51
states and DC with complete wage and RPP data
PaycheckForge salary cohort · updated 2026-09-02
Registered Nurses Salary by State
Compare official state median wages, estimated 2026 take-home pay and BEA regional price-adjusted value. This is a state-level benchmark, not a personal job-offer verdict.
$140,270
highest state median · California
$77,080
lowest state median · Alabama
National job outlook, 2025–2035
This is a national BLS employment projection. It describes the occupation's expected direction across the United States; it is not a forecast for a particular state, employer or individual career.
+5.6%
projected employment growth
+194.7K
projected employment change
180.8K
average openings per year
Bachelor's degree
typical entry education
BLS lists none as typical on-the-job training and no related work experience requirement. Openings include growth and replacement needs and should not be read as newly created jobs alone.
State salary and take-home comparison
Gross rank uses the BLS annual median. Regional value is estimated annual net pay × 100 ÷ BEA state RPP; it is not a household budget or cost-of-living guarantee.
| Gross rank | State | BLS median | Est. annual net | Regional value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | $140,270 | $98,172 | $88,667 |
| #2 | Hawaii | $136,320 | $95,593 | $86,942 |
| #3 | Oregon | $129,010 | $88,717 | $85,832 |
| #4 | Washington | $124,200 | $96,157 | $89,855 |
| #5 | Alaska | $109,480 | $85,849 | $83,871 |
| #6 | New York | $109,440 | $80,404 | $74,503 |
| #7 | New Jersey | $106,500 | $79,157 | $72,751 |
| #8 | Massachusetts | $104,550 | $77,373 | $73,162 |
| #9 | Nevada | $103,670 | $81,762 | $81,779 |
| #10 | Connecticut | $102,740 | $77,032 | $74,348 |
| #11 | Washington DC | $102,540 | $75,219 | $68,443 |
| #12 | Minnesota | $101,510 | $74,863 | $75,910 |
| #13 | Rhode Island | $100,640 | $76,452 | $74,747 |
| #14 | Colorado | $100,260 | $75,660 | $73,419 |
| #15 | Maryland | $99,790 | $74,656 | $71,129 |
| #16 | New Hampshire | $99,700 | $78,969 | $75,811 |
| #17 | Delaware | $99,520 | $73,461 | $73,602 |
| #18 | Arizona | $99,500 | $76,550 | $76,035 |
| #19 | Vermont | $97,460 | $73,421 | $74,951 |
| #20 | Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $73,708 | $75,542 |
| #21 | Illinois | $95,990 | $71,752 | $71,782 |
| #22 | Texas | $95,970 | $76,345 | $78,660 |
| #23 | Wisconsin | $95,530 | $72,353 | $76,893 |
| #24 | New Mexico | $94,340 | $71,906 | $77,979 |
| #25 | Michigan | $94,300 | $71,413 | $74,221 |
| #26 | Virginia | $93,600 | $70,110 | $69,344 |
| #27 | Georgia | $93,550 | $70,410 | $73,121 |
| #28 | Idaho | $92,460 | $70,084 | $73,390 |
| #29 | Maine | $86,990 | $65,303 | $67,288 |
| #30 | Montana | $85,280 | $65,367 | $69,066 |
| #31 | Nebraska | $84,730 | $65,286 | $72,457 |
| #32 | Utah | $84,600 | $64,539 | $65,281 |
| #33 | North Carolina | $84,350 | $65,313 | $69,242 |
| #34 | Florida | $84,190 | $68,058 | $65,811 |
| #35 | Wyoming | $83,760 | $67,755 | $73,098 |
| #36 | Indiana | $83,500 | $65,139 | $69,794 |
| #37 | Oklahoma | $82,920 | $63,978 | $72,833 |
| #38 | Ohio | $82,510 | $65,389 | $70,482 |
| #39 | South Carolina | $82,360 | $62,986 | $67,186 |
| #40 | Missouri | $81,780 | $63,429 | $69,843 |
| #41 | Tennessee | $81,500 | $66,165 | $72,021 |
| #42 | Kentucky | $81,040 | $63,123 | $70,013 |
| #43 | North Dakota | $80,730 | $65,309 | $73,414 |
| #44 | Louisiana | $80,230 | $63,251 | $71,708 |
| #45 | West Virginia | $80,130 | $62,274 | $69,582 |
| #46 | Kansas | $79,320 | $61,005 | $67,732 |
| #47 | Arkansas | $78,940 | $61,469 | $70,706 |
| #48 | Iowa | $78,630 | $61,770 | $70,384 |
| #49 | South Dakota | $78,060 | $63,745 | $71,959 |
| #50 | Mississippi | $77,090 | $60,711 | $69,821 |
| #51 | Alabama | $77,080 | $59,467 | $66,950 |
What this occupation does
O*NET occupation descriptions and title examples add career context to the wage data. They do not change the BLS salary estimate or PaycheckForge tax calculation.
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
Alternate job-title examples
- Cardiac Care Unit Nurse (CCU Nurse)
- Cardiac Nurse Specialist
- Central Supply Nurse
- Certified Operating Room Nurse (CNOR)
- Charge Nurse
- Circulating Nurse
- Community Health Nurse
- Consultant Nurse
These are examples from the O*NET 31.0 job-title file, shown in source order—not a popularity ranking, credential list or guarantee that every title has identical duties.
Check your own offer
The table uses one consistent single-filer baseline. Enter your salary, filing status, pay frequency and 401(k) contribution in the Salary Range & Take-Home Explorer, or compare every report occupation in the Annual Salary Power Report.
Explore the pilot states
Read the RN Paycheck Atlas
See how gross salary, modeled taxes and BEA regional price levels reorder RN pay across all 50 states and DC.