PRN Nursing Jobs in Massachusetts: Ultimate Guide [2024]

Want to pick up high-paying PRN jobs in Massachusetts? Nursa is a marketplace that connects nurses and CNAs with shifts near them.

Are you a nursing student or a newly graduated nurse about to start your nursing career in Massachusetts? Perhaps you recently moved to the state or are planning a move and would like to know what to expect regarding average nursing salaries and the cost of living in Massachusetts. Regardless of your current situation, if your future includes the nursing field and Massachusetts, then this ultimate guide is for you. Learn about the best nursing programs, average nursing salaries, best-paying cities, average cost of living, cheapest cities, and more!

How to Get a Nurse License in Massachusetts?

Would you like to become a nurse but don’t quite know how to get started? Let us walk you through the most common pathways.

If you have both time and financial constraints, an excellent option is to choose a practical nursing program. These programs usually take one year to complete and qualify nurses to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). After passing this exam, nursing graduates are officially licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and can begin searching for nursing jobs.

If you can spare one more year for your studies, consider completing an associate’s degree in  nursing (ADN). ADNs qualify graduates to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Upon passing this exam, successful candidates receive their nursing licenses and can officially work as registered nurses (RNs).

Another pathway to become an RN is through a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN). BSN programs take four years on average and are generally more expensive than the previous two options. However, the higher your level of nursing education, the higher your nursing salary will be. Therefore, opting for a BSN is certainly a worthwhile investment. 

Best LPN Nursing Programs in Massachusetts?

Do you think an LPN program is the best option for you? Let us help you choose a top practical nursing program. One of the best ways to determine the quality of a nursing program is by its first-time NCLEX pass rates. Since the average first-time pass rate in Massachusetts was 86% in 2022, we can safely say that any program with a higher first-time pass rate offers its students a high-quality education. With this in mind, here are the practical nursing programs in Massachusetts with first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates above the state average:

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing

Best ADN Nursing Programs in Massachusetts?

Have you opted for an RN license through an ADN program? Then, let us present you with the very best options in Massachusetts to choose from. The following ADN programs have first-time NCLEX pass rates above the state average, which was 82% in 2022:

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing

Best BSN Nursing Programs in Massachusetts?

Have you opted for the highest level initial nursing degree? We salute you! 

RNs with BSNs have both higher salaries and greater job opportunities than their counterparts with ADNs. Now, if you’re going to commit to a four-year degree, you better choose wisely! Here are the top BSN programs in Massachusetts based on their first-time NCLEX pass rates. Again, bear in mind that the average NCLEX-RN pass rate in Massachusetts was 82% in 2022, so all of these programs have higher-than-average results.  

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in Massachusetts?

Becoming an LPN is the fastest way to become a nurse, but it’s not the fastest way to enter the nursing field. You can become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in as little as four weeks and begin working and making money in the healthcare sector. Even if you have set your heart on becoming a nurse and maybe even started nursing school, becoming a CNA is still an excellent way to acquire experience in the field before graduating from nursing school.

CNA Salary in Massachusetts?

Sold on becoming a CNA? You’ll be glad to know that Massachusetts offers CNAs one of the top ten highest salaries nationwide. Learn how much you can make per hour, week, month, and year working as a CNA in Massachusetts: 

• Average hourly rate: $18.12
• Average weekly rate: $724.80
• Average monthly rate: $3,140
• Average annual rate: $37,680

These average salaries give us a general idea of how much CNAs make in Massachusetts, but they don’t tell the whole story. Even within Massachusetts, CNA salary can vary significantly. The following salaries represent the whole range of CNA salaries in Massachusetts:

• 10th percentile: $29,920
• 25th percentile: $31,320
• 50th percentile: $37,370
• 75th percentile: $38,040
• 90th percentile: $47,280

Learn about the factors that influence CNA salary in our Ultimate Guide to CNA Pay [Updated 2023].

Best Cities in Massachusetts to Work as a CNA?

One of the factors that most influences CNA salary is location. In fact, the average CNA salary in Massachusetts varies by over $4,000 annually based on this factor alone. On that note, here are average CNA salaries in Massachusetts by location:

• Boston-Cambridge-Newton: $38,880
• Barnstable Town: $37,860
• Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area: $37,240
• Springfield: $35,240
• Worcester: $34,900
• Leominster-Gardner: $34,480
• Pittsfield: $34,480

Ready to find some high-paying CNA jobs? Browse available CNA jobs here!

LPN Salary in Massachusetts?

