How much do registered nurses make? [Updated January 2025]
The average annual wage of a registered nurse (RN) in the United States is $94,480, and the average hourly wage is $45.42.
However, numerous factors can impact the average registered nurse income, including state and city, work setting, education, experience, and more.
This comprehensive guide covers all aspects of registered nurse income.
Find the answers to the following questions:
- How much does a registered nurse make per year and hour in each state?
- How much do registered nurses make per hour and year in the highest-paying states and cities?
- How much money does a nurse make in the highest-paying industries for RNs?
Also, discover how different aspects impact an RN’s earning potential, bumping income up or down the salary range.
Salary data regarding states, metropolitan areas, nonmetropolitan areas, and industries comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and only represents averages for employed RNs.
RN salary state by state in 2025
You are here for registered nursing salaries, so without further ado, here is how much registered nurses make an hour and per year in each state:
Source: Table created based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
How much do the highest-paid registered nurses make in 2025?
Next up, discover the average RN hourly and annual salary in the highest-paying states and cities in the United States.
What states pay RNs the highest salaries?
Keep your fingers crossed! You might find your state in the following list of the top 10 best-paying states for RNs in the US:
Source: Table created based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Which cities pay RNs the most?
The highest-paying states certainly have impressive salaries, but wait until you see the list of the highest-paying metropolitan areas in the country.
Spoiler alert: They are all in California.
Which are the highest-paying RN jobs?
Most RNs work in hospitals where they earn, on average, between $94,440 and $98,220 annually. That said, there are many other industries in which RNs receive significantly higher salaries.
The following are the top 10 highest-paying industries for RNs:
*Excluding state and local government schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service
What other factors increase the salary of RN jobs?
Aside from location and industry, many other factors influence RN salary.
You probably expect the level of education, certifications, and years of work experience to influence RN pay, but did you know that gender, community type, and union membership can also significantly influence RN income?
Read on to discover how all of these factors and others can influence your earnings as an RN:
How does education impact RN salary?
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Let’s start with RN education. If you have not yet started nursing school, you might not realize how many options you have to become an RN.
Aspiring RNs can complete Associate Degrees in Nursing (ADNs) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. Although less common, RN diploma programs are also available through some hospitals.
Additionally, RNs can pursue Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or even doctoral degrees in nursing. An MSN candidate typically must complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing before pursuing post-graduate education. However, accelerated nursing programs are also available for RNs with ADNs.
The following are average RN salaries by the level of education:
- Master’s degree: $100,000
- Bachelor’s degree: $88,000
- Associate’s degree: $82,000
How does work experience affect RN salary?
As with all professions, RNs can increase their salary by accruing professional experience. The following are average RN salaries by years of work experience:
- Twenty-one years or longer: $93,000
- Eleven to 20 years: $90,000
- Six to 10 years: $80,000
- Five years or less: $74,000
Interestingly, work experience in health-related positions prior to RN licensure can also affect RN entry-level salary.
A 2016 study found that BSN-educated RNs who had previously worked as healthcare managers, licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs), or nursing aides had higher starting wages than those without previous health-related work experience.
In fact, they earned between $3,400 and $7,700 more per year than their less experienced counterparts. For ADN-educated RNs, a salary bump was only observed with previous LPN/LVN experience.
In what type of area do RNs make the most money?
Location is one of the most significant factors affecting RN pay.
However, even within the same state, average RN salaries can vary significantly based on the type of community. Here are average RN salaries by community type:
- Urban: $93,000
- Suburban: $91,000
- Rural: $77,000
How do RNs supplement their income?
Over half of RNs (52 percent) pursue supplemental income in addition to their base salaries. Here are the ways that RNs typically supplement their income:
- Working extra shifts/overtime, weekends, and/or extra holidays: 32%
- Acting as preceptors: 13%
- Working “on call” shifts: 12%
- Taking on charge nurse responsibilities: 12%
- Working a second job or another income-producing activity (non-nursing): 10%
- Teaching classes: 6%
- Other: 8%
Do union registered nurses make more money?
Membership in a nurses’ union also significantly affects a registered nurse’s income. Here are average RN salaries based on union membership:
- Union members: $97,000
- Non-union RNs: $87,000
Is there a gender pay gap in nursing?
Although nursing is generally considered a women-dominated field, male RNs earn, on average, significantly more than female RNs. These are average RN salaries based on gender:
- Male RN average salary: $99,000
- Female RN average salary: $88,000
What is the minimum wage for registered nurses?
The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. However, the minimum wage varies state by state, as does the average RN salary. The highest minimum wage in the United States is $17.50 per hour in the District of Columbia.
That said, the minimum wage doesn’t apply to registered nurses since even the lowest-paid 10 percent of registered nurses in the United States earn up to $30.64 per hour or $63,720 annually.
Will the average RN salary increase in 2025?
As long as nurses are in demand—and there is no end to the nurse staffing shortage in sight—RNs are well-positioned to negotiate better salaries, benefits, and working conditions.
Here are some ways that healthcare leaders are trying to attract and retain nurses:
- Higher salaries
- More flexible work schedules
- Sign-on bonuses and relocation packages
- Loan forgiveness
- Tuition assistance
- Incentives for pursuing certifications and other career development opportunities
- More attractive benefits, such as better retirement plans and childcare discounts
Do RNs make good money?
As we have seen in this state-by-state salary guide, RN income is a complex issue affected by numerous and diverse factors, including residence, education, work experience, and union membership. Therefore, a better question is, “How can RNs make more money?”
Here are some tips you can follow to make more money as an RN:
- Work in health-related positions before RN licensure, such as working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) during nursing school.
- Complete a BSN followed by an MSN or a doctoral degree in nursing.
- Pursue certifications in the highest-paying nurse specialties.
- Move to a high-paying state with a relatively low cost of living.
- Supplement your income by picking up extra shifts or acting as a nurse preceptor.
Do all well-paying RN jobs require higher education?
Higher education typically leads to higher pay across professions. However, obtaining higher degrees is not the only way to get higher pay as an RN.
Nurses can significantly increase their hourly rates without pursuing higher education by picking up PRN jobs.
Nursa is a healthcare staffing app that connects nurses directly with facilities to fill open PRN shifts.
RNs can browse open PRN shifts near them and request the ones that fit their schedules, needs, and interests.
Picking up PRN jobs is a great way to supplement an RN income. Many RNs also work PRN full time for greater flexibility and work-life balance.
Working PRN also offers many advantages over traveling as a nurse. PRN RNs make high pay rates without leaving the comfort of their homes or making longer-term commitments. With PRN nursing, RNs commit to one shift at a time and can request only the shifts with the highest pay.
Sign up with Nursa to increase your RN income with PRN jobs.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (Registered Nurses)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Consolidated Minimum Wage Table
- BMC Health Services Research: The effect of prior healthcare employment on the wages of registered nurses
- Medscape: Needed Pay Increases Arrive: Medscape RN/LPN Compensation Report 2023
