RN Salary Guide by State
Knowing the average RN salary can be helpful when you’re looking for a nursing job. Since nursing salaries can vary from state to state, understanding which states have the highest earning potential allows you to more effectively choose where you want to practice.
This guide provides you the tools you need to learn what the average RN salary is nationwide, as well as on a state-by-state basis.
Salaries for Registered Nurses
The median annual salary for registered nurses is $77,600 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This can vary considerably based on what field or specialty of nursing you focus on, as well as by geography. The highest 10 percent of nursing salaries are above $120,250, while the lowest 10 percent are less than $59,450. The salaries of nurses working in hospitals or for the government tend to be above the national median, while nurses who work in residential care facilities or physicians’ offices earn salaries below the national median.
Experience is also a significant factor in RN salary. According to PayScale, starting salaries for nurses are usually around $5,000 lower than the median salary for RNs.
Nursing careers are growing much more quickly than other careers in the United States. According to the BLS, employment of RNs is expected to grow 6 percent by 2031.
RN Salary Guide by State
Knowing the average RN salary in your state can help you better assess job opportunities. The highest nursing salaries in the United States can be found in California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Oregon. The mean salary in New Hampshire, the location of Rivier University, is $78,270. Vermont and Maine both have similar mean salaries, at $75,160 and $73,630 respectively, but the mean salary in nearby Massachusetts is $96,630.
Data in this map, as well as in the breakdown below, is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
RN Salary: The Breakdown
The map above can help you determine what the RN salary is in your state or surrounding states. It’s a useful visual representation of the data in the table below. This table can be helpful for quickly finding the annual mean salary in a particular state, as well as easily comparing the salaries in different states.
| State | Annual Mean Sala1ry |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,920 |
| Alaska | $97,230 |
| Arizona | $81,600 |
| Arkansas | $65,810 |
| California | $124,000 |
| Colorado | $70,550 |
| Colorado | $80,670 |
| Connecticut | $88,530 |
| Delaware | $77,760 |
| Florida | $72,000 |
| Georgia | $75,380 |
| Hawaii | $106,530 |
| Idaho | $73,640 |
| Illinois | $78,260 |
| Indiana | $68,890 |
| Iowa | $64,990 |
| Kansas | $66,560 |
| Kentucky | $67,260 |
| Louisiana | $70,380 |
| Maine | $73,630 |
| Maryland | $82,660 |
| Massachusetts | $96,630 |
| Michigan | $75,930 |
| Minnesota | $84,030 |
| Mississippi | $63,130 |
| Missouri | $67,790 |
| Montana | $73,610 |
| Nebraska | $69,850 |
| Nevada | $88,800 |
| New Hampshire | $78,270 |
| New Jersey | $89,690 |
| New Mexico | $77,590 |
| New York | $93,320 |
| North Carolina | $71,200 |
| North Dakota | $71,200 |
| Ohio | $71,640 |
| Oklahoma | $68,180 |
| Oregon | $98,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,000 |
| Rhode Island | $85,270 |
| South Carolina | $69,580 |
| South Dakota | $60,540 |
| Tennessee | $66,680 |
| Texas | $79,120 |
| Utah | $72,790 |
| Vermont | $75,160 |
| Virginia | $76,680 |
| Washington | $95,350 |
| West Virginia | $67,640 |
| Wisconsin | $76,850 |
| Wyoming | $73,130 |
Get Your Nursing Degree With Rivier University
The first step in advancing your nursing career is getting the right education. Rivier University offers an online RN to BSN program that can help you achieve your nursing goals, no matter where you live. Learn in a dynamic online environment on a schedule that works with your busy life.