of any metropolitan area in the BLS May 2025 data. The next highest are Vallejo, CA ($182,820) and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA ($176,900).
Do these salaries account for cost of living?
No. BLS wages are gross pay and are not adjusted for housing, taxes or other living costs. The highest-paying states are also among the most expensive places to live, so compare what is left after rent or a mortgage.