Registered Nurse Salary by State
How much registered nurses earn in each state. SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$97,550Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$101,420Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$46.90Mean $48.76/hour
- U.S. employment3,379,720Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$150,280 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do registered nurses make?
Nationally, registered nurses earn a median of $97,550 a year and a mean of $101,420 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $80,330 (25th percentile) and $112,350 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $68,940 and the top 10% more than $137,470.
That median is 1.9× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $150,280 in California (highest) to $77,020 in Alabama (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, California comes out on top at $126,712 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 | $5,745 | $33.14 |
| 25th | $80,330 | $6,694 | $38.62 |
| Median | $97,550 | $8,129 | $46.90 |
| 75th | $112,350 | $9,362 | $54.01 |
| 90th | $137,470 | $11,456 | $66.09 |
| Mean | $101,420 | $8,452 | $48.76 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Registered Nurse salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $150,280 | $140,270 | $67.44 | $101,260 | $213,320 | $126,712 | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $124,340 | $136,320 | $65.54 | $82,500 | $147,830 | $123,927 | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $123,140 | $129,010 | $62.02 | $95,280 | $155,010 | $124,768 | 39,730 |
| Washington | $121,540 | $124,200 | $59.71 | $89,630 | $161,910 | $116,075 | 69,260 |
| Massachusetts | $117,960 | $104,550 | $50.27 | $80,310 | $174,510 | $98,819 | 88,200 |
| Alaska | $114,870 | $109,480 | $52.64 | $85,030 | $149,070 | $106,914 | 7,510 |
| New York | $113,440 | $109,440 | $52.62 | $79,760 | $157,090 | $101,427 | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 | $51.20 | $83,060 | $135,170 | $97,886 | 92,680 |
| District of Columbia | $106,980 | $102,540 | $49.30 | $79,390 | $151,170 | $93,303 | 11,440 |
| Nevada | $105,710 | $103,670 | $49.84 | $79,500 | $133,270 | $103,670 | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $105,250 | $102,740 | $49.39 | $80,350 | $134,870 | $99,170 | 40,110 |
| Minnesota | $103,420 | $101,510 | $48.80 | $79,960 | $132,430 | $102,951 | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $101,260 | $100,640 | $48.39 | $77,410 | $129,840 | $98,377 | 10,090 |
| Arizona | $99,730 | $99,500 | $47.84 | $70,540 | $130,930 | $98,808 | 73,150 |
| Delaware | $99,460 | $99,520 | $47.85 | $78,340 | $123,860 | $99,719 | 14,290 |
| Colorado | $99,370 | $100,260 | $48.20 | $79,500 | $124,940 | $97,245 | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $99,010 | $99,790 | $47.98 | $76,780 | $124,790 | $95,038 | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $97,900 | $99,700 | $47.93 | $75,610 | $123,190 | $95,681 | 15,390 |
| Vermont | $96,650 | $97,460 | $46.86 | $77,670 | $126,100 | $99,449 | 7,410 |
| Texas | $95,380 | $95,970 | $46.14 | $67,120 | $127,950 | $98,836 | 271,380 |
| New Mexico | $95,290 | $94,340 | $45.36 | $74,300 | $123,540 | $102,321 | 17,980 |
| Georgia | $95,080 | $93,550 | $44.98 | $68,920 | $128,640 | $97,144 | 100,950 |
| Wisconsin | $94,690 | $95,530 | $45.93 | $77,470 | $119,860 | $101,520 | 68,060 |
| Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 | $46.15 | $69,170 | $118,190 | $95,990 | 138,910 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 | $45.34 | $77,260 | $116,710 | $98,025 | 104,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $96,430 | $46.36 | $70,800 | $117,900 | $98,801 | 146,520 |
| Virginia | $93,850 | $93,600 | $45.00 | $67,830 | $125,580 | $92,582 | 77,490 |
| Idaho | $92,710 | $92,460 | $44.45 | $71,210 | $121,230 | $96,817 | 16,880 |
| Maine | $91,700 | $86,990 | $41.82 | $74,160 | $106,950 | $89,680 | 16,540 |
| Montana | $91,510 | $85,280 | $41.00 | $70,120 | $113,920 | $90,148 | 10,950 |
| Utah | $90,950 | $84,600 | $40.67 | $68,920 | $109,050 | $85,541 | 27,420 |
| Florida | $90,650 | $84,190 | $40.48 | $67,970 | $120,330 | $81,422 | 229,940 |
| North Carolina | $90,470 | $84,350 | $40.56 | $67,660 | $110,220 | $89,449 | 111,120 |
| Indiana | $89,150 | $83,500 | $40.14 | $66,750 | $105,750 | $89,496 | 68,980 |
| Wyoming | $88,600 | $83,760 | $40.27 | $65,770 | $107,350 | $90,356 | 5,330 |
| Nebraska | $88,330 | $84,730 | $40.74 | $66,020 | $106,190 | $94,040 | 24,720 |
| Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 | $39.67 | $66,980 | $105,290 | $88,912 | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $87,670 | $82,360 | $39.60 | $66,860 | $106,520 | $87,898 | 49,750 |
| West Virginia | $86,970 | $80,130 | $38.52 | $57,210 | $131,760 | $89,531 | 23,430 |
| Kentucky | $86,140 | $81,040 | $38.96 | $64,170 | $111,750 | $89,845 | 50,300 |
| Missouri | $85,900 | $81,780 | $39.32 | $63,230 | $104,390 | $90,066 | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $85,390 | $81,500 | $39.18 | $63,970 | $104,920 | $88,683 | 72,200 |
| Oklahoma | $85,060 | $82,920 | $39.87 | $60,530 | $106,390 | $94,442 | 38,270 |
| Louisiana | $84,190 | $80,230 | $38.57 | $63,800 | $104,740 | $90,964 | 48,970 |
| North Dakota | $83,600 | $80,730 | $38.81 | $65,520 | $103,480 | $90,708 | 11,340 |
| Kansas | $82,360 | $79,320 | $38.14 | $63,180 | $100,840 | $88,036 | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $81,520 | $78,940 | $37.95 | $60,780 | $103,660 | $90,840 | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $80,540 | $78,630 | $37.80 | $63,840 | $100,500 | $89,556 | 34,420 |
| Mississippi | $78,950 | $77,090 | $37.06 | $60,610 | $100,350 | $88,609 | 29,060 |
| South Dakota | $77,140 | $78,060 | $37.53 | $54,040 | $98,220 | $88,104 | 14,710 |
| Alabama | $77,020 | $77,080 | $37.06 | $58,150 | $98,910 | $86,802 | 54,340 |
Highest median pay
- California — $140,270
- Hawaii — $136,320
- Oregon — $129,010
- Washington — $124,200
- Alaska — $109,480
Lowest median pay
- Alabama — $77,080
- Mississippi — $77,090
- South Dakota — $78,060
- Iowa — $78,630
- Arkansas — $78,940
Best pay after cost of living
- California — $126,712
- Oregon — $124,768
- Hawaii — $123,927
- Washington — $116,075
- Alaska — $106,914
The most registered nurses work in California (338,940 jobs), Texas and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse make?
The national median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 a year and the mean is $101,420, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays registered nurses the most?
California has the highest mean wage for registered nurses at $150,280.
Which state pays registered nurses the least?
Alabama has the lowest mean wage for registered nurses among states with published data, at $77,020.
Where do registered nurses earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, California ranks first at $126,712 in national-average dollars, followed by Oregon and Hawaii.