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How Much Does a Registered Nurse Make?
Find out how much you can make as a Registered Nurse (RN) - the average varies by state, but earning a BSN can potentially translate to higher salary.
What is the average salary for a Registered Nurse (RN)?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for registered nurses is $98,430 per year ($47.32 per hour), with the highest 10 percent earning more than $100,000. BSN-prepared nurses might have the opportunity to advance into higher-paying leadership and management roles more quickly than ASN nurses. How much you can make will vary based on your state of employment:
| Average salary | Median salary | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Per hour | Per year | Per hour | Per year |
| Alabama | $36.04 | $74,970 | $34.16 | $71,040 |
| