$ PaycheckDecoded

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.

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
6Santa Cruz, CA$170,960$114,225$103,9391,750
7Yuba City, CA$149,320$101,728$97,5971,080
8Olympia, WA$125,020$96,717$93,2932,250
9Merced, CA$131,620$91,506$93,1121,050
10Walla Walla, WA$116,970$91,118$92,488810
11Redding, CA$134,350$93,083$92,4501,720
12Kahului, HI$144,350$100,447$91,8221,270
13Bend, OR$135,010$92,480$89,2602,500
14Bakersfield, CA$128,810$89,883$89,0945,620
15Seattle, WA$128,260$98,932$89,02139,900
16Stockton, CA$134,580$93,216$88,7025,460
17Modesto, CA$132,590$92,066$88,4334,850
18St. Cloud, MN$105,290$77,265$88,1702,910
19San Luis Obispo, CA$138,820$95,664$88,0922,180
20Hanford, CA$128,160$89,508$88,088710
21Chico, CA$127,360$89,046$87,9932,170
22Visalia, CA$125,180$87,787$87,9412,990
23Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260$97,370$87,7529,680
24Salem, OR$131,750$90,574$87,3864,010
25Riverside, CA$133,940$92,846$87,22735,290

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

Highest-paying cities

Registered Nurse salary by state

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

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 370 cities