The median RN salary in the United States is $97,550 per year, or $46.90 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (SOC 29-1141, May 2025 data, released 2026). Most registered nurses earn between $68,940 at the 10th percentile and $137,470 at the 90th percentile – a $68,500 range driven by state, specialty, setting, and experience. California pays the most, with a median above $140,000. Alabama and Mississippi sit at the bottom, near $77,000.
The number on your offer letter depends on more than geography. Shift differentials, specialty certifications, union coverage, and the BSN vs ADN credential all move the needle. Here is the full picture.
At a glance
| Variable | Low end | Median | High end |
|---|---|---|---|
| National salary range | $68,940 | $97,550 | $137,470+ |
| State range | ~$77,000 (AL/MS) | $97,550 | ~$140,270 (CA) |
| Specialty range | ~$75,000 (school nursing) | $97,550 | ~$125,000+ (ICU/OR) |
| Experience range | ~$72,000 (new grad) | $97,550 | ~$120,000+ (senior RN) |
| Travel RN (contract) | ~$95,000 | ~$125,000 | $160,000+ (crisis rates) |
National RN salary data
The BLS reports two salary figures that are often confused: mean (average) and median. The mean RN salary is $101,420 – pulled up by a relatively small number of very high earners, particularly in California and the Pacific Northwest. The median ($97,550) is the true midpoint: half of all RNs earn above it, half below. For career planning, the median is the more reliable benchmark.
This distinction is the single most common error in third-party nursing salary content, and it is worth understanding rather than memorizing. Because the mean sits roughly $3,900 above the median nationally, a site quoting the mean while labeling it “typical” overstates what a nurse at the midpoint of the profession earns. It also distorts year-over-year comparisons: quoting a mean for one year against a median for another produces a growth figure that measures nothing. Comparing like with like, the RN median moved from $75,330 in May 2020 to $97,550 in May 2025, an increase of 29.5% over five years.
The percentile spread is wide:
| Percentile | Annual salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $68,940 | $33.14 |
| 25th percentile | $80,330 | $38.62 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $97,550 | $46.90 |
| 75th percentile | $112,350 | $54.02 |
| 90th percentile | $137,470 | $66.09 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile reflects real, achievable salary progression over a career. A new grad RN in Mississippi starting near the 10th percentile and a senior ICU RN in Seattle approaching the 90th percentile are both practicing registered nurses – the credential is the same; the circumstances are not.
RN salary by state
State median salaries from BLS OES, sorted by median annual wage descending. Hourly calculated at 2,080 hours per year.
| State | Median annual | Hourly (approx.) | vs. national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,270 | $67 | +$42,720 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $66 | +$38,770 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | $62 | +$31,460 |
| Washington | $124,200 | $60 | +$26,650 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | $53 | +$11,930 |
| New York | $109,440 | $53 | +$11,890 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | $51 | +$8,950 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | $50 | +$7,000 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | $50 | +$6,120 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | $49 | +$5,190 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | $49 | +$3,960 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | $48 | +$3,090 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | $48 | +$2,710 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $48 | +$2,240 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | $48 | +$2,150 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | $48 | +$1,970 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | $48 | +$1,950 |
| National median | $97,550 | $47 | – |
| Vermont | $97,460 | $47 | -$90 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $46 | -$1,120 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | $46 | -$1,560 |
| Texas | $95,970 | $46 | -$1,580 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | $46 | -$2,020 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | $45 | -$3,210 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $45 | -$3,250 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $45 | -$3,950 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | $45 | -$4,000 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | $44 | -$5,090 |
| Maine | $86,990 | $42 | -$10,560 |
| Montana | $85,280 | $41 | -$12,270 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | $41 | -$12,820 |
| Utah | $84,600 | $41 | -$12,950 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | $41 | -$13,200 |
| Florida | $84,190 | $40 | -$13,360 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | $40 | -$13,790 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | $40 | -$14,050 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | $40 | -$14,630 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | $40 | -$15,040 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | $40 | -$15,190 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | $39 | -$15,770 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | $39 | -$16,050 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | $39 | -$16,510 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | $39 | -$16,820 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | $39 | -$17,320 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | $39 | -$17,420 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | $38 | -$18,230 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | $38 | -$18,610 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | $38 | -$18,920 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | $38 | -$19,490 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | $37 | -$20,460 |
| Alabama | $77,080 | $37 | -$20,470 |
The top 5: California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Four of the five sit on the Pacific Coast, where strong nursing unions, high cost of living, and historically tight nursing labor markets combine to push wages up.
