Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Nurse salary
Average nurse salary
$57,564
Nurse Salary Overview
The nursing profession presents a varied salary landscape, with an average salary of $57,564 annually. Factors such as experience and location play significant roles in determining earnings. For instance, entry-level nurses may start with lower salaries, while those with advanced degrees or specialized skills can earn significantly more.
Highest Paying States for Nurses
Nurses in states like California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii often command higher salaries due to demand and cost of living considerations.
Nursing Specialties and Salaries
Different nursing fields also present distinct earning potentials. For example, nurse anesthetists and nurse practitioners typically earn more than registered nurses. Exploring these specialties can lead to better compensation and fulfilling career paths.
Job Opportunities
Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting, various job opportunities await. Platforms like Zippia connect you to potential employers, allowing you to apply for positions that match your qualifications and desired salary range.
Let Zippia find your next nurse job
Let Zippia find your next nurse job
Where can a Nurse earn more?
Nurse salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level nurse | $45,600 | $21.95 |
| Mid-level nurse | $57,400 | $27.60 |
| Senior-level nurse | $78,700 | $37.86 |
Nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average nurse salary by state
The average nurse salary in California, Oregon, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average nurse salary states are Kansas, Iowa, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $73,241 | $35.21 |
| 2 | New York | $73,583 | $35.38 |
| 3 | Alaska | $74,932 | $36.02 |
| 4 | Maine | $62,731 | $30.16 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $61,525 | $29.58 |
| 6 | Washington | $70,448 | $33.87 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $68,129 | $32.75 |
| 8 | Oregon | $75,028 | $36.07 |
| 9 | California | $78,160 | $37.58 |
| 10 | Arizona | $66,219 | $31.84 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $60,307 | $28.99 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $66,332 | $31.89 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $64,932 | $31.22 |
| 14 | Nevada | $62,108 | $29.86 |
| 15 | Michigan | $58,818 | $28.28 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $72,133 | $34.68 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $51,713 | $24.86 |
| 18 | Maryland | $63,436 | $30.50 |
| 19 | Vermont | $54,733 | $26.31 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $69,847 | $33.58 |
| 21 | Ohio | $53,012 | $25.49 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $57,866 | $27.82 |
| 23 | Texas | $53,140 | $25.55 |
| 24 | Virginia | $61,496 | $29.57 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $51,740 | $24.88 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $57,897 | $27.84 |
| 27 | Montana | $51,981 | $24.99 |
| 28 | Illinois | $57,589 | $27.69 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $50,186 | $24.13 |
| 30 | Colorado | $56,929 | $27.37 |
| 31 | Florida | $49,399 | $23.75 |
| 32 | Georgia | $52,248 | $25.12 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,147 | $22.67 |
| 34 | Delaware | $52,021 | $25.01 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $48,863 | $23.49 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $48,810 | $23.47 |
| 37 | Idaho | $52,316 | $25.15 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $50,531 | $24.29 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $45,775 | $22.01 |
| 40 | Indiana | $45,404 | $21.83 |
| 41 | Utah | $52,184 | $25.09 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $45,934 | $22.08 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,705 | $21.97 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $42,117 | $20.25 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $41,725 | $20.06 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $47,114 | $22.65 |
| 47 | Kansas | $45,216 | $21.74 |
| 48 | Iowa | $44,959 | $21.61 |
| 49 | Missouri | $45,450 | $21.85 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39,360 | $18.92 |
| 51 | Alabama | $39,638 | $19.06 |
Highest paying cities for nurses
The highest-paying cities for nurses are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $81,015 | $38.95 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $75,010 | $36.06 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $73,670 | $35.42 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $73,301 | $35.24 |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $72,203 | $34.71 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $70,962 | $34.12 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $69,860 | $33.59 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $66,368 | $31.91 |
| 9 | Providence, RI | $66,326 | $31.89 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $63,768 | $30.66 |
| 11 | Portland, ME | $63,191 | $30.38 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,161 | $29.89 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $61,731 | $29.68 |
| 14 | Grand Rapids, MI | $58,319 | $28.04 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $57,691 | $27.74 |
| 16 | Austin, MN | $57,297 | $27.55 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $56,875 | $27.34 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $53,678 | $25.81 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $52,617 | $25.30 |
| 20 | Columbus, GA | $52,250 | $25.12 |
Nurses are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Nurse salary details
A nurse's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| Average | $57,564 | $4,797 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying nurse jobs
The highest paying types of nurses are agency registered nurse, registered nurse med/surg, and traveling nurse.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | $84,812 | $7,068 | $40.78 | 515,200 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $52,912 | $4,409 | $25.44 | 614,369 |
| Clinic Registered Nurse | $70,075 | $5,840 | $33.69 | 520,812 |
| Clinical Research Nurse | $60,347 | $5,029 | $29.01 | 703,983 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for nurses, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sophia Thomas
President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
-Starting salaries for NPs are exceptional, and usually hover between $80,000-100,000, but that can vary significantly based on geographic location, work setting, and certification/specialty. Some salaries are higher.
