Nurse Salary Guide 2026: How Much do Nurses Make?

Nursing pay is one of the biggest draws to the field, but it varies widely by role, location, education, and setting. This guide breaks down average registered nurse (RN) salaries, pay by specialization, RN salary by state, the highest- and lowest-paying states, and the factors that move the number. The figures come from the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, based on 2024 wages released in 2025.

What is the average nurse salary?

RNs earn a mean salary of about $98,430 a year, or roughly $47.32 an hour. The median is $93,600 (about $45 an hour), nearly double the national average across all occupations (around $49,500). That gap reflects the demand for nurses and the skill the work requires.

Licensed practical and vocational nurses and nursing assistants, who have lower training requirements, earn considerably less. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) earn substantially more, covered below. About 3.28 million RNs were working nationwide as of 2024, making nursing one of the largest occupations in U.S. healthcare.

The national average is a starting point, not a forecast for your paycheck. Your role, location, and setting move it up or down.

Nurse salary by state

Where you work has a major effect on pay, driven by cost of living, local demand, and labor markets. West Coast and Northeast states tend to pay the most; many Southern and Midwestern states pay below the national average.

The highest-paying states for RNs:

• California, around $148,000
• Hawaii, around $124,000
• Oregon, around $120,000
• Washington, around $116,000
• Massachusetts, around $113,000

California leads the nation, helped by strong unions and high living costs. Alaska ($112K), New York ($110K), and the District of Columbia (about $109K) also rank high.

The lowest-paying states cluster in the South and Midwest:

• South Dakota, around $72,000 (the lowest in the country)
• Arkansas, around $78,000
• Iowa, around $78,000
• Kansas, around $79,000
• Mississippi, around $79,000

These gaps usually track cost of living. California's is about 12.5 percent above the national average, which offsets some of the salary edge. Even so, an RN in California can earn nearly double one in South Dakota. If you are open to relocating, moving to a higher-paying state (and getting a multistate license where it applies) can meaningfully raise your income. Weigh salary against living costs to gauge real purchasing power.

Nurse salary by role and specialization

Each nursing role carries its own education requirements, responsibilities, and pay range.

Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs), with about a year of training, earn the least among licensed nurses, roughly $60K to $64K a year. RNs, who hold an associate or bachelor's degree, average about $94K to $98K; the BLS median was $93,600 as of May 2024, with a mean near $98,430.

APRNs earn significantly more. These roles require a master's or doctoral degree and expanded clinical authority, often including diagnosing and prescribing. Nurse Practitioners average around $126K to $132K. Certified Nurse Midwives earn a similar range, roughly $130K. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) top the scale at about $230K, more than twice a typical RN's pay, a reflection of the advanced training and the stakes of administering anesthesia and managing airways.

Specialties within registered nursing matter too. Critical care, oncology, and cardiac ICU nurses often out-earn general medical-surgical nurses, especially with specialty certifications or travel contracts. BLS does not break out specialty-by-specialty data, but hospital pay structures routinely add premiums for high-demand units and credentials.

Nursing roles and specialization salary by state (2023-2024)

Historical state-level data shows how pay spread across roles:

• Nurse Practitioners peaked in Nevada ($148,670) and Oregon ($144,950), signaling strong Western demand for APRNs.
• Nursing Instructors topped out in the District of Columbia ($111,130).
• Nursing Assistants ranged from $29,660 in Mississippi to $47,080 in Alaska, tracking local cost of living and funding. Puerto Rico averaged about $28,020.
• LVNs and LPNs spanned $27,430 in Puerto Rico to $75,000-plus in California and Rhode Island.
• The Northeast (New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey) posted strong wages across all roles; Southern states trended lower. Texas and Georgia still paid well for CRNAs and NPs despite lower living costs.

Where registered nurses earn the most by setting

Pay also depends on the type of facility. Government and hospital jobs generally pay nurses the most, while long-term care and school settings pay less. Outpatient clinics and physician offices land in between. Travel nursing through staffing companies can pay well above the average hourly wage, with those earnings counted under employment services. When weighing an offer, account for the setting: a hospital usually offers higher base pay and more overtime than a clinic or nursing home in the same city.

Salary by percentile

About 10 percent of RNs earn less than $66K, while the top 10 percent earn over $135K a year. The spread reflects experience, education, specialty, and location. Even the 10th-percentile wage sits above the U.S. average across all occupations, and top earners clear well into six figures.

Salary growth

RN pay has risen steadily for over a decade, outpacing inflation in many years as demand for healthcare has grown. The average RN salary climbed from about $66,500 in 2009 to $98,430 in 2024, roughly a 48 percent increase. By another measure, the median rose from $66,640 in 2014 to $93,600 in 2024, close to a 40 percent gain.

Recent growth accelerated:

• 2022: the average jumped 7.0 percent in one year, among the largest annual increases on record, tied to the pandemic, nurse shortages, and wage inflation.
• 2023: pay rose another 5.8 percent.

Hospitals raised wages to attract and retain staff through the pandemic, driving some of the fastest increases in decades. Before 2020, annual RN salary growth averaged 2 to 3 percent. Going forward, expect moderate, steady growth: the workforce remains in high demand, and the BLS projects 6 percent RN employment growth from 2023 to 2033, with even faster growth for nurse practitioners.

Gender pay gap in nursing

The RN workforce is roughly 87 percent female, yet a pay gap persists. According to a nurse.com report, male RNs earned a median annual salary about $6,000 higher than female RNs. That is down sharply from a $14,200 gap in 2022, but it remains notable in a female-dominated profession.

Several factors drive it. Shift differentials are one: male RNs are more likely to work night shifts and pick up overtime, both of which pay higher hourly rates. Men are also slightly more likely to negotiate: 40 percent of male nurses reported negotiating pay in 2024 versus 36 percent of female nurses. Specialization adds to it, with male RNs more represented in higher-paying areas like critical care, administration, and anesthesia, while female-dominated specialties such as pediatrics pay less. By the hour, male RNs earn about $39 to female RNs' $38, a small gap that compounds over a year.

Nursing fares better than most fields on pay equity. The BLS reported that in 2023 women across all full-time occupations earned 83.6 percent of what men earned; the female-to-male RN ratio sits closer to 91 percent. Some employers are narrowing the gap further through pay equity audits, transparent salary scales, and negotiation training.

Factors affecting nurse pay

Two nurses with the same title can earn very different amounts. The main drivers:

Education and credentials. BSN-prepared nurses earn about $17,000 more a year on average than ADN nurses, and many hospitals now prefer or require a BSN. Specialty certifications (CCRN, CEN) and advanced degrees (MSN, DNP) raise the ceiling further. APRN roles like NP, CNM, and CRNA require graduate degrees and rank among the best-paid in the profession, over $120K.

Specialization and role. Within the RN scope, high-demand specialties such as ICU, ER, surgical, and oncology often pay more than medical-surgical floors. Advanced practice roles command the largest premiums, and even among APRNs, CRNAs out-earn the rest.

Experience and seniority. Pay scales usually rise with years of service. The top 10 percent of RNs earn over $135,000 a year, the bottom 10 percent under $66,000, so a seasoned nurse can roughly double an entry-level salary over a career. Charge nurse and unit manager roles add premium pay.

Location and cost of living. Urban areas and coastal states pay more than rural and interior regions. Metro hospitals in San Francisco, New York, or Boston pay high to compete for talent. Look at salary adjusted for cost of living, not just the nominal figure. Areas with shortages may add hiring bonuses and relocation help.

Workplace setting and shift. Hospitals generally pay more than clinics or long-term care. Night, weekend, and rotating shifts carry differentials, and overtime or per diem (PRN) shifts can add real money on top of a base salary.

Union status. States and hospitals with strong nursing unions (California, New York, Massachusetts) tend to have higher pay scales and better benefits. Union contracts secure raises, overtime rules, and wage increases tied to experience or inflation. California's high pay is partly tied to its nurses' union and mandated nurse-to-patient ratios.

Benefits and bonuses. Many roles add sign-on bonuses ($5,000 to $20,000 for hard-to-fill positions), tuition reimbursement, clinical ladder bonuses, overtime at 1.5x, and retirement contributions. Travel and agency nurses often get housing stipends and per diems. Weigh the full package, not just the base wage.

Trends and projections

The RN workforce keeps expanding, from about 3.0 million a decade ago to 3.28 million in 2024. The BLS projects 6 percent RN employment growth from 2023 to 2033, adding roughly 197,000 jobs, with an average of 194,500 openings a year once retirements are counted. That is faster-than-average growth, driven by an aging population and rising demand for care.

Wages rose fast recently. The median climbed from about $86,070 in May 2023 to $93,600 in 2024, an 8.7 percent jump that outpaced wage growth across the economy.

A few state-level shifts stood out:

• California held the top spot and hit a record average near $148K. Hawaii and Oregon stayed in the top tier, and Washington climbed into the top five (now around $115.7K) on aggressive hiring and pay increases.
• New York edged above $110K average for the first time, helped by new union contracts at major NYC hospitals.
• Texas added thousands of nursing jobs and ranks second in workforce size, but its average RN wage (about $91.7K) stayed out of the top tier, pointing to ample supply relative to demand. Florida runs a similar pattern at about $88K.
• BLS temporarily suspended Colorado's wage data over data quality concerns, so its figure (around $91,730) is a 2023 carryover, not a real change in pay.
• Even traditionally low-paying states gained ground. Alabama moved from the low $70Ks toward $80K, and South Dakota rose to about $72K from the mid-$60Ks.

Why nursing remains a strong career choice

The nursing shortage is real and global. As populations age, demand climbs, and the World Health Organization warns of a potential shortfall of 9 million nurses by 2030. In the U.S., registered nursing pairs competitive pay with strong job security: 6 percent projected growth from 2023 to 2033 and about 194,500 annual openings as nurses retire and demand rises. Many employers now add sign-on bonuses and loan forgiveness to compete.

Opportunity varies by location. Urban hospitals often stay fully staffed, while rural facilities struggle to fill roles, which can mean higher pay or bonuses for nurses willing to work there. Beyond clinical skill, employers increasingly value communication and continuing education. And know your worth at the negotiating table: it is one of the most direct ways to raise your pay.