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Feb 16 2021

Highest-Paying States for Registered Nurses in 2021

average nurse salary by state

Average registered nurse salaries vary significantly from state-to-state. In the United States overall, the average registered nurse salary is $77,460 and the median (50th percentile) is $73,300. California, with RN salaries averaging $113,240, is the highest-paying state for nurses as of May 2019 (according to the BLS).

$53,700 lower than California’s average is South Dakota, at $59,540. With such a wide possible salary range, it may pay off for nurses to consider moving to a higher-paying state. On the other hand, it may not; large cost of living differences between states means the same dollar you earn in one state may not go as far as in another.

[ 1. Find your salary range 2. Get interview requests for high-paying nursing jobs 💰 ]

Read on to learn more about which state pay their nurses the most, both in absolute terms and after factoring in cost of living.

Highest-paying states for registered nurses

California tops our list of the highest-paying states for RNs, with nurses receiving $113,240 per year on average. Following it is Hawaii, at $104,060, and Massachusetts, at $93,160. Washington, D.C., while not a technically state, also ranks among the top-paying U.S. regions at an average RN salary of $94,820.

Top 10 highest-paying states for registered nurses
RankStateAverage RN Salary
1California$113,240
2Hawaii$104,060
3Massachusetts$93,160
4Oregon$92,960
5Alaska$90,500
6Nevada$88,380
7New York$87,840
8Washington$86,170
9New Jersey$84,280
10Connecticut$83,440

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Highest-paying states for RNs, adjusted for cost of living

The cost of living index is a measure of the relative purchasing power of a dollar for things like groceries, housing, and transportation. Regions where these essential goods are more costly than the U.S. average have a higher cost of living index; areas where these same goods tend to be cheaper are estimated to have a lower cost of living. As of Q4 2020, Hawaii tops the list at 199.1, while Mississippi comes in lowest, at 84.8.

Adjusting each state’s average RN salary by its cost of living index gives us a potentially more accurate means of comparing where nurses get paid the most.


It’s not just about the absolute size of the paycheck, but about how far those wages will go for a nurse’s budget.


Despite it being a more expensive place to live, California still tops the list of highest-paying states for nurses after adjusting for cost of living. California’s adjusted RN salary average is $81,644 (far lower than its $113,240 non-adjusted salary). Following closely behind are New Mexico ($81,626) and Nevada ($81,157).

Top 10 highest-paying states for registered nurses, adjusted for cost of living
RankStateAvg RN Salary (COL Adjusted)
1California$81,644
2New Mexico$81,626
3Nevada$81,157
4Texas$80,497
5Michigan$80,440
6Minnesota$79,258
7Georgia$77,322
8Arizona$77,249
9Illinois$76,813
10Washington$76,392

Registered nurse salaries in all 50 states

Hospitals and other healthcare organizations employ registered nurses in every state across the U.S. Use the map or list below to find your own state’s average RN salary.

Map
List
  1. California
    Avg RN salary: $113,240
    RNs employed: 302,770
    Cost of living index: 138.7
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $81,644
  2. Hawaii
    Avg RN salary: $104,060
    RNs employed: 11,330
    Cost of living index: 199.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $52,265
  3. District of Columbia
    Avg RN salary: $94,820
    RNs employed: 10,890
    Cost of living index: 160
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $59,263
  4. Massachusetts
    Avg RN salary: $93,160
    RNs employed: 81,020
    Cost of living index: 130.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $71,606
  5. Oregon
    Avg RN salary: $92,960
    RNs employed: 36,660
    Cost of living index: 134.7
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,013
  6. Alaska
    Avg RN salary: $90,500
    RNs employed: 6,210
    Cost of living index: 127.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $70,814
  7. Nevada
    Avg RN salary: $88,380
    RNs employed: 22,940
    Cost of living index: 108.9
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $81,157
  8. New York
    Avg RN salary: $87,840
    RNs employed: 178,320
    Cost of living index: 134
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $65,552
  9. Washington
    Avg RN salary: $86,170
    RNs employed: 58,000
    Cost of living index: 112.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $76,392
  10. New Jersey
    Avg RN salary: $84,280
    RNs employed: 80,140
    Cost of living index: 117.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $71,789
  11. Connecticut
    Avg RN salary: $83,440
    RNs employed: 34,740
    Cost of living index: 124.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $67,236
  12. Rhode Island
    Avg RN salary: $82,310
    RNs employed: 12,630
    Cost of living index: 119.6
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $68,821
  13. Minnesota
    Avg RN salary: $80,130
    RNs employed: 71,000
    Cost of living index: 101.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $79,258
  14. Arizona
    Avg RN salary: $78,330
    RNs employed: 54,590
    Cost of living index: 101.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $77,249
  15. Maryland
    Avg RN salary: $77,910
    RNs employed: 53,150
    Cost of living index: 127.6
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $61,058
  16. Colorado
    Avg RN salary: $76,230
    RNs employed: 52,510
    Cost of living index: 104.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $73,228
  17. Texas
    Avg RN salary: $74,540
    RNs employed: 218,090
    Cost of living index: 92.6
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $80,497
  18. Delaware
    Avg RN salary: $74,100
    RNs employed: 11,730
    Cost of living index: 108.3
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $68,421
  19. New Hampshire
    Avg RN salary: $73,880
    RNs employed: 14,320
    Cost of living index: 108.5
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $68,092
  20. Illinois
    Avg RN salary: $73,510
    RNs employed: 129,530
    Cost of living index: 95.7
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $76,813
  21. New Mexico
    Avg RN salary: $73,300
    RNs employed: 17,350
    Cost of living index: 89.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $81,626
  22. Michigan
    Avg RN salary: $73,200
    RNs employed: 96,900
    Cost of living index: 91
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $80,440
  23. Wisconsin
    Avg RN salary: $72,610
    RNs employed: 61,930
    Cost of living index: 96.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $75,322
  24. Virginia
    Avg RN salary: $71,870
    RNs employed: 66,040
    Cost of living index: 101.7
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $70,669
  25. Pennsylvania
    Avg RN salary: $71,410
    RNs employed: 148,040
    Cost of living index: 102.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,465
  26. Vermont
    Avg RN salary: $70,240
    RNs employed: 7,020
    Cost of living index: 116.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $60,137
  27. Maine
    Avg RN salary: $69,760
    RNs employed: 14,490
    Cost of living index: 116.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $59,726
  28. Georgia
    Avg RN salary: $69,590
    RNs employed: 75,430
    Cost of living index: 90
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $77,322
  29. Idaho
    Avg RN salary: $69,480
    RNs employed: 14,110
    Cost of living index: 94.5
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $73,524
  30. Montana
    Avg RN salary: $69,340
    RNs employed: 10,310
    Cost of living index: 99.3
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,829
  31. Wyoming
    Avg RN salary: $68,690
    RNs employed: 5,120
    Cost of living index: 95.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $72,229
  32. Ohio
    Avg RN salary: $68,220
    RNs employed: 125,470
    Cost of living index: 92.3
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $73,911
  33. Utah
    Avg RN salary: $67,970
    RNs employed: 21,650
    Cost of living index: 97.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,499
  34. Florida
    Avg RN salary: $67,610
    RNs employed: 181,670
    Cost of living index: 100.2
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $67,475
  35. Nebraska
    Avg RN salary: $66,640
    RNs employed: 23,800
    Cost of living index: 93.1
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $71,579
  36. Indiana
    Avg RN salary: $66,560
    RNs employed: 67,510
    Cost of living index: 90.3
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $73,710
  37. North Carolina
    Avg RN salary: $66,440
    RNs employed: 99,960
    Cost of living index: 96.2
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,064
  38. North Dakota
    Avg RN salary: $66,290
    RNs employed: 9,750
    Cost of living index: 97
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $68,340
  39. Louisiana
    Avg RN salary: $65,850
    RNs employed: 40,870
    Cost of living index: 93.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $70,503
  40. South Carolina
    Avg RN salary: $64,840
    RNs employed: 46,860
    Cost of living index: 96.2
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $67,401
  41. Oklahoma
    Avg RN salary: $64,800
    RNs employed: 31,350
    Cost of living index: 87.2
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $74,312
  42. Missouri
    Avg RN salary: $64,160
    RNs employed: 68,840
    Cost of living index: 89.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $71,767
  43. Kentucky
    Avg RN salary: $63,750
    RNs employed: 43,840
    Cost of living index: 94
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $67,819
  44. West Virginia
    Avg RN salary: $63,220
    RNs employed: 19,830
    Cost of living index: 92.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $68,125
  45. Tennessee
    Avg RN salary: $62,570
    RNs employed: 63,330
    Cost of living index: 90
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,522
  46. Kansas
    Avg RN salary: $62,450
    RNs employed: 30,370
    Cost of living index: 87.5
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $71,371
  47. Arkansas
    Avg RN salary: $61,330
    RNs employed: 25,210
    Cost of living index: 88.3
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $69,456
  48. Iowa
    Avg RN salary: $60,590
    RNs employed: 32,980
    Cost of living index: 92
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $65,859
  49. Alabama
    Avg RN salary: $60,230
    RNs employed: 49,190
    Cost of living index: 89.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $67,371
  50. Mississippi
    Avg RN salary: $59,750
    RNs employed: 29,550
    Cost of living index: 84.8
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $70,460
  51. South Dakota
    Avg RN salary: $59,540
    RNs employed: 12,950
    Cost of living index: 96.4
    Avg RN salary, adjusted for COL: $61,763

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Written by Incredible Health Staff · Category: Salary

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