Wondering where nurses make the most money in 2022? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Report tells all! Not surprisingly, healthcare workers report some of the highest average salaries in the United States, and nursing was named the best college major by Universities.com. Read on to find out the highest paying states for nurses as well as the average RN salary in every state.
Here are all 50 states (plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico), ranked by average (mean) nurse salary:
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52. Puerto Rico
Average RN Salary: $35,690
Average Hourly: $17.16
Number of RNs in Puerto Rico: 21,120
Average RN Salary: $60,540
Average Hourly: $29.11
Number of RNs in South Dakota: 14,140
Average RN Salary: $61,920
Average Hourly: $29.77
Number of RNs in Alabama: 49,780
Average RN Salary: $63,130
Average Hourly: $30.35
Number of RNs in Mississippi: 29,140
Average RN Salary: $64,990
Average Hourly: $31.25
Number of RNs in Iowa: 32,650
Average RN Salary: $65,810
Average Hourly: $31.64
Number of RNs in Arkansas: 26,320
Average RN Salary: $66,560
Average Hourly: $32.00
Number of RNs in Kansas: 28,980
Average RN Salary: $66,680
Average Hourly: $32.06
Number of RNs in Tennessee: 62,250
Average RN Salary: $67,260
Average Hourly: $32.34
Number of RNs in Kentucky: 43,540
Average RN Salary: $67,640
Average Hourly: $32.52
Number of RNs in West Virginia: 19,800
Average RN Salary: $67,790
Average Hourly: $32.59
Number of RNs in Missouri: 69,240
Average RN Salary: $68,180
Average Hourly: $32.78
Number of RNs in Oklahoma: 31,510
Average RN Salary: $68,890
Average Hourly: $33.12
Number of RNs in Indiana: 66,800
Average RN Salary: $69,580
Average Hourly: $33.45
Number of RNs in South Carolina: 46,160
Average RN Salary: $69,850
Average Hourly: $33.58
Number of RNs in Nebraska: 20,660
Average RN Salary: $70,380
Average Hourly: $33.84
Number of RNs in Louisiana: 42,870
Average RN Salary: $71,200
Average Hourly: $34.23
Number of RNs in North Carolina: 104,810
Average RN Salary: $71,200
Average Hourly: $34.23
Number of RNs in North Dakota: 11,810
Average RN Salary: $71,640
Average Hourly: $34.44
Number of RNs in Ohio: 129,270
Average RN Salary: $72,000
Average Hourly: $34.62
Number of RNs in Florida: 187,920
Average RN Salary: $72,790
Average Hourly: $34.99
Number of RNs in Utah: 23,760
Average RN Salary: $73,130
Average Hourly: $35.16
Number of RNs in Wyoming: 4,890
Average RN Salary: $73,610
Average Hourly: $35.39
Number of RNs in Montana: 9,640
Average RN Salary: $73,630
Average Hourly: $35.40
Number of RNs in Maine: 14,380
Average RN Salary: $73,640
Average Hourly: $35.41
Number of RNs in Idaho: 14,400
Average RN Salary: $75,160
Average Hourly: $36.13
Number of RNs in Vermont: 7,210
Average RN Salary: $75,380
Average Hourly: $36.24
Number of RNs in Georgia: 78,290
Average RN Salary: $75,930
Average Hourly: $36.51
Number of RNs in Michigan: 102,480
Average RN Salary: $76,000
Average Hourly: $36.54
Number of RNs in Pennsylvania: 149,270
Average RN Salary: $76,680
Average Hourly: $36.87
Number of RNs in Virginia: 66,980
Average RN Salary: $76,850
Average Hourly: $36.95
Number of RNs in Wisconsin: 62,860
Average RN Salary: $77,590
Average Hourly: $37.31
Number of RNs in New Mexico: 17,030
Average RN Salary: $77,760
Average Hourly: $37.39
Number of RNs in Delaware: 11,760
Average RN Salary: $78,260
Average Hourly: $37.63
Number of RNs in Illinois: 129,260
Average RN Salary: $78,270
Average Hourly: $37.63
Number of RNs in New Hampshire: 12,890
Average RN Salary: $79,120
Average Hourly: $38.04
Number of RNs in Texas: 217,630
Average RN Salary: $80,670
Average Hourly: $38.78
Number of RNs in Colorado: 51,680
Average RN Salary: $81,600
Average Hourly: $39.23
Number of RNs in Arizona: 57,260
Average RN Salary: $82,660
Average Hourly: $39.74
Number of RNs in Maryland: 51,550
Average RN Salary: $84,030
Average Hourly: $40.40
Number of RNs in Minnesota: 69,000
Average RN Salary: $85,270
Average Hourly: $40.99
Number of RNs in Rhode Island: 10,860
Average RN Salary: $88,530
Average Hourly: $42.56
Number of RNs in Connecticut: 34,320
Average RN Salary: $88,800
Average Hourly: $42.69
Number of RNs in Nevada: 24,590
Average RN Salary: $89,690
Average Hourly: $43.12
Number of RNs in New Jersey: 77,980
Average RN Salary: $93,320
Average Hourly: $44.86
Number of RNs in New York: 188,300
Average RN Salary: $95,350
Average Hourly: $45.84
Number of RNs in Washington: 62,470
Average RN Salary: $96,630
Average Hourly: $46.46
Number of RNs in Massachusetts: 88,270
Average RN Salary: $97,230
Average Hourly: $46.74
Number of RNs in Alaska: 6,060
4. District of Columbia
Average RN Salary: $98,540
Average Hourly: $47.38
Number of RNs in DC: 11,540
Average RN Salary: $98,630
Average Hourly: $47.42
Number of RNs in Oregon: 37,780
Average RN Salary: $106,530
Average Hourly: $51.22
Number of RNs in Hawaii: 11,110
Average RN Salary: $124,000
Average Hourly: $59.62
Number of RNs in California: 324,400
Nurse Salary Factors
The salaries by state listed above represent an average across all types of nurses. So, depending on your specialty, place of work, level of experience, degree, and many other factors, you’ll see some variances in how much you can expect to earn. Here are some of the things you should keep in mind that can impact how much you make:
1. Types of Nurses
Salaries will vary widely depending on your specialty and the nursing job you work in.
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) like nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives can all expect to earn higher salaries than a nurse without a graduate degree.
How you work also plays a big role in the annual salary you can expect to earn. Travel nurses and per diem nurses, for example, tend to earn far more than their traditional nurse counterparts.
2. Years of Experience
Registered nurses at the start of their careers will usually make less than nurses with more years of experience under their belts. As you improve your skills and progress in your career, you can expect to see your wages improve as well.
3. Degree Type
Nurses will typically see salary increases when they further their education. Nurses who have earned their Bachelor’s degree (BSN) tend to earn more than nurses who have only earned their Associate’s degree in Nursing (ADN). While a master’s in nursing or a doctorate degree will usually earn nurses even higher salaries.
Other RN Salary Considerations
As a nurse, your salary shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when deciding what field to go into or what job to take.
How far that salary will go will greatly depend on the cost of living in the area. Some of the highest paying states also cost a lot to live in, meaning that 6 figure salary isn’t going to go nearly as far as it would in a less expensive area.
You’ll also want to look at things like the job benefits, the hours, what the work-life balance will be like, and what their training and education policies are like. Don’t overlook your quality of life!
FAQs
The Takeaway
There are a lot of things at play in the nursing salaries you can expect to earn. As you’re planning out your career path, don’t forget to keep them all in mind!