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Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Registered Nurse Salary

Registered Nurses earn a median $97,550 a year nationally. Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

U.S. median
$97,550
$46.90 per hour
Range
$68,940 – $137,470
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
3,379,720
across the U.S.
▲4.2%
Pay trend: The median for registered nurses in the U.S. rose from $93,600 (May 2024) to $97,550 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.8%.

What registered nurses do

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)
Openings per year
180,800

Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 180,800 openings are expected each year, on average, including jobs left by workers who retire or switch careers.

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Registered Nurse take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Registered Nurse
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$77,456
per year · effective tax rate 20.6%
$6,455Monthly
$3,227Twice a month
$2,979Every 2 weeks
$37.24Hourly
  • Federal income tax$12,631
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,048
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,414
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$77,456

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$68,940$33.14$57,329
25th percentile$80,330$38.62$65,342
Median (50th)$97,550$46.90$77,456
75th percentile$112,350$54.01$87,868
90th percentile (top earners)$137,470$66.09$105,227

Best cities for registered nurses (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1San Jose, CA$216,740$142,511$129,05922,930
2Vallejo, CA$203,290$134,031$123,5554,120
3Santa Rosa, CA$174,550$116,298$107,8993,720
4Sacramento, CA$171,460$114,514$107,35323,590
5San Francisco, CA$186,610$123,394$106,73041,750
6Bend, OR$135,010$92,480$89,2602,500
7Bakersfield, CA$128,810$89,883$89,0945,620
8Seattle, WA$128,260$98,932$89,02139,900
9Stockton, CA$134,580$93,216$88,7025,460
10Modesto, CA$132,590$92,066$88,4334,850
11St. Cloud, MN$105,290$77,265$88,1702,910
12Visalia, CA$125,180$87,787$87,9412,990
13Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260$97,370$87,7529,680
14Salem, OR$131,750$90,574$87,3864,010
15Riverside, CA$133,940$92,846$87,22735,290
16Santa Maria, CA$137,360$94,821$87,1533,280
17Spokane, WA$111,750$87,446$87,1456,850
18Medford, OR$127,030$87,806$86,5652,370
19Fresno, CA$125,420$87,926$86,06811,030
20San Diego, CA$139,520$96,068$85,86228,680
21Salinas, CA$134,910$93,406$85,6613,180
22Anchorage, AK$115,290$89,937$85,3134,990
23Portland, OR$130,310$89,733$85,11924,220
24Kennewick, WA$106,410$83,689$83,6232,560
25Reno, NV$107,520$84,470$83,6224,850

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Registered Nurse salary by state