If you chose the LPN pathway to the nursing profession, you’ll be happy to learn that Massachusetts is one of the top ten highest-paying states for practical nurses! Here are average LPN wages in Massachusetts by the hour, week, month, and year:

• Average hourly rate: $29.72
• Average weekly rate: $1,188.80
• Average monthly rate: $5,151.67
• Average annual rate: $61,820

If you are thinking that these averages might not be representative of entry-level LPN salary or of the highest-earning LPNs, you are absolutely right. LPN salary can vary significantly due to a number of factors, including years of work experience, nursing certifications, type of facility, and others. With this in mind, here is the whole range of LPN salaries in Massachusetts from the lowest- to the highest-earning LPNs:

• 10th percentile: $47,940
• 25th percentile: $59,030
• 50th percentile: $60,190
• 75th percentile: $62,680
• 90th percentile: $76,650

Aren’t sure which percentile you belong to? Learn more about LPN salary in our Ultimate Guide to LPN Pay [Updated 2023].

Best Cities in Massachusetts to Work as an LPN?

As is the case with CNA salary, LPN salary also varies significantly from one location to the next—even within the same state. The following are the average salaries in Massachusetts by area:

• Boston-Cambridge-Newton: $62,470
• Barnstable Town: $61,940
• Worcester: $61,130
• Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area: $60,690
• Springfield: $60,170
• Pittsfield: $58,970
• Leominster-Gardner: $58,840

Reay to find the best LPN jobs? Browse per diem LPN jobs available now!  

RN Salary in Massachusetts?

Did you decide to pursue an RN license? Lucky you! That means you now get to earn an RN salary. Not only do RNs earn excellent salaries overall, but Massachusetts happens to be one of the top ten highest-paying states for RNs. Here is how much RNs make on average in Massachusetts by hour, week, month, and year:

• Average hourly rate: $46.46
• Average weekly rate: $1,858.40
• Average monthly rate: $8,052.50
• Average annual rate: $96,630

Wait a minute; don’t RNs with BSNs earn more than those with ADNs? Yep, level of education, among many other factors, can significantly affect the average RN salary. On that note, here is the whole range of RN salaries in Massachusetts from the lowest to the highest percentiles:

• 10th percentile: $61,180
• 25th percentile: $75,920
• 50th percentile: $94,960
• 75th percentile: $120,240
• 90th percentile: $151,310

Want to learn more about the factors influencing RN salary? Read our Ultimate Guide to Registered Nurse (RN) Pay [Updated 2023].

Best Cities in Massachusetts to Work as an RN?

As should be abundantly clear by now, RN salaries in Massachusetts can vary significantly, and one of the main factors affecting RN pay is location. Find the highest- and lowest-paying areas for RNs in the list below:

• Boston-Cambridge-Newton: $99,950
• Barnstable Town: $91,240
• Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area: $89,930
• Leominster-Gardner: $88,940
• Worcester: $88,370
• Pittsfield: $87,060
• Springfield: $81,130

Want to find the highest-paying RN jobs? Browse available RN jobs by location here.

Cost of Living in Massachusetts?

Unfortunately, the cost of living in Massachusetts is higher than in most other states. The living wage for a single adult is $21.35 per hour, meaning that a single adult must earn at least this much to cover basic living expenses in this state. The living wage in this state explains why Massachusetts offers RNs the sixth-highest salary nationwide but the forty-sixth-best RN salary adjusted to the cost of living.

The living wage varies significantly depending on the composition of each household; whereas additional sources of income bring down the living wage, each dependant increases the living wage. With this in mind, we’ll cover the most common household compositions with their respective living wages.

In Massachusetts households with one adult and one or more children, here are the average living wages:

• One child: $45.57
• Two children: $61.58
• Three children: $82.41

These are the living wages in households with two adults (one working) and one or more children:

• One child: $38.84
• Two children: $43.60
• Three children: $48.99

Finally, these are the living wages for households with two working adults and one or more children:

• One child: $24.72
• Two children: $32.46
• Three children: $41.09

Typical Living Expenses in Massachusetts?

Let’s take living wages a step further to understand the typical expenses that determine how much an individual needs to earn. Since expenses vary enormously from one household to the next, we have separated these typical expenses into three tables. 

