What Are Registered Nurses Salary

Average registered nurse salaries vary significantly from state-to-state. In the United States overall, the average registered nurse bacon is $82,750 and the median (50th percentile) is $77,600. California, with RN salaries averaging $124,000, is the highest-paying state for nurses as of May 2021 (according to the BLS).

$63,460 lower than California's boilerplate is South Dakota, at $threescore,540. With such a wide possible salary range, it may pay off for nurses to consider moving to a college-paying state. On the other hand, it may non; large cost of living differences between states means the same dollar you lot earn in 1 state may not go as far equally in another.

Read on to learn more about which land pay their nurses the most, both in absolute terms and subsequently factoring in cost of living.

In this article:

Highest-paying states for RNs
Highest-paying states, adjusted for toll of living
RN salaries in all 50 states

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Highest-paying states for registered nurses

California tops our list of the highest-paying states for RNs, with nurses receiving $124,000 per yr on boilerplate. Post-obit it is Hawaii, at $106,530, and Oregon at $98,6300. Washington, D.C., while not technically a land, also ranks among the top-paying U.S. regions with an average RN salary of $98,540.

Top 10 highest-paying states for registered nurses

See salaries by state for:

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
Nurse Practitioners
Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs)

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Highest-paying states for RNs, adjusted for cost of living

The cost of living index is a measure of the relative purchasing power of a dollar for things like groceries, housing, and transportation. Regions where these essential goods are more than plush than the U.S. average have a higher cost of living alphabetize; areas where these aforementioned appurtenances tend to be cheaper are estimated to take a lower cost of living. As of 2021, Hawaii tops the list at 119.3, while Mississippi comes in everyman, at 87.8.

Adjusting each land's average RN salary by its price of living index gives united states of america a potentially more accurate means of comparing where nurses go paid the most.

Information technology'south not just nearly the accented size of the paycheck, just about how far those wages will become for a nurse'southward budget.

California sits atop the list of highest-paying states for nurses later adjusting for price of living. The Golden State's adjusted RN salary average is $106,529 – much lower than its $124,000 non-adjusted salary thanks to a higher cost of living. Post-obit closely behind are Oregon ($96,131) and Alaska ($92,512).

Top 10 highest-paying states for registered nurses, adjusted for toll of living

Editor's note: Cost-of-living salaries have not been updated as of April 4, 2022.

Registered nurse salaries in all 50 states

Hospitals and other healthcare organizations utilise registered nurses in every state beyond the U.Due south. Use the map upwards top or the listing below to discover your own state's average RN salary.

Article Sources

"May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates." bls.gov. Accessed April ane, 2022.
"Regional Cost Parities by State and Metro Area." bea.gov. Accessed April one, 2022.

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