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This question is about staff nurse salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Staff Nurse?
A good starting salary for a staff nurse is $38,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a staff nurse in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for staff nurses is $66,734, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a staff nurse can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Staff Nurse Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level staff nurse earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| California | $68,000 | $5,666 | $1,307 | $32.69 |
| Hawaii | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Alaska | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Oregon | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Washington | $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,057 | $26.44 |
| Nevada | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Colorado | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Arizona | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Idaho | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Oklahoma | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Wyoming | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Utah | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Minnesota | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Montana | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| New Mexico | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| North Dakota | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Texas | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| South Dakota | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Nebraska | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Kansas | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Arkansas | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Wisconsin | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Iowa | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Missouri | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Louisiana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Michigan | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Illinois | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Mississippi | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Indiana | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Kentucky | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Alabama | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Jersey | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| New York | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Georgia | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Florida | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| West Virginia | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Ohio | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| District of Columbia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Massachusetts | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Delaware | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Rhode Island | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Maryland | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Connecticut | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| South Carolina | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| North Carolina | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Pennsylvania | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Virginia | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| New Hampshire | $13,000 | $1,083 | $250 | $6.25 |
| Vermont | $13,000 | $1,083 | $250 | $6.25 |
| Maine | $11,000 | $916 | $211 | $5.29 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Staff Nurse Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level staff nurse job is above the national average. Topping the list is Daly City, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Daly City, CA | $89,000 | $7,416 | $1,711 | $42.79 |
| Tualatin, OR | $72,000 | $6,000 | $1,384 | $34.62 |
| Vancouver, WA | $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,346 | $33.65 |
| Reno, NV | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Mission, TX | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Port Huron, MI | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| New Orleans, LA | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Newark, NJ | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| New York, NY | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
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