The bottom 5: Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas. These states have lower costs of living, and in several cases weaker collective bargaining environments, though rural and travel premiums can still produce individual contracts that beat the state median.
One caveat about the spread, because it changed materially in the most recent BLS release: the distance between the highest- and lowest-paying states narrowed. California’s median is 82% above Alabama’s, well short of the clean two-to-one multiple that older salary guides still quote. Low-wage states moved fastest in the May 2025 survey, lifting Alabama to $77,080 and South Dakota to $78,060, while California rose only about 5%. Several New England states reordered entirely: New Hampshire and Rhode Island both moved from the bottom third of the table into the top quarter. If you are reading a state ranking published before 2026, treat its ordering as out of date rather than merely imprecise.
The California vs Texas comparison worth making
California’s median RN salary is $140,270 – the highest in the country. Texas has no state income tax at all. The comparison most salary sites get wrong is what that difference is worth, because California’s top-of-bracket rate and the rate a nurse pays are not the same number.
A $140,270 California salary sits in the 9.3% bracket, but that is the marginal rate – it applies only to the portion of income above roughly $68,350. Run the full 2026 bracket schedule against the $5,540 standard deduction and the state tax owed is closer to $9,200, an effective rate of about 6.5%. Net of state tax, that California nurse keeps about $131,100. A Texas RN at the state median of $95,970 keeps all of it. California is still ahead by roughly $35,100, so state income tax closes only about a fifth of the $44,300 gross gap rather than erasing it.
What does close the gap is housing. Median home prices and metro rents in California coastal markets run far above Texas equivalents, and that difference is larger than the tax difference by a wide margin. If you are modeling a relocation, weight housing cost ahead of the income tax line.
Florida, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Tennessee, and South Dakota also have no state income tax. If maximizing take-home is the goal, a $103,670 Nevada salary competes closely with a $110,000 salary in a high-tax state.
RN salary by specialty
Specialty is one of the most powerful salary levers available to staff RNs. Critical care, perioperative, and procedural specialties command the clearest premiums. Community health and school nursing sit at the lower end of the range.
| Specialty | Typical salary range | Why the premium or discount |
|---|---|---|
| ICU / critical care | $100,000–$130,000 | High acuity, complex pharmacology, 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio; CCRN certification adds $5,000–$8,000 in many markets |
| Operating room (OR/periop) | $99,000–$129,000 | Specialized skill set, scrub/circulator cross-training, limited portability increases employer leverage to offer premium rates |
| Emergency department | $96,000–$125,000 | Broad scope, high-stress environment, CEN certification valued; night/weekend differentials significantly boost total compensation |
| Labor and delivery (L&D) | $94,000–$122,000 | Dual-patient accountability, high-stakes outcomes, specialty certification (RNC-OB) adds premium |
| NICU | $93,000–$121,000 | Extremely high acuity for a vulnerable population; RNC-NIC certification recognized by most systems |
| Oncology | $91,000–$116,000 | OCN certification (ONCC) commonly expected for senior and clinical-ladder roles, though not required to work in oncology; separate ONS/ONCC chemotherapy immunotherapy certificate needed to administer systemic therapy; long-term patient relationships; inpatient oncology pays more than outpatient infusion |
| Pediatrics | $89,000–$113,000 | Specialized patient population; children's hospitals often carry strong union contracts in metro markets |
| Medical-surgical | $84,000–$104,000 | Entry point for most new grads; broad exposure, high patient loads (1:5–1:6), limited specialty premium |
| Psychiatric / behavioral health | $84,000–$108,000 | Growing demand, de-escalation and safety training requirements; inpatient psych pays better than community mental health |
| Home health | $80,000–$102,000 | Independent practice, mileage compensation, no shift differentials; flexibility premium for experienced RNs, pay cut for new grads |
| School nursing | $67,000–$91,000 | School district salary schedules, summers off, no nights or weekends; trade-off is lower ceiling and limited advancement |
ICU and OR specialties in California can push well past $140,000 for experienced staff, while school nursing in lower-wage states sits near the $67,000 floor. If you are early in your career and salary is a priority, starting in med-surg and transitioning to ICU after 1–2 years is the most reliable path to the upper salary bands.
