occupation · 29-1141 · detailed
Registered Nurses — wages and employment
Registered Nurses earned a median annual wage of $93,600 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,282,010 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Registered Nurses earned a median annual wage of $93,600 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,282,010 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $66,030 or less, the best-paid tenth $135,320 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $86,070 to $93,600, +8.7 %. The best-paying state is California at $140,330; the lowest Puerto Rico at $37,780. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $208,940. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 3,282,010 | $93,600 | $98,430 | $66,030 | $78,610 | $107,960 | $135,320 | $45.00 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 3,175,390 | $86,070 | $94,480 | $63,720 | $75,990 | $104,670 | $132,680 | $41.38 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $140,330 | 326,720 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | 13,100 |
| Oregon | $123,990 | 39,900 |
| Washington | $112,180 | 64,690 |
| Alaska | $110,690 | 7,040 |
| New York | $105,600 | 204,120 |
| District of Columbia | $104,550 | 9,790 |
| New Jersey | $102,730 | 95,150 |
| Nevada | $101,990 | 27,570 |
| Massachusetts | $101,970 | 90,190 |
| Connecticut | $101,590 | 39,020 |
| Minnesota | $100,870 | 64,740 |
| Rhode Island | $99,960 | 10,760 |
| Arizona | $96,890 | 64,430 |
| Maryland | $96,830 | 48,980 |
| New Hampshire | $96,830 | 16,580 |
| Colorado | $96,520 | 54,510 |
| Delaware | $92,610 | 13,260 |
| Texas | $90,010 | 261,050 |
| Virginia | $88,820 | 77,420 |
| New Mexico | $88,260 | 17,510 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,610 | 146,840 |
| Georgia | $86,560 | 97,410 |
| Illinois | $86,410 | 139,900 |
| Idaho | $86,100 | 14,540 |
| Wisconsin | $86,070 | 64,960 |
| Michigan | $85,670 | 104,210 |
| Vermont | $85,150 | 7,240 |
| Maine | $82,860 | 16,280 |
| Florida | $82,850 | 218,100 |
| Utah | $82,270 | 25,780 |
| North Carolina | $81,860 | 108,510 |
| Wyoming | $81,790 | 5,180 |
| Montana | $81,560 | 10,540 |
| Ohio | $81,250 | 138,360 |
| Oklahoma | $81,160 | 32,870 |
| Nebraska | $81,020 | 24,180 |
| Indiana | $80,740 | 68,950 |
| West Virginia | $79,990 | 21,740 |
| Kentucky | $79,910 | 48,170 |
| South Carolina | $79,900 | 50,300 |
| Missouri | $79,770 | 74,270 |
| Tennessee | $79,030 | 67,990 |
| Louisiana | $78,880 | 46,790 |
| North Dakota | $78,260 | 11,000 |
| Kansas | $78,060 | 32,640 |
| Arkansas | $77,130 | 28,320 |
| Iowa | $76,960 | 33,480 |
| Mississippi | $74,470 | 29,400 |
| Virgin Islands | $73,890 | 470 |
| Alabama | $71,040 | 53,340 |
| South Dakota | $69,510 | 14,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,780 | 22,430 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $208,940 | 21,460 |
| Vallejo, CA | $192,470 | 4,410 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $188,020 | 40,750 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $178,900 | 1,610 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $172,390 | 3,770 |
| Modesto, CA | $169,460 | 5,260 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $169,210 | 23,400 |
| Yuba City, CA | $144,220 | 1,070 |
| Chico, CA | $141,720 | 2,490 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $139,310 | 1,170 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $138,690 | 9,930 |
| Salinas, CA | $135,080 | 3,060 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $133,470 | 1,950 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $133,470 | 3,140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $133,440 | 107,340 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $133,090 | 27,660 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $131,840 | 5,100 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $130,740 | 810 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $130,160 | 34,570 |
| Bend, OR | $130,150 | 2,290 |
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