BLS median, percentile and state-by-state RN pay, with overtime, shift differentials and take-home after 2026 tax
Registered nurses earned a median of $46.90 an hour in May 2025 — $97,550 a year — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which counted 3,379,720 RNs. The lowest-paid tenth made under $33.14 and the best-paid tenth over $66.09, and none of those figures include the night differentials and overtime that hospital nurses often earn. The calculator starts at the national median; choose your state to start from its figure instead.
This is the BLS line for registered nurses on employers' payrolls (SOC 29-1141). It does not include nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists or midwives, which BLS counts separately, or licensed practical nurses. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33.14 | $68,940 | $5,745 | $57,329 |
| 25th percentile | $38.62 | $80,330 | $6,694 | $65,342 |
| Median | $46.90 | $97,550 | $8,129 | $77,456 |
| 75th percentile | $54.02 | $112,350 | $9,363 | $87,868 |
| 90th percentile | $66.09 | $137,470 | $11,456 | $105,227 |
California is in a league of its own: $67.44 an hour at the median for 338,940 nurses, the largest RN workforce in the country, against $37.06 in Alabama at the bottom. Hawaii ($65.54) and Oregon ($62.02) follow. Texas and Florida employ the next-largest numbers of nurses at $46.14 and $40.48.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $67.44 | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $65.54 | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $62.02 | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| Washington | $59.71 | $124,200 | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $52.64 | $109,480 | 7,510 |
| New York | $52.62 | $109,440 | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $51.20 | $106,500 | 92,680 |
| Massachusetts | $50.27 | $104,550 | 88,200 |
| Nevada | $49.84 | $103,670 | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $49.39 | $102,740 | 40,110 |
| District of Columbia | $49.30 | $102,540 | 11,440 |
| Minnesota | $48.80 | $101,510 | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $48.39 | $100,640 | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $48.20 | $100,260 | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $47.98 | $99,790 | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $47.93 | $99,700 | 15,390 |
| Delaware | $47.85 | $99,520 | 14,290 |
| Arizona | $47.84 | $99,500 | 73,150 |
| Vermont | $46.86 | $97,460 | 7,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $46.36 | $96,430 | 146,520 |
| Illinois | $46.15 | $95,990 | 138,910 |
| Texas | $46.14 | $95,970 | 271,380 |
| Wisconsin | $45.93 | $95,530 | 68,060 |
| New Mexico | $45.36 | $94,340 | 17,980 |
| Michigan | $45.34 | $94,300 | 104,950 |
| Virginia | $45.00 | $93,600 | 77,490 |
| Georgia | $44.98 | $93,550 | 100,950 |
| Idaho | $44.45 | $92,460 | 16,880 |
| Maine | $41.82 | $86,990 | 16,540 |
| Montana | $41.00 | $85,280 | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $40.74 | $84,730 | 24,720 |
| Utah | $40.67 | $84,600 | 27,420 |
| North Carolina | $40.56 | $84,350 | 111,120 |
| Florida | $40.48 | $84,190 | 229,940 |
| Wyoming | $40.27 | $83,760 | 5,330 |
| Indiana | $40.14 | $83,500 | 68,980 |
| Oklahoma | $39.87 | $82,920 | 38,270 |
| Ohio | $39.67 | $82,510 | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $39.60 | $82,360 | 49,750 |
| Missouri | $39.32 | $81,780 | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $39.18 | $81,500 | 72,200 |
| Kentucky | $38.96 | $81,040 | 50,300 |
| North Dakota | $38.81 | $80,730 | 11,340 |
| Louisiana | $38.57 | $80,230 | 48,970 |
| West Virginia | $38.52 | $80,130 | 23,430 |
| Kansas | $38.14 | $79,320 | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $37.95 | $78,940 | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $37.80 | $78,630 | 34,420 |
| South Dakota | $37.53 | $78,060 | 14,710 |
| Alabama | $37.06 | $77,080 | 54,340 |
| Mississippi | $37.06 | $77,090 | 29,060 |
Government employers outside state and local hospitals and schools pay RNs the most, $110,780, and hospitals $100,220. School nursing pays least of the big employers at $78,620, but usually comes with school-day hours.
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $110,780 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $100,220 |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | $91,230 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | $84,300 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $78,620 |
Nurses in hospitals and nursing care facilities usually work shifts that cover the clock, including nights, weekends and holidays, and may be on call — on duty and available at short notice. Nurses in offices, schools and other places that don't provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). That split matters for pay: BLS's wage figures leave out shift differentials and on-call pay, so a hospital nurse on nights earns more than the hourly rate in the tables below.
Registered nurses paid by the hour should receive overtime. A nurse registered by the state board and paid a salary of at least $684 a week can instead be classed as an exempt professional (DOL Fact Sheet #17N). Hospitals and residential care facilities may also use the 8-and-80 system: by prior agreement, time and a half for hours over 8 in a day and over 80 in a 14-day period, instead of over 40 in a week (DOL Fact Sheet #54). Enter the overtime and night or weekend hours you actually work in the calculator.
BLS's wage figures leave out shift differentials. The table adds a night or weekend differential to the median $46.90 an hour for 12 hours a week (one 12-hour shift) over 52 weeks. Differentials vary by employer and contract; these amounts are examples to show the arithmetic, not typical rates.
| Differential | Extra a year | Average hourly over 40 hours a week |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00/hour | $624 | $47.20 |
| $2.00/hour | $1,248 | $47.50 |
| $3.00/hour | $1,872 | $47.80 |
| $5.00/hour | $3,120 | $48.40 |
Every RN needs a license from the state they work in: graduate from an approved program (a bachelor's in nursing, an associate's or a hospital diploma) and pass the licensing exam. Specialty certification — ambulatory care, gerontology, pediatrics and others — is usually voluntary but some employers require it, and roles may require BLS or ACLS certification (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish a separate wage for certified nurses; the gap between the 25th and 75th percentile below is the best official measure of how much experience, specialty and employer move pay.
More ways to work with your registered nurse pay:
$46.90 an hour ($97,550 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $38.62 to $54.02 an hour.
California ($67.44 an hour, $140,270 a year), then Hawaii and Oregon; Mississippi pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Hourly RNs should. A registered nurse paid a salary of at least $684 a week can be classed as exempt (DOL Fact Sheet #17N). Hospitals may use the 8-and-80 system, which pays time and a half after 8 hours in a day and 80 in two weeks (DOL Fact Sheet #54).
No. BLS's wage estimates exclude shift differentials, on-call pay and overtime, so a nurse working nights or extra shifts can earn noticeably more than the published median. Add your differential in the calculator.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.