RN salary by experience level
Experience adds salary in two ways: step increases within a given employer, and the ability to switch to higher-paying roles or markets with credibility. The first few years of growth are steepest; the curve flattens after about ten years unless you move into leadership, a higher-paying specialty, or travel nursing.
| Experience level | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New grad / entry (0–2 years) | $72,000–$88,000 | Residency programs common; most hospitals lock new grads in for 1–2 years via employment agreements; state and setting drive this band more than any other factor |
| Mid-level (3–7 years) | $88,000–$108,000 | Specialty transitions happen here; first negotiating leverage; sign-on bonuses available when switching employers |
| Senior staff RN (8–15 years) | $105,000–$125,000 | Top of most hospital pay scales; union step increases may max out; transition to charge, travel, or advanced practice is common at this stage |
| Charge nurse / nurse leader | $110,000–$140,000 | Administrative differential ($3–$8/hour) on top of base; not always a net salary gain over travel due to added responsibility and stress |
BSN vs ADN salary gap
The credential you hold affects your starting salary more than most job listings admit, but the size of the effect is harder to pin down than most salary guides suggest. BLS does not stratify SOC 29-1141 by degree, and no national dataset publishes an ADN-versus-BSN wage gap for registered nurses. Any precise national figure you encounter is an employer-level estimate rather than a measured statistic, so treat it accordingly.
What is verifiable is the mechanism. Hospital pay scales commonly attach a BSN differential of roughly $1–$3 per hour, which works out to about $2,000–$6,000 a year at full-time hours. Magnet-designated facilities formalize the gap further. The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program requires that 100% of nurse managers and nurse leaders hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing, and it requires applicant organizations to demonstrate a plan for advancing the education of their nursing workforce. The widely quoted 80% figure is often misattributed to Magnet itself; it is a recommendation from the Institute of Medicine’s 2010 report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which called for increasing the proportion of BSN-prepared nurses to 80% by 2020. Magnet does not set a fixed percentage. In practice these facilities hire ADN nurses and then route them toward RN-to-BSN completion, and clinical ladder progression is frequently gated on the degree. If you are on an ADN pathway, completing the BSN online – most programs take 12–18 months while working – opens pay bands and promotion tracks that the associate degree alone does not reach.
Shift differentials: the hidden income most RNs undercount
Base salary is not the whole picture. Shift differentials for evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays are often excluded from salary comparisons but represent a significant share of total compensation for bedside nurses who work non-day shifts.
Typical differential ranges across US hospital systems:
- Evening shift (3 pm–11 pm): 8–12% above base hourly rate
- Night shift (11 pm–7 am): 15–25% above base hourly rate
- Weekend differential: 10–20% above base, often stacked on top of evening/night differential
- Holiday pay: 1.5–2× base rate (typically 6–8 designated holidays per year)
An RN with a $47/hour base working permanent nights at a 20% night differential earns $56.40/hour before any overtime. Across a 36-hour week and 50 weeks per year, that adds roughly $16,900 annually compared to a day-shift RN at the same base rate. RNs who track their total compensation including differentials often find their effective rate is meaningfully higher than their listed base.
Travel nursing: the income ceiling for bedside RNs
Travel nursing is the clearest path to the top of the RN income range without an advanced degree. Crisis contracts during peak demand periods have reached $160,000+ per year; standard travel contracts typically produce $95,000–$140,000 per year in gross income.
The structure matters for net pay. Travel packages include:
- Taxable hourly rate (lower than staff RN base – often $20–$28/hour)
- Tax-free housing stipend (typically $1,500–$2,500/month – not counted as wages)
- Tax-free meals and incidentals stipend (typically $250–$450/month)
The housing and M&I stipends are federally exempt from income tax provided you maintain a permanent tax home. This means a travel RN grossing $120,000 in total package income may have a tax burden equivalent to someone earning $82,000 in W-2 wages. The effective hourly value of a travel contract is routinely 30–50% higher than the taxable rate alone suggests. This tax structure is why the same RN credential can produce dramatically different financial outcomes depending on employment arrangement.