StateMedian1-yr changeTake-homeRangeJobs
California $140,270−0.0%$96,502 $101,260 – $213,320338,940
Hawaii $136,320+0.0%$95,593 $82,500 – $147,83012,940
Oregon $129,010+4.0%$88,973 $95,280 – $155,01039,730
Washington $124,200+10.7%$96,157 $89,630 – $161,91069,260
Alaska $109,480−1.1%$85,849 $85,030 – $149,0707,510
New York $109,440+3.6%$80,404 $79,760 – $157,090205,810
New Jersey $106,500+3.7%$79,159 $83,060 – $135,17092,680
Massachusetts $104,550+2.5%$77,373 $80,310 – $174,51088,200
Nevada $103,670+1.6%$81,762 $79,500 – $133,27027,070
Connecticut $102,740+1.1%$77,032 $80,350 – $134,87040,110
District of Columbia $102,540−1.9%$75,219 $79,390 – $151,17011,440
Minnesota $101,510+0.6%$74,863 $79,960 – $132,43070,110
Rhode Island $100,640+0.7%$76,452 $77,410 – $129,84010,090
Colorado $100,260+3.9%$75,660 $79,500 – $124,94054,490
Maryland $99,790+3.1%$74,656 $76,780 – $124,79052,910
New Hampshire $99,700+3.0%$78,969 $75,610 – $123,19015,390
Delaware $99,520+7.5%$73,615 $78,340 – $123,86014,290
Arizona $99,500+2.7%$76,550 $70,540 – $130,93073,150
Vermont $97,460+14.5%$73,421 $77,670 – $126,1007,410
Pennsylvania $96,430+10.1%$73,708 $70,800 – $117,900146,520
Illinois $95,990+11.1%$71,752 $69,170 – $118,190138,910
Texas $95,970+6.6%$76,345 $67,120 – $127,950271,380
Wisconsin $95,530+11.0%$72,353 $77,470 – $119,86068,060
New Mexico $94,340+6.9%$71,906 $74,300 – $123,54017,980
Michigan $94,300+10.1%$71,413 $77,260 – $116,710104,950
Virginia $93,600+5.4%$70,110 $67,830 – $125,58077,490
Georgia $93,550+8.1%$70,410 $68,920 – $128,640100,950
Idaho $92,460+7.4%$70,084 $71,210 – $121,23016,880
Maine $86,990+5.0%$65,303 $74,160 – $106,95016,540
Montana $85,280+4.6%$65,367 $70,120 – $113,92010,950
Nebraska $84,730+4.6%$65,462 $66,020 – $106,19024,720
Utah $84,600+2.8%$65,505 $68,920 – $109,05027,420
North Carolina $84,350+3.0%$65,313 $67,660 – $110,220111,120
Florida $84,190+1.6%$68,058 $67,970 – $120,330229,940
Wyoming $83,760+2.4%$67,755 $65,770 – $107,3505,330
Indiana $83,500+3.4%$65,139 $66,750 – $105,75068,980
Oklahoma $82,920+2.2%$63,978 $60,530 – $106,39038,270
Ohio $82,510+1.6%$65,389 $66,980 – $105,290143,730
South Carolina $82,360+3.1%$62,986 $66,860 – $106,52049,750
Missouri $81,780+2.5%$63,456 $63,230 – $104,39076,310
Tennessee $81,500+3.1%$66,165 $63,970 – $104,92072,200
Kentucky $81,040+1.4%$63,123 $64,170 – $111,75050,300
North Dakota $80,730+3.2%$65,309 $65,520 – $103,48011,340
Louisiana $80,230+1.7%$63,251 $63,800 – $104,74048,970
West Virginia $80,130+0.2%$62,274 $57,210 – $131,76023,430
Kansas $79,320+1.6%$61,005 $63,180 – $100,84033,800
Arkansas $78,940+2.3%$61,498 $60,780 – $103,66029,400
Iowa $78,630+2.2%$61,810 $63,840 – $100,50034,420
South Dakota $78,060+12.3%$63,745 $54,040 – $98,22014,710
Mississippi $77,090+3.5%$60,711 $60,610 – $100,35029,060
Alabama $77,080+8.5%$59,467 $58,150 – $98,91054,340

Related jobs

JobMedian salaryEducationGrowth 2025–35
Speech-Language Pathologist$97,870Master's degree+16.6%
Dental Hygienist$98,100Associate's degree+8.0%
Audiologist$95,780Doctoral or professional degree+11.0%
Occupational Therapist$100,330Master's degree+14.8%
Physical Therapist$102,760Doctoral or professional degree+11.9%
Radiation Therapist$105,310Associate's degree+2.8%
Respiratory Therapist$82,280Associate's degree+8.5%
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other$115,210Master's degree+5.5%
Chiropractor$79,200Doctoral or professional degree+8.7%
Therapists, All Other$77,930Bachelor's degree+12.6%

Frequently asked questions

How much does a registered nurse make?

The national median salary for registered nurses is $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $68,940 and the top 10% earn over $137,470. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays registered nurses the most?

California has the highest median pay at $140,270. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many registered nurses are there in the U.S.?

About 3,379,720 people work as registered nurses nationwide.

All 206 cities