-The bureau of labor statistics (BLS) offers an excellent breakdown of salaries by region and state as well: link
-(Note: some stats on the BLS website are reflective of the Mean or Average salary and others represent the Median or midpoint. AANP data are all reported in Median)
-As NPs advance in their careers, there is a clear and positive relationship between number of years' experience and salary growth.
Which companies pay nurses the most?
Nurse salaries at Conviva and City of Los Angeles are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average nurse salary at companies like Terros Health and Abbott are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conviva | $81,364 | $39.12 |
| 2 | City of Los Angeles | $80,186 | $38.55 |
| 3 | Terros Health | $79,801 | $38.37 |
| 4 | Abbott | $78,406 | $37.70 |
| 5 | Brandywine Counseling | $77,990 | $37.50 |
| 6 | The Bryn Mawr School | $77,910 | $37.46 |
| 7 | KPG | $77,731 | $37.37 |
| 8 | Boston Public Schools | $77,102 | $37.07 |
| 9 | University of California-Berkeley | $76,672 | $36.86 |
| 10 | Guidehouse | $75,083 | $36.10 |
| 11 | Touchstone Health Services | $74,275 | $35.71 |
| 12 | Children's Hospital Colorado | $72,642 | $34.92 |
| 13 | Legacy Health | $72,508 | $34.86 |
| 14 | Marathon Petroleum | $71,913 | $34.57 |
| 15 | Medical City Arlington | $71,847 | $34.54 |
| 16 | Encompass Health | $71,782 | $34.51 |
| 17 | Baptist Health Care | $71,314 | $34.29 |
| 18 | Wellpath | $71,309 | $34.28 |
| 19 | Student Conservation Association | $71,279 | $34.27 |
| 20 | PROFESSIONAL NURSING SERVICES | $71,037 | $34.15 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Nurse salary trends
The average nurse salary has risen by $8,058 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average nurse earned $49,506 annually, but today, they earn $57,564 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for nurses over the last decade.
Compare nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average nurse salary over time
Compare nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,600 | $27.67 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $56,000 | $26.93 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $54,800 | $26.35 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $53,500 | $25.72 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $52,300 | $25.15 | +1.4% |
Recently added nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainegeneral Health | Skilled Rehab Nurse (RN)-, 7P-7A | Augusta, ME | 06/30/2025 | $14,609 |
| Sanford Health | Minimum Data Set Nurse/MDS (RN) | De Smet, SD | 06/30/2025 | $70,958 |
| Sanford Health | Structural Heart Nurse Navigator | Fargo, ND | 06/30/2025 | $70,958 |
| Virtua | Rapid Response Nurse-Night Shift | Mount Holly, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $87,696 |
| Soleo Health | Infusion Nurse | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $89,741 |
| Community Counseling Solutions | Nurse-Reach | Hermiston, OR | 06/30/2025 | $112,573 |
| Fresenius Medical Care Windsor, LLC | New Graduate Nurse | Dallas, TX | 06/29/2025 | $79,306 |
| Interim Healthcare | Vent + Trach Nurse | Barnwell, SC | 06/29/2025 | $79,306 |
| Brightview Senior Living | Overnight Wellness Nurse | Tarrytown, NY | 06/29/2025 | $73,045 |
| Brightview Senior Living | Wellness Nurse | Great Falls, VA | 06/29/2025 | $64,697 |
Nurse salary FAQs
Search for nurse jobs