Factors that affect RN salary
| Factor | Typical impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State / geography | ±$30,000–$50,000 | Largest single variable; CA vs AL gap is $63,000 at median |
| Specialty | ±$10,000–$30,000 | ICU/OR vs school nursing is a $25,000–$45,000 spread |
| Setting (hospital vs clinic vs home health) | ±$8,000–$20,000 | Hospitals pay highest; outpatient clinics and home health lower but more predictable hours |
| Experience and tenure | ±$15,000–$30,000 | Step increases plateau; switching employers often closes the gap faster than waiting for steps |
| BSN vs ADN | Commonly $1–$3/hour differential | No national dataset measures this; Magnet facilities formalize the gap through leadership requirements and clinical ladders |
| Shift differentials | +$5,000–$20,000 | Night/weekend premiums; often excluded from base salary comparisons |
| Union vs non-union | +$5,000–$15,000 union | Unionized hospitals typically have higher base rates and transparent step schedules |
| Specialty certifications | +$2,000–$8,000 | CCRN, CEN, OCN, CNOR: many systems pay certification bonuses on top of base |
| Employment type (staff vs travel) | Travel: +20–50% effective rate | Tax structure makes gross comparison misleading; calculate net-of-tax value |
How to increase your earning potential as an RN
Pursue a specialty certification. The CCRN (critical care), CEN (emergency), OCN (oncology), and CNOR (perioperative) are the most widely recognized. Many hospital systems pay a certification bonus of $1,000–$5,000 per year on top of base salary, plus continuing education support to maintain the credential. The return on a few hundred dollars in exam fees and study time is significant.
Complete your BSN if you are on an ADN. Online RN-to-BSN programs typically cost $6,000–$20,000 and take 12–18 months while working full-time. A BSN differential in the common $1–$3/hour range means the credential typically pays for itself within a few years and opens access to Magnet facility pay scales for the remainder of your career.
Consider travel nursing after 2 years of experience. Most travel agencies require at least one year of recent acute care experience in the specialty you want to travel in; two years is the practical minimum for competitive assignment access. The income ceiling is substantially higher than staff nursing, and the experience of working across health systems builds clinical adaptability that translates into advancement options later.
Relocate to a higher-paying state – but model the net, not the gross. California’s salary premium is real, but so is its tax burden, cost of housing, and cost of living. Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona offer strong nursing wages with either no state income tax or moderate rates, alongside lower housing costs than coastal California metros.
Bridge to NP or CRNA if the ceiling matters. Nurse practitioners earn a median of $132,300 nationally. CRNAs – the highest-paid nursing role – earn a median of $236,590. Both paths require additional education (MSN or DNP), and the CRNA path requires ICU experience as a prerequisite. If you are an ICU RN early in your career, the financial case for pursuing CRNA is compelling. See the CRNA salary guide and how to become a CRNA for the full trajectory.
Related resources:
- Nursing salary comparison tool – compare RN, NP, CRNA, and LPN salaries side by side
- CRNA salary guide – the income ceiling for nursing
- BSN programs – the fastest path to the BSN premium
- MSN programs – advancing to nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist
Salary data sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (SOC 29-1141, May 2025 release). State figures reflect median annual wages; individual earnings vary by employer, setting, experience, and contract structure. BLS data updated annually – check bls.gov/oes for the latest release.
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: 29-1141 Registered Nurses,” May 2025 estimates, released 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: 29-1141 Registered Nurses,” May 2020 estimates (historical baseline for five-year wage comparison). https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes291141.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses,” employment projections 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
- O*NET OnLine, “Summary Report for 29-1141.00 Registered Nurses,” wage percentile data derived from BLS OEWS May 2025. https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1141.00
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: 29-1151 Nurse Anesthetists” and “29-1171 Nurse Practitioners,” May 2025 estimates.
- American Nurses Credentialing Center, “Magnet Recognition Program: Eligibility Criteria,” American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/apply/eligibility-criteria/
- Institute of Medicine, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, National Academies Press, 2010.
- Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, “Nurse Workforce Projections, 2022–2037,” November 2024.
- Internal Revenue Service, “Publication 463: Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses” (tax home rules governing non-taxable per diem and housing stipends). https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463
- California Franchise Tax Board, 2026 California income tax rate schedules and standard deduction (single filer: 9.3% marginal bracket applying above $68,350; standard deduction $5,540). State tax figures in the California vs Texas section are computed against the full bracket schedule rather than the marginal rate. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/tax-calculator-tables-rates.asp