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Registered health nurse salary

Quoted expert
Sophia Thomas

Average registered health nurse salary

$75,713

$36.4 hourly rate

Entry-level registered health nurse salary
$50,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Registered Health Nurse Salary

The average salary for a Registered Health Nurse stands at approximately $75,713 per year or about $36 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors including geographic location, years of experience, and specific job responsibilities. For instance, registered nurses in metropolitan areas often command higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for healthcare services.

Salary Variations by Experience

Entry-level registered health nurses typically start with lower salaries, while those with extensive experience or specialized skills can earn significantly more. For example, nurses with over 10 years of experience may earn upwards of $90,000 annually. Additionally, certifications in specialized fields can enhance earning potential.

Top-Paying States for Registered Health Nurses

States such as California, New York, and Massachusetts tend to offer the highest salaries for registered health nurses. These states have a high demand for nursing professionals due to their large populations and complex healthcare needs.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Registered health nurses have numerous opportunities for career advancement, including roles in management, education, and specialized nursing fields. Continuous education and certification can further enhance job prospects and salary potential.

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Where can a Registered Health Nurse earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
137k
117k
97k
77k
57k
37k
Columbus, OH$113,662
Indianapolis, IN$67,034
Compare salary by company
Vs
125k
105k
85k
65k
Baptist Health Care$112,200
Belle Fountain Nursing & Rehab$95,069

Registered health nurse salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level registered health nurse$60,000$28.86
Mid-level registered health nurse$75,500$36.30
Senior-level registered health nurse$104,000$49.79

Average registered health nurse salary by state

The highest-paying states for registered health nurses are Rhode Island, California, and Hawaii. The lowest average registered health nurse salary states are Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for registered health nurses

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$90,571$43.54
2Connecticut$94,769$45.56
3Delaware$93,425$44.92
4Massachusetts$96,144$46.22
5Alaska$87,323$41.98
6Vermont$82,555$39.69
7Rhode Island$116,585$56.05
8California$107,050$51.47
9New Hampshire$81,122$39.00
10Maine$75,957$36.52
11New Jersey$93,669$45.03
12Oregon$92,350$44.40
13Nevada$84,909$40.82
14New York$90,785$43.65
15Hawaii$99,484$47.83
16West Virginia$70,118$33.71
17Pennsylvania$78,447$37.71
18District of Columbia$95,021$45.68
19Maryland$89,367$42.96
20Arizona$72,722$34.96
21Kentucky$72,570$34.89
22Michigan$77,179$37.11
23Texas$72,790$35.00
24Arkansas$66,754$32.09
25Wisconsin$70,291$33.79
26Virginia$77,657$37.34
27Idaho$73,677$35.42
28Oklahoma$66,754$32.09
29Tennessee$66,445$31.94
30North Carolina$69,189$33.26
31Indiana$67,084$32.25
32New Mexico$65,829$31.65
33Minnesota$72,488$34.85
34South Carolina$65,939$31.70
35Florida$64,093$30.81
36North Dakota$62,746$30.17
37Colorado$67,108$32.26
38Alabama$65,567$31.52
39Georgia$69,581$33.45
40Illinois$71,224$34.24
41Louisiana$62,974$30.28
42Mississippi$65,579$31.53
43Ohio$63,669$30.61
44Missouri$64,018$30.78
45South Dakota$57,182$27.49
46Wyoming$59,323$28.52
47Montana$60,339$29.01
48Nebraska$61,081$29.37
49Kansas$58,380$28.07
50Utah$61,089$29.37
51Iowa$56,186$27.01

