RN salary by percentile
Half of all registered nurses earn more than $97,550 and half earn less; the middle half of RNs are paid between $80,330 and $112,350 a year.[onet_rn][oews] BLS publishes five points of the pay distribution, and the table adds the hourly equivalent and what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 | $33.14 | $57,329 |
| 25th | $80,330 | $38.62 | $65,342 |
| Median (50th) | $97,550 | $46.90 | $77,456 |
| 75th | $112,350 | $54.01 | $87,868 |
| 90th | $137,470 | $66.09 | $105,227 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
The 10th percentile is the closest public figure to a new-graduate RN wage, because the bottom of the range is mostly nurses early in their careers or in lower-paying regions. A $100,000 salary sits around the 54th percentile nationally. BLS counted 3,379,720 registered nurses on payrolls in May 2025, by far the largest occupation on this site.[oews_api]
RN hourly pay and pay per 12-hour shift
Registered nurse hourly pay is $46.90 at the national median, $33.14 at the 10th percentile and $66.09 at the 90th.[onet_rn] BLS turns hourly rates into annual salaries at 2,080 hours a year, and its wage is straight-time pay: overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are not included.[oews_faq] Most hospital nurses work three 12-hour shifts, which is 1,872 hours a year, so a nurse on that schedule earns about 10% less than the annual figure unless they pick up extra shifts.
| Percentile | Hourly | Per 12-h shift | 36 h/week, yearly | 40 h/week, yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33.14 | $398 | $62,046 | $68,940 |
| 25th | $38.62 | $463 | $72,297 | $80,330 |
| Median | $46.90 | $563 | $87,795 | $97,550 |
| 75th | $54.01 | $648 | $101,115 | $112,350 |
| 90th | $66.09 | $793 | $123,723 | $137,470 |
Under federal law, hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at one and a half times the regular rate, which is why a fourth 12-hour shift is worth much more than the first three.[flsa] To compare an hourly offer with a salaried one, enter both in the calculator above with your real weekly hours.
How much does a nurse make in each state?
California pays registered nurses the most, with a median of $140,270, followed by Hawaii ($136,320) and Oregon ($129,010); Alabama pays the least at $77,080.[onet_rn] The gap between the top and bottom state is $63,190 a year. The ten best-paying states are below; every state, with job counts and the LPN, CNA, NP and CRNA medians next to it, is on nurse salary by state.
| State | Median | Hourly | RN jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California | $140,270 | $67.44 | 338,940 |
| 2. Hawaii | $136,320 | $65.54 | 12,940 |
| 3. Oregon | $129,010 | $62.02 | 39,730 |
| 4. Washington | $124,200 | $59.71 | 69,260 |
| 5. Alaska | $109,480 | $52.63 | 7,510 |
| 6. New York | $109,440 | $52.62 | 205,810 |
| 7. New Jersey | $106,500 | $51.20 | 92,680 |
| 8. Massachusetts | $104,550 | $50.26 | 88,200 |
| 9. Nevada | $103,670 | $49.84 | 27,070 |
| 10. Connecticut | $102,740 | $49.39 | 40,110 |
A high state median does not always mean more money left over. Use the take-home line in the calculator with your state's income tax rate, then compare the monthly figure with local rent before moving for a job.
Highest-paying metro areas for RNs
Ten of the twelve best-paying metro areas for registered nurses are in California and the other two are in Hawaii; the list is led by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at a median of $216,740.[onet_rn] Pick a state in the calculator and the list of every metro and nonmetro area BLS publishes for it loads in the "Metro area" box.
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $104.20 | $235,190 |
| 2. Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $97.74 | $218,590 |
| 3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $89.72 | $223,770 |
| 4. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $83.92 | $225,940 |
| 5. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $82.43 | $218,780 |
| 6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $82.19 | $210,870 |
| 7. Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $71.79 | $178,300 |
| 8. Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | $69.40 | $145,730 |
| 9. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $67.08 | $175,210 |
| 10. Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | $66.95 | $151,320 |
| 11. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $138,820 | $66.74 | $199,540 |
| 12. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $137,360 | $66.04 | $169,240 |
RN pay compared with other nursing roles
Registered nurses earn more than twice what nursing assistants earn at the median and about $33,150 more than LPNs, while advanced practice nurses earn far more.[onet_rn][onet_lpn][onet_cna][onet_np][onet_crna][onet_cnm] The chart shows each role's full pay range from the same survey.
- LPN salaryLicensed practical and vocational nurses, $64,400 median
- LVN salary in CaliforniaCalifornia vocational nurses by metro area
- CNA salaryNursing assistants, $42,260 median
- Nurse practitioner salary$132,300 median, by state and metro
- CRNA salaryNurse anesthetists, the top-paid nursing role
- Nurse midwife salaryCertified nurse midwives, $134,040 median
- NICU nurse salaryNeonatal RNs: hospital pay and RNC-NIC
- Pediatric nurse salaryHospital, clinic and school pay, CPN rules
- Labor and delivery nurse salaryL&D shift pay and RNC-OB
- PMHNP salaryPsychiatric nurse practitioner pay by setting
- Clinical nurse specialistThe CNS role, pay data and certification
- RN vs LPNPay, schooling and scope side by side
- Travel nurse salaryHow contracts, stipends and taxes add up
Becoming a registered nurse
Every registered nurse passes the NCLEX-RN after an approved associate degree, bachelor's degree or diploma program; the main routes take two to four years, as laid out step by step on how to become a registered nurse. ADN nurses can add a bachelor's later through RN to BSN. Timelines for each route are on how long is nursing school, tuition and a payback calculator are on nursing school cost, and LPNs can follow LPN to RN bridge programs. Nursing assistants can start with how to become a CNA, then CNA to LPN or how to become an LPN; experienced RNs can read how to become a travel nurse. Nurses who want the higher salaries in the chart above can compare nurse practitioner school and CRNA school.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a registered nurse make a year?
The national median is $97,550 a year (BLS, May 2025). The middle half of RNs earn $80,330 to $112,350.
How much does a nurse earn?
It depends on the license. A registered nurse earns $97,550 a year at the national median; a licensed practical nurse earns $64,400 and a nurse practitioner $132,300 (BLS, May 2025). The salary for a nurse also depends on the state: California pays RNs the most.
How much does a nurse make an hour?
A registered nurse makes $46.90 an hour at the median. The 10th percentile is $33.14 and the 90th is $66.09, before overtime and shift differentials.
What is the RN salary per month?
About $8,129 a month before tax at the national median, or roughly $6,455 after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer with no state tax.
Which state pays registered nurses the most?
California, with a median of $140,270, followed by Hawaii and Oregon. Alabama has the lowest median at $77,080. See nurse salary by state.
Do RNs make six figures?
About 46% of registered nurses nationally earn more than $100,000 a year in base pay (the 54th percentile is about $100,000). In California the median itself is $140,270.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-1141.00 Registered Nurses (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)
- Overtime Pay (Fair Labor Standards Act: time and one-half after 40 hours in a workweek)
- Local Wages: 29-2061.00 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 31-1131.00 Nursing Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1171.00 Nurse Practitioners (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1151.00 Nurse Anesthetists (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1161.00 Nurse Midwives (state and metro percentiles)