Registered Nurse Salary in Baltimore, MD
Registered Nurses in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $99,550 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $74,498 take-home, or $6,208 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median registered nurse salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$13,071
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,172
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,443
- Maryland income tax$4,365
- Take-home pay$74,498
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.75% state
Living in Baltimore City? City residents also pay Baltimore City’s city income tax — about $2,976 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $71,522 ($5,960 a month). Choose “Baltimore City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Registered Nurse pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $77,600 | $37.31 | $60,099 | $5,008 |
| 25th percentile | $83,690 | $40.24 | $64,094 | $5,341 |
| Median (50th) | $99,550 | $47.86 | $74,498 | $6,208 |
| 75th percentile | $108,030 | $51.94 | $80,058 | $6,671 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $125,020 | $60.11 | $91,096 | $7,591 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $99,550 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median registered nurse's $74,498 take-home pay has the buying power of $71,299 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Registered Nurse jobs are about as common in Baltimore, MD as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.05).
Best-paying cities for registered nurses, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #115 of 206 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $216,740 | $142,511 | $129,059 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $134,031 | $123,555 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $174,550 | $116,298 | $107,899 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $171,460 | $114,514 | $107,353 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $186,610 | $123,394 | $106,730 |
| 6 | Bend, OR | $135,010 | $92,480 | $89,260 |
| 7 | Bakersfield, CA | $128,810 | $89,883 | $89,094 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $128,260 | $98,932 | $89,021 |
| 115 | Baltimore, MD | $99,550 | $74,498 | $71,299 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 206 metros →
About the job: registered nurses
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.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +5.6% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse make in Baltimore, MD?
The median registered nurse salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $99,550 a year, or about $47.86 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $83,690 and $108,030.
What is a registered nurse’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $99,550 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $74,498 a year ($6,208 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,365 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a registered nurse?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $97,550. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $71,299 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #115 of 206 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 24% of a median registered nurse’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Baltimore, MD
- Physicians, All Other — $218,770
- Pharmacist — $138,110
- Nurse Practitioner — $131,990
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse — $74,860
- Clinical Laboratory Technologist and Technician — $57,930
- Pharmacy Technician — $45,230