In this first table, we can see typical living expenses in Massachusetts households composed of one adult with or without children:

Source: Glasmeier, Amy K. Living Wage Calculator. 2020. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/25 

In this table, we can see the typical living expenses in Massachusetts households composed of two adults (one working) with and without children:

Source: Glasmeier, Amy K. Living Wage Calculator. 2020. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/25 

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Finally, this table shows the typical living expenses in Massachusetts households with two working adults, with and without children:

Source: Glasmeier, Amy K. Living Wage Calculator. 2020. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/25 

Cheapest Cities in Massachusetts?

Interestingly, not all cities in Massachusetts have a high cost of living. You can find the living wage required in each area of Massachusetts below:

Source: Table created with data from the MIT living wage calculator.

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For each area’s particular living expenses, click here.

Living Wage and Nursing Salaries in Massachusetts?

The bottom line is that the average salaries and the cost of living in each location must be considered side by side. To help you do just that, we have placed the annual living wage in each metropolitan area in Massachusetts next to the average salaries CNAs, LPNs, and RNs make in each location.

Table created based on data from the MIT living wage calculator and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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As we can see in this table, only Springfield offers CNAs average salaries that allow them to cover basic living expenses. CNAs in other areas must find ways to supplement their income, such as by picking up per diem shifts.

Single LPNs and RNs can comfortably live in any city in Massachusetts. That said, the quality of life that each area offers varies significantly. For example, LPNs in Boston make only about $15,000 above the living wage, whereas LPNs in Springfield make nearly $28,000 above the living wage. Clearly, LPNs in Springfield have a much greater chance to invest, save, or simply enjoy their money.    

The same is not true for RNs. Although the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area is the most expensive in Massachusetts, it is also the area that pays RNs the most—even after factoring in the cost of living. RNs in this area make, on average, about $53,000 above the living wage, which is $1,000 to $4,000 more than in other areas.

Don’t forget that these living wages are for single adults without dependents! If you have a partner and/or children, refer to the living wages for different family compositions.

Things to Do in Massachusetts?

New to Massachusetts? The Bay State has an endless array of historical, cultural, and natural attractions to choose from. To help you get started, though, here are three attractions you don’t want to miss: 

1. The Freedom Trail

Are you a history buff? Then, you won’t want to miss Boston’s 2.5-mile Freedom Trail. On this trip down memory lane, you will see sixteen nationally significant historic sites—some hundreds of years old—still intact today. Here are some of the sites you can visit along this historic trail:

• Boston Common, America’s oldest public park
• Park Street Church with its 217-foot steeple, once the first landmark travelers saw when approaching Boston
• Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the United States
• Old South Meeting House, where the Boston Tea Party began!
• Old State House, the oldest surviving public building in Boston
• Boston Massacre Site
• Massachusetts State House

Visit all these sites and more for an unforgettable historical experience in Boston!

2. Cape Cod

More in the mood for a stroll down the beach and some fresh seafood? Cape Cod is a must-visit location for anyone in the Northeast. In fact, it is one of the most well-known travel destinations around the world. It has made the list of the top ten best places in the world to go whale watching. It is also one of the best places to practice water sports, such as paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, and windsurfing. Cape Cod is also famous for its beaches, golf courses, bike paths, and hiking trails. Additionally, this area is famous for its shopping, art galleries, and over eighty-three museums. 

Hands down, Cape Cod is one of Massachusetts’ top attractions!

3. Fenway Park

Sports fans must try to catch a game at Fenway Park, one of the most iconic sports grounds in the country and home to the Boston Red Sox. Also, consider going on a Fenway Park Tour and visiting the Fenway Park Living Museum. Here are some of the museum highlights:  

• Over 170,000 artifacts related to the history of Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox
• Over 24,000 3-D artifacts and more than 150,000 photographs
• Memorabilia from famous Red Sox players, including Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Carl Yastrzemski
• Ninety World Series team-signed baseballs and thirty-six game-used baseball bats
• Artifacts from the historic 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series
• Seventeen displays, including eight in Fenway Park concourses and eight in the Nation's Archives at the Royal Rooter's Club

Final Thoughts on Working in Massachusetts as a Nurse

If you are planning on working in Massachusetts as a nurse or nursing assistant, you can expect to earn one of the highest salaries nationwide. That said, since the cost of living in Massachusetts is also higher than average, you must ensure that your salary will be higher than your living wage. 

Regardless of where you live, one of the best ways to supplement your nursing salary is by picking up per diem nursing jobs. These jobs offer CNAs, LPNs, and RNs significantly higher hourly rates than staff positions do. Plus, nurses and nursing assistants can pick up these shifts whenever and wherever they want, helping them cover financial needs while they maintain a flexible work schedule. 

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