How Much Money Do Registered Nurses Make?

Registered nurses earn a mean annual wage of $98,430, with the top 10% making more than $135,000. Where you land in that range depends on location, specialty, experience, and degree. You can become an RN in 2-4 years and start out earning above the U.S. average for all occupations.

How Much Do Registered Nurses Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), RNs earn a mean annual wage of $98,430, or about $47 an hour, as of May 2024. The median is $93,600, or roughly $45 an hour. Most RNs earn between $66,030 and $135,320 a year.

Experience moves that number more than almost anything else. The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey found nurses with over 10 years on the job earned up to $30,000 more per year than nurses with one year or less.

Salary by Education Level

You can enter the field with a nursing diploma or a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN), but the four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) has become the standard. BSN-prepared nurses start higher and have more job options. The pattern holds as you climb: RNs with a master of science in nursing (MSN) earn an average of about $21,000 more than those with a BSN.

Salary by Specialty

Board certification and specialization raise your pay. The highest-paying RN specialties include family health, acute and critical care, and emergency and trauma nursing.

Highest- and Lowest-Paying States

Pay varies sharply by state. Western states pay the most; some Southern and Midwestern states pay the least. Cost of living, nursing demand, and local labor conditions drive the spread. California and Hawaii, two of the most expensive states to live in, post the highest RN salaries in the country. Lower-paying states tend to offer a cheaper cost of living in return.

Salary by Industry

Workplace setting matters. Among the most common industries for RNs, government, hospitals, and ambulatory healthcare services reported the highest earnings as of May 2024.

How RN Pay Compares to Other Nurses

RNs earn less than advanced practice nurses but far more than nurses without a college degree. As of May 2024, RNs earn about $54,000 more than certified nursing assistants and about $31,000 more than licensed practical nurses. They earn roughly $36,000 less per year than nurse practitioners.

Nurse anesthetists are the highest-paid nurses. They must earn a doctorate and spend seven or more years in education and training.

What Salary Growth to Expect

Pay rises with experience and education. As graduate degrees become more common and nursing leans harder into technology and preventive care, RNs can move into senior leadership roles that pay more.

Four Ways to Increase Your Pay

Get certified. Certification proves competence in a specialty. Many RNs qualify after just two years of experience in an area like emergency, perioperative, or medical-surgical nursing. Some employers tie promotions and raises to it.

Earn your BSN or MSN. Higher degrees carry more responsibility and more complex decisions, and pay reflects that. ADN-holders who go back for a BSN or MSN can raise their annual salary by about $5,000 and $26,000, respectively.

Move into administration. Charge nurse, lead nurse, and nurse manager roles oversee staff and manage the business side of care. They pay more and usually require a BSN or higher. Serving as a charge or lead nurse is a common entry point.

Change your setting or go travel. Some settings simply pay more. Per the BLS, hospitals and physicians' offices pay RNs the most. Travel nursing in certain specialties pushes pay higher still. Per June 2025 ZipRecruiter data, the top-paying travel specialties are international nursing, critical care, and wound care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the highest-paid RNs earn? The top 10% of RNs make about $135,000 a year. Pay depends on degree, specialty, location, and experience, and advanced practice RNs earn more.

What is the average RN salary? As of May 2024, the BLS reports a mean RN wage of $98,430, with most RNs earning between $66,030 and $135,320.

Which specialties pay the most? Family health, acute and critical care, and emergency and trauma report the highest earnings.

How much do new RNs make? RNs with one year of experience or less earn a median of about $63,000, rising to roughly $93,000 after 11 years. Location, specialty, and setting all shift that figure.