Highest paying cities for registered health nurses

The highest-paying cities for registered health nurses are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Springfield, OR.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$113,662$54.65
2Boston, MA$96,202$46.25
3Springfield, OR$93,173$44.79
4Vancouver, WA$92,651$44.54
5New York, NY$90,991$43.75
6Baltimore, MD$89,676$43.11
7Reno, NV$86,911$41.78
8Philadelphia, PA$79,137$38.05
9Detroit, MI$77,699$37.36
10Richmond, VA$77,334$37.18
11Portland, ME$76,469$36.76
12El Paso, TX$74,639$35.88
13Richmond, KY$73,122$35.15
14Phoenix, AZ$72,843$35.02
15Chicago, IL$71,320$34.29
16Raleigh, NC$70,052$33.68
17Atlanta, GA$69,591$33.46
18Charleston, WV$69,408$33.37
19Aurora, CO$67,063$32.24
20Indianapolis, IN$67,034$32.23

Registered Health Nurses are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. San Francisco, CA
  2. Boston, MA
  3. Springfield, OR
  4. Vancouver, WA
  5. New York, NY

Registered health nurse salary details

A registered health nurse's salary ranges from $50,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average registered health nurse salary graph
Average registered health nurse salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a registered health nurse's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$112,000$9,333$54
75th Percentile$93,000$7,750$45
Average$75,713$6,309$36
25th Percentile$61,000$5,083$29
10th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24

Highest paying registered health nurse jobs

The highest paying types of registered health nurses are contractor-registered nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner, and registered nurse med/surg.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Staff Nurse$68,342$5,695$32.86699,636
Clinical Research Nurse$60,347$5,029$29.01703,983
Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner$97,820$8,152$47.03486,582
Emergency Department Registered Nurse$81,260$6,772$39.07661,518
Occupational Health Nurse$67,887$5,657$32.64328,501
Registered Nurse Case Manager$72,815$6,068$35.01491,740

How would you rate the starting salaries for registered health nurses, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

AANP does a sample survey of salaries. See below for information from our 2019 survey. It is important to note that salaries range widely, based on clinical and geographical areas as well as the number of years' experience. See below for the information: Source: 2019 AANP National Sample Survey 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.

Top companies hiring registered health nurses now:

  1. AdventHealth jobs (22)
  2. Aya Healthcare jobs (23)
  3. Encompass Health jobs (25)
  4. Maxim Healthcare Group jobs (55)
  5. HealthTrust jobs (49)

Which companies pay registered health nurses the most?

Registered health nurse salaries at Baptist Health Care and Dignity Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average registered health nurse salary at companies like Therapy Resources Management and Scripps Health are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$81,000$80,000$79,000$78,000$77,000$76,000
MaleFemale

Registered health nurse salary trends

The average registered health nurse salary has risen by $10,599 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average registered health nurse earned $65,114 annually, but today, they earn $75,713 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for registered health nurses over the last decade.

Compare registered health nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average registered health nurse salary over time

Compare registered health nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Registered health nurse salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$75,700$36.40+2.7%
2024$73,700$35.42+2.1%
2023$72,100$34.66+2.4%
2022$70,400$33.82+2.2%
2021$68,800$33.08+1.4%

Recently added registered health nurse salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Sanford HealthRN Home Health-Sioux Falls Services at Home-VaryingSioux Falls, SD06/30/2025$66,784
SutterhealthRN, Wound Care Nurse III, Home HealthSanta Rosa, CA06/30/2025$142,855
VirtuaRN-Home Health-Per DiemMarlton, NJ06/30/2025$113,804
CompassusRN-Home HealthMarion, OH06/30/2025$70,958
CompassusRegistered Nurse Home HealthWalla Walla, WA06/30/2025$81,017
MultcoCorrections Health Nurse (Additional Corrections Nurse Premium)Portland, OR06/30/2025$96,858
Enhabit Home Health & HospiceRN-Home HealthFramingham, MA06/30/2025$96,000
Jet Health Inc.Registered Nurse-Home HealthBoise, ID06/30/2025$85,000
Acadia HealthcareRN Temp Behavioral HealthTucson, AZ06/29/2025$114,785
Brooks RehabilitationPremium Pay Registered Nurse (Rn)-Home HealthLeesburg, FL06/29/2025$104,350

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