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Registered nurse med/surg salary
Average registered nurse med/surg salary
$84,812
Understanding the Registered Nurse Med/Surg Salary
The average salary for a Registered Nurse Med/Surg is reported at $84,812 per year as of October 2025. This figure can vary significantly by state, with some locations offering higher compensation due to factors like cost of living and demand for healthcare services. For instance, states like California and New York typically command higher salaries due to their urban settings.
Salary by Experience Level
Experience also plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level nurses may earn less, while those with several years of experience can expect higher wages. For example, a nurse with five years of experience might earn around $90,000 annually.
Highest Paying Cities
Cities such as San Francisco and New York City are known to offer some of the highest salaries for registered nurses in the Med/Surg specialty, reflecting the high demand for skilled professionals. The potential for career advancement in this field is strong, making it a rewarding choice for many aspiring healthcare providers.
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Where can a Registered Nurse Med/Surg earn more?
Registered nurse med/surg salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level registered nurse med/surg | $67,300 | $32.33 |
| Mid-level registered nurse med/surg | $84,600 | $40.67 |
| Senior-level registered nurse med/surg | $116,000 | $55.78 |
Average registered nurse med/surg salary by state
The highest-paying states for registered nurse med/surgs are Rhode Island, California, and Connecticut. The lowest average registered nurse med/surg salary states are Montana, South Dakota, and Colorado.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for registered nurse med/surgs
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $109,900 | $52.84 |
| 2 | Delaware | $102,297 | $49.18 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $92,905 | $44.67 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $97,565 | $46.91 |
| 5 | Maine | $87,912 | $42.27 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $119,411 | $57.41 |
| 7 | Michigan | $92,385 | $44.42 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $104,244 | $50.12 |
| 9 | New York | $101,756 | $48.92 |
| 10 | California | $110,642 | $53.19 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $90,548 | $43.53 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $86,866 | $41.76 |
| 13 | Texas | $86,618 | $41.64 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $84,086 | $40.43 |
| 15 | Maryland | $96,737 | $46.51 |
| 16 | Florida | $84,151 | $40.46 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $81,287 | $39.08 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $79,539 | $38.24 |
| 19 | Vermont | $83,954 | $40.36 |
| 20 | Indiana | $80,447 | $38.68 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $82,777 | $39.80 |
| 22 | Oregon | $91,287 | $43.89 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $81,807 | $39.33 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $83,068 | $39.94 |
| 25 | Washington | $87,512 | $42.07 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $101,085 | $48.60 |
| 27 | Ohio | $82,713 | $39.77 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $83,636 | $40.21 |
| 29 | Illinois | $86,387 | $41.53 |
| 30 | Georgia | $82,833 | $39.82 |
| 31 | Kansas | $79,874 | $38.40 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $98,240 | $47.23 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $76,907 | $36.97 |
| 34 | Virginia | $88,205 | $42.41 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $78,466 | $37.72 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $75,561 | $36.33 |
| 37 | Arizona | $81,517 | $39.19 |
| 38 | Alaska | $67,962 | $32.67 |
| 39 | Montana | $76,838 | $36.94 |
| 40 | Nevada | $81,090 | $38.99 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $83,099 | $39.95 |
| 42 | Utah | $81,420 | $39.14 |
| 43 | Idaho | $80,408 | $38.66 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $78,090 | $37.54 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $79,624 | $38.28 |
| 46 | Alabama | $77,440 | $37.23 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $78,326 | $37.66 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $74,409 | $35.77 |
| 49 | Iowa | $74,462 | $35.80 |
| 50 | Missouri | $77,161 | $37.10 |
| 51 | Colorado | $74,830 | $35.98 |
Highest paying cities for registered nurse med/surgs
The highest-paying cities for registered nurse med/surgs are Lancaster, CA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lancaster, CA | $111,118 | $53.42 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $103,314 | $49.67 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $98,649 | $47.43 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $97,793 | $47.02 |
| 5 | Detroit, MI | $92,723 | $44.58 |
| 6 | Albany, OR | $91,704 | $44.09 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $88,974 | $42.78 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $87,656 | $42.14 |
| 9 | El Paso, TX | $87,527 | $42.08 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,439 | $42.04 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $86,434 | $41.55 |
| 12 | Cleveland, TN | $84,116 | $40.44 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $83,909 | $40.34 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $83,884 | $40.33 |
| 15 | Burlington, VT | $83,691 | $40.24 |
| 16 | Austin, MN | $83,624 | $40.20 |
| 17 | Tulsa, OK | $83,035 | $39.92 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $82,991 | $39.90 |
| 19 | Cleveland, OH | $82,939 | $39.87 |
| 20 | Bowling Green, KY | $82,508 | $39.67 |
Registered Nurse Med/Surgs are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Registered nurse med/surg salary details
A registered nurse med/surg's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a registered nurse med/surg's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| Average | $84,812 | $7,068 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying registered nurse med/surg jobs
The highest paying types of registered nurse med/surgs are contractor-registered nurse, agency registered nurse, and advanced registered nurse practitioner.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse | $68,342 | $5,695 | $32.86 | 699,636 |
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner | $97,820 | $8,152 | $47.03 | 486,582 |
| Psychiatric Registered Nurse | $73,053 | $6,088 | $35.12 | 640,480 |
| Triage Register Nurse | $67,813 | $5,651 | $32.60 | 458,151 |
| Contractor-Registered Nurse | $128,474 | $10,706 | $61.77 | 648,022 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for registered nurse med/surgs, 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.
