Key Takeaways
- National average is $101,420. Registered Nurses earn an average of $101,420 a year nationally (2025, BLS OEWS), with a median of $97,550.
- California pays the most. California leads at $150,280 — about 2.0x what the lowest-paying state offers.
- Alabama pays the least. Alabama is lowest at $77,020. Pay broadly tracks local cost of living.
- Location matters. The same job can pay tens of thousands more depending on the state — before adjusting for how far that money goes locally.
How much do registered nurses earn — and where are they paid the most? Using the latest wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is the average registered nurse salary in every state, mapped and ranked. Nationally, registered nurses earn an average of $101,420 a year.
Registered Nurse salary by state, mapped
Highest and lowest-paying states
California pays registered nurses the most at an average of $150,280, while Alabama pays the least at $77,020 — a gap of roughly 2.0x. Remember that higher-paying states also tend to have a higher cost of living.
Full table: salary by state
Average and median annual salary plus total employment for all 50 states and D.C. — sortable and searchable.
| Rank | State | Avg salary | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $150,280 | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $124,340 | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| 3 | Oregon | $123,140 | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| 4 | Washington | $121,540 | $124,200 | 69,260 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $117,960 | $104,550 | 88,200 |
| 6 | Alaska | $114,870 | $109,480 | 7,510 |
| 7 | New York | $113,440 | $109,440 | 205,810 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 | 92,680 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $106,980 | $102,540 | 11,440 |
| 10 | Nevada | $105,710 | $103,670 | 27,070 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $105,250 | $102,740 | 40,110 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $103,420 | $101,510 | 70,110 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $101,260 | $100,640 | 10,090 |
| 14 | Arizona | $99,730 | $99,500 | 73,150 |
| 15 | Delaware | $99,460 | $99,520 | 14,290 |
| 16 | Colorado | $99,370 | $100,260 | 54,490 |
| 17 | Maryland | $99,010 | $99,790 | 52,910 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $97,900 | $99,700 | 15,390 |
| 19 | Vermont | $96,650 | $97,460 | 7,410 |
| 20 | Texas | $95,380 | $95,970 | 271,380 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $95,290 | $94,340 | 17,980 |
| 22 | Georgia | $95,080 | $93,550 | 100,950 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $94,690 | $95,530 | 68,060 |
| 24 | Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 | 138,910 |
| 25 | Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 | 104,950 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $96,430 | 146,520 |
| 27 | Virginia | $93,850 | $93,600 | 77,490 |
| 28 | Idaho | $92,710 | $92,460 | 16,880 |
| 29 | Maine | $91,700 | $86,990 | 16,540 |
| 30 | Montana | $91,510 | $85,280 | 10,950 |
| 31 | Utah | $90,950 | $84,600 | 27,420 |
| 32 | Florida | $90,650 | $84,190 | 229,940 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $90,470 | $84,350 | 111,120 |
| 34 | Indiana | $89,150 | $83,500 | 68,980 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $88,600 | $83,760 | 5,330 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $88,330 | $84,730 | 24,720 |
| 37 | Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 | 143,730 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $87,670 | $82,360 | 49,750 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $86,970 | $80,130 | 23,430 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $86,140 | $81,040 | 50,300 |
| 41 | Missouri | $85,900 | $81,780 | 76,310 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $85,390 | $81,500 | 72,200 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $85,060 | $82,920 | 38,270 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $84,190 | $80,230 | 48,970 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $83,600 | $80,730 | 11,340 |
| 46 | Kansas | $82,360 | $79,320 | 33,800 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $81,520 | $78,940 | 29,400 |
| 48 | Iowa | $80,540 | $78,630 | 34,420 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $78,950 | $77,090 | 29,060 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $77,140 | $78,060 | 14,710 |
| 51 | Alabama | $77,020 | $77,080 | 54,340 |
About the data
Figures are average (mean) and median annual wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, 2025 estimates, for the “Registered Nurses” occupation. OEWS is released annually. Wages are gross, before tax, and not adjusted for state cost-of-living differences.
Data and references:
