A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

For those who are eager to enter the challenging and rewarding field of nursing, earning a master’s degree in nursing or a nursing practice can be a way to stand out from the crowd, especially if you’re keen to work at one of the best hospitals in the country. But before you get started, you may be wondering: How much can you earn as a nurse? Here’s everything you need to know.

How much do nurses earn?

The average salary for a registered nurse is around $86,070, according to US Bureau of Labor StatisticsA person’s exact salary may depend on a variety of factors, including environment, experience level, and education. For example, those who pursue nursing licensure through a bachelor’s degree may initially earn higher salaries than those who pursue it through an associate’s or diploma program.

Nurse anesthetists, midwives, and practitioners earn much higher salaries—earning around $129,480. These jobs are also in much higher demand. While the number of registered nurses is expected to grow by 6% over the next decade, the number of nurse anesthetists, midwives, and practitioners is expected to grow by 38%. However, the latter requires much more education—with a master’s degree required.

For comparison, the average salary for a tech worker is about $111,193, according to Dice.

Nursing Salaries by Industry

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, nurses tend to make the most money working in government or hospital settings. Those working in educational services or nursing facilities tend to make the least money; while their pay is lower than the average wage of a typical nurse, it is still higher than the national average for all occupations.

Nurse salary by state

Registered nurses earn the highest salaries in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, while they earn the lowest salaries in Alabama, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

In eight states—California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey—plus the District of Columbia, the average nurse salary is more than $100,000. However, in six states, the average nurse salary is less than $75,000: Alabama, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa, Arkansas, and North Dakota.

When analyzing nurse salaries, it is important to keep in mind that the amount you can buy per dollar can vary greatly in different states. In New England and on the West Coast, the cost of living is much higher, so salaries may be higher to compensate.

The table below lists the states where registered nurses earn the highest salaries on average. Each state’s cost of living (COL) index, as shown below, is calculated by Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC)It is an index that averages indicators from urban areas and cities, and includes the costs of groceries, housing, utilities, and transportation. The baseline for the United States as a whole is 100, so those above the baseline face higher costs of living, while those below the baseline face lower costs of living.

Here are the states where registered nurses earn the highest salaries, in descending order:

One of the most surprising parts of this data is the amount of work. Nurses in California earn just over twice as much as nurses in Alabama.

Factors That Affect Nurse Salary – And How You Can Earn More

Talking about salary is not an easy topic, but according to Kent Plunkett, founder and CEO of salary.comPay transparency isn’t necessarily about knowing what your peers are earning. It’s about, he says, how willing your company is to have an open conversation since many factors can play a role in decisions.

“You can’t know all of these factors — you don’t really know how your peers are doing, you don’t really know where they stand in all of their skills, knowledge, attitudes, and need for a job,” he adds.

Role and intensity

Although much of the data on nursing salaries has been analyzed extensively, not all nursing jobs are the same, and therefore salaries are not the same either. For example, the average salary for a school nurse is around $56,000, according to Salary.com, while the average salary for an operating room nurse is around $87,000.

Nurses who perform more intensive roles, such as working in a large operating room or emergency room, tend to earn higher salaries than those who work in quieter environments such as a school or office building (this is not to say that these jobs are not important). Lead or charge nurses also tend to earn much higher salaries than staff nurses due to increased responsibilities such as family planning and task assignment.

location

It’s no surprise that nurses make more money in states with higher costs of living—like the West Coast and New England. But in communities with a severe nursing shortage, individuals may also receive significant pay raises or bonuses as an incentive.

For those who are feeling adventurous or need a short change of pace, travel nurse connections are also a great way to not only get a unique experience but also earn a higher salary and bonus.

Ready Meals

Nursing is not for the faint of heart. While there are a variety of career paths a nurse can take, caring for human lives is still the focus. While the salary of a registered nurse may not be as high as that of a tech career, it can still be very rewarding financially—especially if you take advantage of incentives like bonuses or even a promotion to nurse anesthetist or nurse practitioner.

Based on the data, nurses in states like Minnesota or Texas may end up with the most cash outlay due to lower costs of living and higher than average salaries. On the other hand, nurses in states like Utah, Florida, and Maine may not reap the same benefits due to lower than average salaries in areas with higher costs of living.

Frequently Asked Questions

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