Top companies hiring registered nurse med/surgs now:
Which companies pay registered nurse med/surgs the most?
Registered nurse med/surg salaries at Dignity Health and Valley Presbyterian Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average registered nurse med/surg salary at companies like Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District and Lincoln Surgical Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dignity Health | $138,489 | $66.58 |
| 2 | Valley Presbyterian Hospital | $126,390 | $60.76 |
| 3 | Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District | $120,082 | $57.73 |
| 4 | Lincoln Surgical Hospital | $111,535 | $53.62 |
| 5 | Express Healthcare Professionals | $110,677 | $53.21 |
| 6 | Medical City Arlington | $110,030 | $52.90 |
| 7 | RNnetwork | $109,851 | $52.81 |
| 8 | Cottage Health | $108,578 | $52.20 |
| 9 | University of California-Berkeley | $108,360 | $52.10 |
| 10 | Soliant | $108,009 | $51.93 |
| 11 | CHATUGE FAMILY PRACTICE | $107,856 | $51.85 |
| 12 | The Arora Group | $105,740 | $50.84 |
| 13 | Stability Healthcare | $105,733 | $50.83 |
| 14 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $105,666 | $50.80 |
| 15 | Aya Healthcare | $104,719 | $50.35 |
| 16 | Scripps Health | $104,612 | $50.29 |
| 17 | MAS Medical Staffing | $103,890 | $49.95 |
| 18 | Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp. | $103,365 | $49.69 |
| 19 | Interim HealthCare | $103,242 | $49.64 |
| 20 | Jackson Nurse Professionals | $102,524 | $49.29 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Registered nurse med/surg salary trends
The average registered nurse med/surg salary has risen by $11,872 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average registered nurse med/surg earned $72,940 annually, but today, they earn $84,812 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for registered nurse med/surgs over the last decade.
Compare registered nurse med/surg salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average registered nurse med/surg salary over time
Compare registered nurse med/surg salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Registered nurse med/surg salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $84,800 | $40.78 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $82,500 | $39.68 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $80,800 | $38.83 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $78,800 | $37.89 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $77,100 | $37.05 | +1.4% |
Recently added registered nurse med/surg salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutterhealth | Registered Nurse II, Medical Surgical Float Pool | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $178,835 |
| Nebraskamed | RN-Med Surg-4Th Floor Orthopaedic-Bellevue Medical Center (Nights) | Bellevue, NE | 06/30/2025 | $76,176 |
| ATC Group Services | Registered Nurse-Medical Surgical Float | Augusta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $87,654 |
| ATC Healthcare | Medical Surgical Nurse Registered Nurse RN | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $114,785 |
| ATC Healthcare | Medical Surgical, RN | Tulsa, OK | 06/29/2025 | $108,524 |
| ATC Healthcare | Travel Medical Surgical RN | Dothan, AL | 06/29/2025 | $93,915 |
| Bestcare | Float Pool RN II-Med Surg/LTC--Multiple Shifts | Fremont, NE | 06/29/2025 | $99,133 |
| Franciscan Health Indianapolis | Registered Nurse-Med/Surg D & N) | Lafayette, IN | 06/29/2025 | $68,871 |
| Franciscan Health Indianapolis | Registered Nurse FTE Days) Med Surg | Olympia Fields, IL | 06/29/2025 | $70,958 |
| Mission Regional Medical Center | Registered Nurse (RN)-Med/Surg | Garden Grove, CA | 06/29/2025 | $95,647 |
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