Registered Nurse Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Registered Nurses

The median registered nurse salary in the United States is $97,550 per year ($46.90/hour). Salaries range from $68,940 at the entry level to $137,470+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 3,379,720 registered nurse jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asRNNurseStaff NurseICU NurseER NurseCritical Care NurseOncology Nurse
Median Salary
$97,550
per year
Hourly Rate
$46.90
per hour
Employment
3,379,720
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$68,940
25th percentile
$80,330
Median
$97,550
75th percentile
$112,350
90th percentile
$137,470

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+4.9%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

189,100
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Registered Nurse Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for registered nurses.

Registered Nurses (RNs) are the largest healthcare workforce in the US at 3.3 million jobs, and demand is projected to stay elevated through 2034. RN pay varies more by employer type and shift than by state β€” a bedside RN in a hospital, a school nurse, and a nurse informaticist can all hold identical BSNs and see a $40k+ pay gap. Employers screen hard for clinical judgment (Tanner's model), demonstrated care in messy situations, and documentation discipline. This guide covers new-grad interviews through experienced hire negotiations.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Clinical judgment / NCJMM
The NCLEX-RN and most modern nursing interviews use the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model β€” recognize cues, analyze, prioritize, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes.
Assessment (head-to-toe)
Structured, systematic patient assessment. Interviewers ask you to describe how you'd assess a patient in respiratory distress, in altered mental status, or post-op.
Medication administration
The five rights (patient, drug, dose, route, time), understanding of high-alert medications (insulin, heparin, opioids, chemo), and independent double-checks.
Documentation (SBAR / DAR)
SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) for handoffs. DAR or SOAP for progress notes. Timely, factual, non-judgmental.
Delegation to UAPs
Knowing what tasks can be delegated to UAPs (CNAs) vs LPNs vs must be done by RN. Common NCLEX and interview test.
Infection control
Standard precautions, contact/droplet/airborne isolation, hand hygiene compliance. Ask experienced RNs about MRSA/C. diff protocols.
Emotional labor + boundaries
Ability to grieve alongside patients while remaining functional. Hiring managers screen for burnout resilience.

How to Become a Registered Nurse

  1. 1
    Earn a nursing degree
    ADN (2 years, community college) or BSN (4 years). BSN is increasingly the hiring standard at Magnet hospitals and pays $2–8k more at entry.
  2. 2
    Pass the NCLEX-RN
    Computer-adaptive licensing exam. First-time pass rate is ~85% for BSN, ~78% for ADN.
  3. 3
    Obtain state licensure
    Apply through your state Board of Nursing. NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) states let you practice in 40+ states on one license.
  4. 4
    Choose your first specialty carefully
    Med-surg is the traditional 'foundation' but competition for ICU/ED new-grad slots has increased. Your first 12–24 months set your trajectory.
  5. 5
    Certify
    After 1–2 years, pursue specialty certification (CCRN, CEN, PCCN, RNC-OB, CMSRN). Certifications add $2–10k depending on hospital.
  6. 6
    Consider BSN completion or MSN
    ADN β†’ BSN online programs run 12–18 months and $5–15k. MSN opens NP, CRNA, informatics, or leadership paths.

Career Progression

New Graduate RN / Nurse Resident
0–1 yrs$65k–$85k
  • β€’Complete 6–12 month residency with preceptor oversight
  • β€’Manage 4–5 patients on med-surg or 1–2 on ICU by mid-residency
  • β€’Complete required checkoffs (IV starts, foleys, NG tubes, code response)
Next: Staff RN after residency completion.
Staff RN
1–5 yrs$75k–$105k
  • β€’Full patient assignments without preceptor
  • β€’Precept new grads
  • β€’Serve on unit council / shared governance committees
Next: Charge RN, specialty certification, or float pool.
Charge RN / Senior Staff RN
3–8 yrs$85k–$120k
  • β€’Assignment-making and staffing decisions
  • β€’Escalation for junior RN clinical questions
  • β€’Interface with rapid response / code teams
Next: Nurse Manager, Clinical Educator, or NP school.
Nurse Manager / Clinical Nurse Specialist / Informaticist
5+ yrs$95k–$140k
  • β€’Manage 40–80 direct reports (Nurse Manager)
  • β€’Own protocol development for a specialty (CNS)
  • β€’Optimize the EHR for clinical workflow (Informaticist)
Nurse Practitioner / CRNA
MSN/DNP + certification yrs$115k–$220k
  • β€’Diagnose and prescribe within scope of practice
  • β€’Full patient panel or surgical anesthesia case load (CRNA)

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Tell me about a time you had a difficult patient. What did you do?behavioral
Use STAR. Focus on de-escalation techniques (lower your voice, sit at eye level, acknowledge the emotion behind the behavior), not the patient's flaws. Describe how you protected staff safety, involved family or chaplain if appropriate, documented the incident factually, and reflected on what you'd do differently. Interviewers are screening for empathy plus safety, not tolerance of abuse.
Q2. A post-op patient's blood pressure drops to 82/48 with a heart rate of 128. Walk me through what you do.situational
Recognize cues: hypotension + tachycardia in a post-op patient β€” think hypovolemia (bleeding), sepsis, or cardiogenic. Analyze: check the surgical dressing/drains for bleeding, assess mental status and skin, check urine output, review meds given (especially antihypertensives and opioids). Prioritize: notify the surgeon or rapid response, get large-bore IV access if not already, hang isotonic fluids per orders/protocol, position supine with legs elevated if not contraindicated, prepare for possible transfusion. Take action: reassess vitals every 5 min. Evaluate: document response to intervention. Interviewers want to hear the structured approach, not just the tasks.
Q3. How do you prioritize when you have five patients and everyone needs something?situational
Use the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation), then Maslow. A patient with new-onset chest pain outranks a patient who needs a pain med refill. If two patients are equally urgent, delegate what can be delegated (CNA for vitals, pharmacy for a med), then act. If workload is genuinely unsafe, escalate to charge β€” Silence Kills is a real thing.
Q4. Tell me about a mistake you made and how you handled it.behavioral
Pick a real, resolvable mistake β€” not a sentinel event, but not trivial either. A commonly acceptable example: hanging a fluid at the wrong rate that you caught within 30 minutes. Describe how you assessed the patient, notified the provider, filled out the incident report, and what you now do differently. Interviewers are screening for accountability, not perfection. Never say 'I've never made a mistake.'
Q5. Why nursing, and why our unit?behavioral
Skip the generic 'I want to help people.' Concrete: an experience where you saw a nurse's actions change an outcome, or your own patient/caregiver experience that clarified the role. For the unit specifically: something about their model (Magnet status, nurse-to-patient ratios, shared governance, specific patient population, residency program length). Do 20 minutes of research on the hospital before you walk in.

Resume Template β€” New Grad RN (0–1 yr)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

New Grad RN (0–1 yr)
  • β–ΈCompleted 12-month nurse residency on 32-bed medical-surgical unit with 4:1 nurse-to-patient ratio, passing all preceptor checkoffs on first attempt.
  • β–ΈManaged care for 5 patients per shift by the end of residency, including complex post-op and telemetry patients.
  • β–ΈPrecepted 2 senior nursing students during their capstone rotations.
  • β–ΈServed on unit-based shared governance committee focused on fall reduction; unit fall rate dropped 18% during my term.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Talking about patients disparagingly in the interview ('frequent flyer,' 'drug-seeking'). Immediate DQ.
  • βœ—Vague answers to clinical scenarios β€” the STAR / NCJMM structure signals competence.
  • βœ—Not asking about ratios, residency length, and PTO accrual. Recruiters interpret this as unprepared.
  • βœ—Overselling β€” new grads should not claim comfort with skills they've done twice in clinical.
  • βœ—Not knowing the unit's certification status (Magnet, Pathway to Excellence).

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“BSN vs ADN β€” $2–8k differential at Magnet hospitals.
  • βœ“Shift differentials β€” nights add $2–7/hr, weekends add $1–4/hr.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonuses β€” often $5k–$20k for shortage specialties (ICU, OR, L&D, ED).
  • βœ“Specialty certification β€” many hospitals pay $2–10k premium for CCRN, CEN, PCCN.
  • βœ“Multistate NLC license β€” worth it if you might travel.
  • βœ“Tuition reimbursement β€” $3k–$6k/year for BSN-to-MSN or NP is common.
  • βœ“Preceptor pay β€” $1–3/hr extra when precepting new grads.
  • βœ“Travel nursing β€” 1.5–2.5x staff pay but no benefits; useful benchmark for negotiation.

Registered Nurse Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired registered nurses. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Registered Nurse Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 15 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 12 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 6 top employers
  • βœ“ 4 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
  • βœ“ Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
βœ“ 7-day money-back guarantee β€” no questions asked

One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.

Sample reviews β€” real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.

β€œThe 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.”

β€” Anonymous, Registered Nurse

Registered Nurse Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$77K
$140Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

California
$140K
+44%
Hawaii
$136K
+40%
Oregon
$129K
+32%
Washington
$124K
+27%
Alaska
$109K
+12%
New York
$109K
+12%
New Jersey
$107K
+9%
Massachusetts
$105K
+7%
Nevada
$104K
+6%
Connecticut
$103K
+5%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
California$140,270+43.8%
Hawaii$136,320+39.7%
Oregon$129,010+32.3%
Washington$124,200+27.3%
Alaska$109,480+12.2%
New York$109,440+12.2%
New Jersey$106,500+9.2%
Massachusetts$104,550+7.2%
Nevada$103,670+6.3%
Connecticut$102,740+5.3%
1–10 of 51

Registered Nurse Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$216,740+122.2%
Vallejo, CA$203,290+108.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,610+91.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$174,550+78.9%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$171,460+75.8%
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$170,960+75.3%
Yuba City, CA$149,320+53.1%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$144,350+48.0%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,520+43.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$139,260+42.8%
1–10 of 382
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A registered nurse earning $97,550/year would need 611 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 656 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how registered nurse salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Registered Nurse salary trend (2011–2024) β†’