The 15 Highest-Paying States for Nurses

Nurse salaries vary widely across the country, based on factors like local costs and competition for nurses. This guide to the highest-paying states for nurses outlines the states with the top nursing salaries, along with other considerations.

For comparison, nationally, the median annual salary for nurses is $81,220, and the median hourly salary is $39, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The cost-of-living index uses the value of 100 to represent the national average cost of goods and services. States with an index below 100 have a lower-than-average cost of living, while states greater than 100 have a higher-than-average cost of living.

All salary information throughout the following list was sourced from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.

California is the highest-paying state for registered nurses, especially in its metro areas. The annual median salary for California RNs is $177,670 and the median hourly median is $63.78. Within California, 80% of nurses earn between $84,700 and $177,670 annually. California is also the state with the most nurses (133,340) and some of the largest health systems in the country, such as Kaiser Permanente and the University of California hospitals. One factor making California the highest-paying state for nurses is the living expenses, with a cost-of-living index of 139.7.

Within California, the three highest-paying regions are:

Hawaii is the second highest-paying state for nurses, but also the most expensive state to live in. Its cost-of-living index is 181.5, indicating that goods and services cost nearly twice as much as the national average. The median registered nurse salary is $120,100 annually, or $57.74 hourly. There are 113,220 RNs in Hawaii, though the state does not host as many nursing schools as states with similar nursing numbers. The top 80% of Hawaii’s RNs earn between $76,640 and $137,710.

The areas with the highest nurse salaries in Hawaii are:

Historically, Oregon was a fairly affordable coastal state. However, in the last few decades, Oregon has reached a cost-of-living index of 116.2 — which plays a part in why it is one of the highest-paying states for registered nurses. The lowest-paid 10% of nurses earn $81,470 or less and the highest-paid earn $131,210 or more. Following the completion of nursing school, RNs in Oregon can earn a median salary of $106,680, or $51.29 per hour. There are 106,610 nurses working in Oregon. Portland is home to some of the largest hospitals, including Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center, and Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

The highest-paying areas of the state are:

Unlike many of the highest-paying states for nurses, Alaska does not have a fast-growing population, appealing year-round climate, or major tech industries. Alaska has a relatively small number of nursing schools and a high cost-of-living index at 125.3. The median annual salary for registered nurses is $102,260, or $49.16 hourly. Across the state, 80% of registered nurse salaries are between $80,950 and $127,280, with 103,310 active RNs in the state. The biggest hospital is Providence Alaska Medical Center, with 414 beds, and Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, with 212 beds.

Within Alaska, the highest-paying areas are:

Of the five highest-paying states for nurses, three are in the Pacific Northwest area: California, Oregon, and Washington. Washington state, home to several top nursing schools, supports 101,670 active registered nurses who earn a median salary of $101,230. A significant number of Washington nurses (37,120) work in the Seattle Tacoma area. Hospitals in this metro area include Swedish First Hill Campus, Harborview Medical Center, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, and the branches of the University of Washington.

The highest-paying locations within Washington are:

It is no surprise that New York is one of the highest-paying states for nurses. New York City is famous for its high cost of living and its many attractions. It is also home to some of the largest hospitals in the country, such as Long Island Jewish Medical Center, with 1,522 beds, Montefiore Hospital-Moses Campus, with 1,481 beds, and the largest New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, with 3,287 beds. Following nursing school, RNs in New York State can earn a median salary of $100,370, or $48.26 hourly. There are 100,130 nurses working in New York, and 80% of them earn between $64,840 and $132,950.

Within New York, registered nurse salaries are highest in:

Despite not having formal statehood, Washington, D.C. counts among the highest-paying geographic areas for nurses in the nation. It has the highest cost-of-living index in the continental U.S., at 149.7. RNs in Washington, D.C. can earn a median salary of $98,970, or $47.50 per hour. Among the federal district’s 98,230 active nurses, 80% earn between $66,260 and $135,260.

Medstar Washington Hospital Center, with 748 beds, is based in Washington, D.C., as well as one of the largest historically Black college and university hospitals, Howard University, which has 228 beds.

Washington, D.C. is one of the most populated parts of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria region, also called the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) metro area. The mean hourly salary for nurses in the metro area is $44.61, and the median annual salary is $92,800.

