Salary by state
Registered Nurses Salary by State
Median annual wage from the latest BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release. Hover any state for the cost-of-living adjusted figure. Click to open the full state breakdown.
Registered NursesBLS OES May 2025
Full breakdown →Pinch to zoom
LowerHigher
Registered Nurses — median wage by state
- California: $140,270, COL-adjusted $126,712
- Hawaii: $136,320, COL-adjusted $123,927
- Oregon: $129,010, COL-adjusted $124,768
- Washington: $124,200, COL-adjusted $116,075
- Alaska: $109,480, COL-adjusted $106,914
- New York: $109,440, COL-adjusted $101,427
- New Jersey: $106,500, COL-adjusted $97,886
- Massachusetts: $104,550, COL-adjusted $98,819
- Nevada: $103,670, COL-adjusted $103,670
- Connecticut: $102,740, COL-adjusted $99,170
- District of Columbia: $102,540, COL-adjusted $93,303
- Minnesota: $101,510, COL-adjusted $102,951
- Rhode Island: $100,640, COL-adjusted $98,377
- Colorado: $100,260, COL-adjusted $97,245
- Maryland: $99,790, COL-adjusted $95,038
- New Hampshire: $99,700, COL-adjusted $95,681
- Delaware: $99,520, COL-adjusted $99,719
- Arizona: $99,500, COL-adjusted $98,808
- Vermont: $97,460, COL-adjusted $99,449
- Pennsylvania: $96,430, COL-adjusted $98,801
- Illinois: $95,990, COL-adjusted $95,990
- Texas: $95,970, COL-adjusted $98,836
- Wisconsin: $95,530, COL-adjusted $101,520
- New Mexico: $94,340, COL-adjusted $102,321
- Michigan: $94,300, COL-adjusted $98,025
- Virginia: $93,600, COL-adjusted $92,582
- Georgia: $93,550, COL-adjusted $97,144
- Idaho: $92,460, COL-adjusted $96,817
- Maine: $86,990, COL-adjusted $89,588
- Montana: $85,280, COL-adjusted $90,148
- Nebraska: $84,730, COL-adjusted $94,040
- Utah: $84,600, COL-adjusted $85,541
- North Carolina: $84,350, COL-adjusted $89,449
- Florida: $84,190, COL-adjusted $81,422
- Wyoming: $83,760, COL-adjusted $90,356
- Indiana: $83,500, COL-adjusted $89,496
- Oklahoma: $82,920, COL-adjusted $94,442
- Ohio: $82,510, COL-adjusted $88,912
- South Carolina: $82,360, COL-adjusted $87,898
- Missouri: $81,780, COL-adjusted $90,066
- Tennessee: $81,500, COL-adjusted $88,683
- Kentucky: $81,040, COL-adjusted $89,845
- North Dakota: $80,730, COL-adjusted $90,708
- Louisiana: $80,230, COL-adjusted $90,964
- West Virginia: $80,130, COL-adjusted $89,531
- Kansas: $79,320, COL-adjusted $88,036
- Arkansas: $78,940, COL-adjusted $90,840
- Iowa: $78,630, COL-adjusted $89,556
- South Dakota: $78,060, COL-adjusted $88,104
- Mississippi: $77,090, COL-adjusted $88,609
- Alabama: $77,080, COL-adjusted $86,802
All states
51 of 51 results · sorted by value: high to low
- California$140,270
- Hawaii$136,320
- Oregon$129,010
- Washington$124,200
- Alaska$109,480
- New York$109,440
- New Jersey$106,500
- Massachusetts$104,550
- Nevada$103,670
- Connecticut$102,740
- District of Columbia$102,540
- Minnesota$101,510
- Rhode Island$100,640
- Colorado$100,260
- Maryland$99,790
- New Hampshire$99,700
- Delaware$99,520
- Arizona$99,500
- Vermont$97,460
- Pennsylvania$96,430
- Illinois$95,990
- Texas$95,970
- Wisconsin$95,530
- New Mexico$94,340
- Michigan$94,300
- Virginia$93,600
- Georgia$93,550
- Idaho$92,460
- Maine$86,990
- Montana$85,280
- Nebraska$84,730
- Utah$84,600
- North Carolina$84,350
- Florida$84,190
- Wyoming$83,760
- Indiana$83,500
- Oklahoma$82,920
- Ohio$82,510
- South Carolina$82,360
- Missouri$81,780
- Tennessee$81,500
- Kentucky$81,040
- North Dakota$80,730
- Louisiana$80,230
- West Virginia$80,130
- Kansas$79,320
- Arkansas$78,940
- Iowa$78,630
- South Dakota$78,060
- Mississippi$77,090
- Alabama$77,080
Highest- and lowest-paying states for registered nurses
Ranked by median annual wage from the BLS 2025 release. The full sortable list is above; these are the extremes.
Highest-paying
- 1. California$140,270
- 2. Hawaii$136,320
- 3. Oregon$129,010
- 4. Washington$124,200
- 5. Alaska$109,480
Lowest-paying
- Alabama$77,080
- Mississippi$77,090
- South Dakota$78,060
- Iowa$78,630
- Arkansas$78,940
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Registered Nurses salary in the United States?
- The US median wage for Registered Nurses is $98,331 per year (BLS, 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
- Which state pays Registered Nurses the most?
- California pays Registered Nurses the most, with a median of $140,270, followed by Hawaii ($136,320). The lowest median is in Alabama at $77,080.
- How much do Registered Nurses salaries vary by state?
- Registered Nurses median pay ranges from $77,080 to $140,270 across the 50 states and DC — a spread largely explained by cost of living and local demand. The table below ranks every state.
- Are Registered Nurses jobs growing?
- BLS projects a +4.9% change in Registered Nurses employment from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as average.