Government payroll data · updated 2026
Nursing Salary Guide: what RNs actually earn
Registered nursing has one of the widest geographic pay spreads of any licensed profession — the same license, the same shift, paid up to 100% differently depending on the metro. Every figure below comes from BLS OEWS employer payroll filings, not self-reported surveys.
RN pay by city (2026)
Median and 75th-percentile pay. P75 is your negotiation anchor — a quarter of nurses in that metro already earn it.
| Metro | Median | Top 25% (P75) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $164,399 | $197,211 | +$33K |
| Seattle, WA | $138,867 | $166,583 | +$28K |
| San Francisco, CA | $138,630 | $166,299 | +$28K |
| Washington DC, DC | $135,269 | $162,267 | +$27K |
| Boston, MA | $129,765 | $155,665 | +$26K |
| Portland, OR | $118,592 | $142,262 | +$24K |
| Denver, CO | $118,311 | $141,925 | +$24K |
| New York, NY | $115,773 | $138,880 | +$23K |
| Sacramento, CA | $113,482 | $136,132 | +$23K |
| San Diego, CA | $110,178 | $132,168 | +$22K |
| Los Angeles, CA | $110,046 | $132,010 | +$22K |
| Baltimore, MD | $108,501 | $130,157 | +$22K |
| Minneapolis, MN | $107,491 | $128,945 | +$21K |
| Austin, TX | $107,039 | $128,403 | +$21K |
| Philadelphia, PA | $105,617 | $126,697 | +$21K |
| Hartford, CT | $105,395 | $126,431 | +$21K |
| Chicago, IL | $102,780 | $123,294 | +$21K |
| Madison, WI | $101,513 | $121,774 | +$20K |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $101,424 | $121,667 | +$20K |
| Atlanta, GA | $99,874 | $119,808 | +$20K |
What actually moves nurse pay
Staffing-ratio laws and hospital-system competition drive metro differences up to 100%. The biggest single lever in nursing pay.
Nights, weekends, and holidays commonly add 10–20% — the fastest raise available without changing employer or credential.
ICU, OR, ER, cath lab, and CRNA tracks carry documented premiums over floor nursing.
Nurse practitioners earn roughly 41% above RNs in the same market — the largest structural jump in the profession.
Know your number before the conversation
In New York, the gap between the RN median ($115,773) and the top quartile ($138,880) is $23,107 a year. Check where your salary sits with the Am I Underpaid tool (runs in your browser; your salary is never stored), then see how to negotiate nurse pay with data. In 12 states, employers must publish the range before you apply — check your state's law.
Nursing career paths
Common questions
How much does a registered nurse make in 2026?
Across major US metros the RN median is roughly $100,829/year, per BLS OEWS employer payroll data. The figure varies by more than 100% between the highest- and lowest-paying metros in this dataset — geography moves nurse pay more than almost any other factor.
Which city pays registered nurses the most?
Of the metros tracked here, San Jose has the highest RN median at $164,399/year, with the top quartile earning $197,211+. High-paying metros usually combine staffing-ratio laws with a high cost of living — check purchasing power before relocating.
How do I know if I am underpaid as a nurse?
Compare your salary against the percentile spread for your metro, not the national average. If you have several years of experience and sit below the 25th percentile for your city, that is a documented case for a raise — the numbers come from mandatory employer payroll filings, not self-reports.
What raises nurse pay the fastest?
Shift differentials (nights and weekends commonly add 10–20%), specialty certifications (ICU, OR, ER, cath lab), charge/float responsibilities, and changing employers. Tenure alone moves RN pay slowly compared with these.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS employer payroll data, 2026 release, analysed by Official Salary. Free to cite with attribution. Full methodology →