$140,270
highest BLS median · California
PaycheckForge research · updated 2026-09-02
Registered Nurse Paycheck Atlas 2026
Where does an RN paycheck go furthest? This report separates official BLS salary medians from modeled take-home pay and BEA regional price levels across all 50 states and DC.
Standard scenario: single filer, no dependents, no 401(k), biweekly pay, 2026 federal/FICA/state model. Local taxes, benefits, credits and personal spending are excluded.
$89,855
highest regional-value net equivalent · Washington
51
states and DC with complete wage and RPP data
Three findings from the same paycheck
Gross pay
Nominal salary has a wide state spread
California has the highest published RN median at $140,270. Alabama is lowest in this state dataset at $77,080. These are medians, not starting pay or salary caps.
After tax
State taxes change the retained amount
The model applies the same filing assumptions everywhere. It isolates federal, FICA and modeled state income tax, but does not claim to reproduce an employer's exact Form W-4 withholding.
Regional value
Price levels can reorder the map
Washington ranks first on regional price-adjusted annual net at $89,855. Utah ranks last at $65,281. This is a broad benchmark, not a household budget.
Top 10 states by regional-value RN take-home
Regional value = modeled annual net × 100 ÷ BEA state RPP. US price level = 100. A lower RPP raises the normalized equivalent; it does not mean every household expense is lower.
| Regional rank | State | BLS median | Est. annual net | BEA RPP | Regional value | Vs. gross rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Washington | $124,200 | $96,157 | 107.0 | $89,855 | ↑ 3 |
| #2 | California | $140,270 | $98,172 | 110.7 | $88,667 | ↓ 1 |
| #3 | Hawaii | $136,320 | $95,593 | 110.0 | $86,942 | ↓ 1 |
| #4 | Oregon | $129,010 | $88,717 | 103.4 | $85,832 | ↓ 1 |
| #5 | Alaska | $109,480 | $85,849 | 102.4 | $83,871 | — |
| #6 | Nevada | $103,670 | $81,762 | 100.0 | $81,779 | ↑ 3 |
| #7 | Texas | $95,970 | $76,345 | 97.1 | $78,660 | ↑ 15 |
| #8 | New Mexico | $94,340 | $71,906 | 92.2 | $77,979 | ↑ 16 |
| #9 | Wisconsin | $95,530 | $72,353 | 94.1 | $76,893 | ↑ 14 |
| #10 | Arizona | $99,500 | $76,550 | 100.7 | $76,035 | ↑ 8 |
Top 10 states by published RN median salary
| Gross rank | State | BLS annual median | Est. biweekly net | Regional rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | $140,270 | $3,776 | #2 |
| #2 | Hawaii | $136,320 | $3,677 | #3 |
| #3 | Oregon | $129,010 | $3,412 | #4 |
| #4 | Washington | $124,200 | $3,698 | #1 |
| #5 | Alaska | $109,480 | $3,302 | #5 |
| #6 | New York | $109,440 | $3,092 | #16 |
| #7 | New Jersey | $106,500 | $3,044 | #27 |
| #8 | Massachusetts | $104,550 | $2,976 | #23 |
| #9 | Nevada | $103,670 | $3,145 | #6 |
| #10 | Connecticut | $102,740 | $2,963 | #17 |
Official wage thresholds in the five-state detail cohort
P10–P90 values are official BLS published thresholds. They are not labels for beginner, senior, minimum or maximum nurse pay.
| State | P10 | P25 | P50 median | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $101,260 | $122,440 | $140,270 | $173,170 | $213,320 |
| Texas | $67,120 | $79,170 | $95,970 | $105,100 | $127,950 |
| Florida | $67,970 | $78,660 | $84,190 | $101,180 | $120,330 |
| New York | $79,760 | $94,840 | $109,440 | $129,660 | $157,090 |
| Illinois | $69,170 | $80,020 | $95,990 | $105,960 | $118,190 |
Compare all 51 jurisdictions
Open the RN salary-by-state hub, compare all 23 report occupations in the Annual Salary Power Report, or use the Salary Explorer with your own offer and filing assumptions.
How this report was built
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, retrieved 2026-09-02. Prices: BEA SARPP reference year 2024, retrieved 2026-09-02. Tax assumptions: PaycheckForge methodology.
Questions this atlas can answer
Which state has the highest median registered nurse salary?
In the May 2025 state dataset used here, California has the highest published annual median at $140,270.
Is regional price-adjusted pay the same as cost of living?
No. BEA RPP compares broad regional price levels. It does not model your rent, household size, benefits, debt, commute or personal spending.
Does this show my exact RN paycheck?
No. The standardized result is a comparison baseline. Use Salary Explorer for your salary and filing status, then compare the result with an employer pay stub or tax professional.