Massachusetts is a hub of biotech and medical firms, as well as major medical schools, such as Boston University and Harvard. This makes Massachusetts a popular choice for nursing students and professionals, with 67% of the state’s 104,150 total registered nurses working in the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua area. It is also one of the most expensive states for residents, with a cost-of-living index of 143.1. The median salary for nurses in Massachusetts is $98,520, or $47.37 hourly. The lowest-paid 10% of nurses make $67,480 or less, and the highest-paid 10% make $154,160 or more.

The metro areas with the highest nurse salaries are:

New Jersey’s relatively small geographic size supports fewer nursing schools and only 96,670 working RNs. However, like many other East Coast states, New Jersey is one of the highest-paying states for nurses. The median salary for New Jersey’s registered nurses is $98,090 annually or $47.16 per hour. The lowest-paid 10% of nurses earn less than $76,650, and the highest-paid 10% earn $118,150 or more. While the cost-of-living index for New Jersey is still above average at 111.7, it is more affordable than many other states.

New Jersey nurse salaries are highest in:

Connecticut has a more moderate cost of living than some of the other highest-paying states for nurses, with an index of 114.4. The state supports several top nursing schools and 94,260 working RNs. Median annual registered nurse salaries are $95,210, or $45.77 per hour. The top 80% of Connecticut RNs earn between $71,050 and $119,600. Yale University, with its noted medical school and health system, is based in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale New Haven Hospital comprises 1,567 beds and over $11.5 billion in annual revenue.

The highest-paying areas in Connecticut are:

Nevada’s cost-of-living index is 101.7, just above the national average, but it is still one of the highest-paying states for registered nurses. Nevada is home to several nursing schools and 96,310 working RNs, who earn a median of $94,930 annually, or $45.64 hourly. The top 80% of Nevada RNs earn between $74,200 and $130,200.

The top two metro areas with the highest pay for nurses, Las Vegas and Reno, are both known for gambling but have expanded their entertainment options to include family-friendly entertainment and shopping.

Rhode Island, the nation’s smallest state, is one of the highest-paying states for registered nurses. The state has several nursing schools and 2,436 staffed hospital beds. Of these, 704 beds are at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. The median salary for Rhode Island nurses is $85,960 annually, or $41.33 hourly. Among the 88,250 total active registered nurses, 80% earn between $65,260 and $104,790.

Providence-Warwick is the only metropolitan area in the state. Registered nurses in this metro area earn a mean salary of $88,170 annually, or $42.39 per hour.

One of the highest-paying states for nurses, Minnesota is home to the world-famous Mayo Clinic and several reputable nursing schools. RNs across the state earn a median salary of $84,060, or $40.41 hourly, with 80% of registered nurses earning between $65,500 and $107,960 annually.

Mayo Clinic’s main campus in Rochester offers 1,266 staffed beds, with several hundred on other campuses. The second-largest hospital facility is M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, with 844 beds at its main campus and still more beds at its other facilities.

Much of the population is clustered in the state’s southern half, as are the top-paying metro areas for nurses. These include:

Maryland, very close to Washington, D.C., is also one of the highest-paying states for nurses. Johns Hopkins, a globally recognized leader in nursing education, is based in the state capitol. The second-largest facility — also based in Baltimore — is the University of Maryland Medical Center, with 846 beds at its main facility.

The median salary for registered nurses in Maryland is $83,850, and the median hourly salary is $40.31. Among the 87,990 active registered nurses, 80% earn between $64,680 and $106,910.

The highest-paying areas for nurses in Maryland are:

While Colorado rounds out our list of the highest-paying states for registered nurses, salaries in the state are not much higher than the national median. The national median wage for RNs is $81,220 annually ($39.05 per hour), compared to Colorado’s median wage of $82,430 annually ($39.63 per hour).

Following nursing school, 80% of Colorado’s registered nurses earn between $66,130 and $107,260 each year. The major hospital facilities in Colorado include UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Aurora (665 beds), Centura-Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs (508 beds), and Denver Health Main Campus in Denver (472 beds).

Colorado’s highest-paying metropolitan areas for nurses include: