Home › Careers › Registered Nurse Salary: What to Expect by Experience and State

Registered Nurse Salary: What to Expect by Experience and State

A plain-English look at how registered nurse pay typically changes with experience, location, and setting—using the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranges.

Reviewed by the Pop Nursing editorial team · Updated June 2026

Key takeaways

As of May 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of roughly $93,600 for registered nurses, with most earning somewhere between about $66,000 and $135,000 depending on many factors.
Pay typically rises with experience, but the steepest jumps often come from changing specialty, setting, shift, or earning advanced credentials—not just years on the job.
Location matters enormously: state mean wages ranged from roughly the high-$70,000s in some states to about $148,000 in California (May 2024 BLS), though cost of living can erase much of that gap.
High-paying states usually have high living costs, so a smaller 'paper' salary elsewhere can sometimes stretch further.
All figures here are approximate ranges, not promises—actual pay varies by school, state, employer, specialty, and the year you enter the field.

What Registered Nurses Typically Earn Nationally

If you are researching nursing as a career, salary is a fair and practical question to ask. The good news is that registered nursing tends to pay well relative to the education required, though actual earnings vary widely by person and place.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for registered nurses was approximately $93,600 in May 2024. The median means half of RNs earned more and half earned less. To give a sense of the spread, BLS reported that roughly the lowest-earning 10 percent made under about $66,000 per year, while the highest-earning 10 percent made over about $135,000. The national average (mean) wage was a bit higher than the median, around $98,000, because top earners pull the average up.

A few things to keep in mind as you read any salary figure:

These are approximate ranges for a specific year, and updated numbers are published regularly.
National figures blend every specialty, setting, and region together, so your local reality may look quite different.
Salary is only one part of compensation. Many RN roles also include benefits like health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off, tuition assistance, and shift or overtime differentials that can meaningfully change your total pay.

How Pay Tends to Change With Experience

Most prospective students assume RN pay climbs steadily with each year worked. There is some truth to that, but the picture is more nuanced. Public data sources like BLS report wages by occupation and location rather than by exact years of experience, so precise 'year-by-year' salary tables you may see online are usually estimates and can vary widely.

In general terms, here is how nurses often describe the arc:

New graduate / entry level: Pay frequently starts near the lower portion of the local range while you build clinical confidence and complete orientation or residency programs. Some employers offer structured pay steps that increase on a set schedule.
Mid-career: After several years, many nurses move toward the middle of their area's range, especially once they gain a specialty, certifications, or charge-nurse responsibilities.
Experienced / advanced roles: Senior clinical nurses, specialized roles, and leadership or advanced-practice paths often reach the upper portion of the range.

One important takeaway: the biggest pay increases often come not simply from adding years, but from changing what you do or where you do it—moving into a higher-demand specialty, taking on night or weekend shifts that include differentials, relocating, or earning additional credentials. Whether and how much these factors raise pay varies by employer, state, and market.

How Much Location Changes the Picture

Where you work is one of the largest drivers of RN pay. Using May 2024 BLS state data, the gap between the highest- and lowest-paying states was substantial.

On the higher end, state average (mean) wages included figures such as:

California: roughly $148,000 per year
Hawaii: roughly $124,000 per year
Oregon: roughly $120,000 per year
Washington: roughly $116,000 per year
Massachusetts and Alaska: roughly $112,000 per year

On the lower end, several states in the South and parts of the rural Midwest reported average RN wages in the high-$70,000s to mid-$80,000s range. These are state averages, and pay within any state can vary widely between rural areas and major metro hospitals.

The catch is cost of living. States that pay the most often also have the highest housing and everyday costs, which can erase much of the apparent advantage. Analyses that adjust for cost of living tend to show the gap between states narrowing considerably—a higher 'paper' salary does not always mean more money left over at the end of the month. When comparing offers across states, it can help to weigh rent or mortgage costs, taxes, and commuting against the wage. Exact figures vary by city and change over time.

Other Factors That Move RN Pay

Beyond experience and state, several other factors commonly influence what a registered nurse earns. None of these guarantees a specific salary, but they help explain why two RNs with similar experience can be paid quite differently.

Work setting: Pay can differ across hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, nursing and residential care, schools, and government employers. Specialty hospital units sometimes pay differently than general settings.
Specialty and certification: Areas such as critical care, operating room, emergency, or other high-acuity specialties may carry different pay and often value additional certifications.
Shift and schedule: Night, weekend, and holiday shifts frequently include differentials. Overtime, on-call, and travel-nursing roles can raise total earnings, though often with trade-offs in stability or lifestyle.
Education level: An associate degree (ADN) and a bachelor's degree (BSN) can both lead to RN licensure, but some employers and roles prefer or require a BSN, which may affect advancement and pay over time. Whether this changes starting pay varies by employer and region.
Demand and union presence: Local nurse shortages, employer competition, and collective bargaining agreements can all shift wages.

Because every one of these varies by school, state, and employer, treat salary ranges as a starting point for your own local research rather than a fixed promise.

The Career Outlook Behind the Numbers

Salary matters most alongside job stability, and the broader outlook for nursing has generally been described as steady. BLS has projected employment of registered nurses to grow about 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, which it characterizes as faster than the average for all occupations. A large share of openings each year is also expected to come from the need to replace nurses who retire or leave the field.

For someone weighing the time and cost of a nursing program, this context can be reassuring: demand for licensed, qualified RNs has tended to be broad across the country, even if pay levels differ by region. That said, projections are estimates, hiring needs vary by state and specialty, and no outlook can promise a particular job, wage, or timeline.

As you plan, it can help to look up wage data for the specific state and metro area where you hope to work, talk to working nurses in your target specialty, and factor in the full compensation picture—not just the headline number. Becoming an RN also requires completing an approved program and passing the national licensure exam (the NCLEX-RN, which has used the Next Generation NCLEX format since April 2023), and admission and licensure requirements vary by school and state.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a registered nurse make on average in the U.S.?

As of May 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of about $93,600 for registered nurses, with the national average closer to roughly $98,000. Most RNs earned somewhere between about $66,000 and $135,000 per year, though actual pay varies widely by state, setting, specialty, and experience. These are approximate ranges for one year and are updated periodically.

Do registered nurses earn more with experience?

Pay often increases over a nursing career, with new graduates typically starting nearer the lower end of their local range and more experienced nurses moving toward the middle or upper end. However, some of the largest increases tend to come from changing specialty, taking shift differentials, relocating, or earning certifications rather than years alone. How much experience affects pay varies by employer and state.

Which states pay registered nurses the most?

Based on May 2024 BLS data, states with the highest average RN wages included California (around $148,000), Hawaii (around $124,000), Oregon (around $120,000), Washington (around $116,000), and Massachusetts and Alaska (around $112,000). Keep in mind these states often have high living costs, so a higher salary does not always translate to greater real earning power.

Is a higher-paying state always the better financial choice?

Not necessarily. States that pay the most frequently also have higher housing, tax, and living costs, which can offset much of the wage advantage. When comparing locations, it helps to weigh the salary against local rent or mortgage costs and taxes. The 'best' financial choice varies by city, lifestyle, and individual circumstances.

Does a BSN pay more than an ADN?

Both an associate degree (ADN) and a bachelor's degree (BSN) can lead to RN licensure. Some employers prefer or require a BSN, which may affect advancement opportunities and pay over time, but whether it changes starting pay depends on the employer, role, and region. Requirements and pay practices vary by school, state, and program.

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not admissions, career, financial, or medical advice. Program length, cost, accreditation, and licensing requirements vary by school and by state — always confirm details with the school and your state board of nursing.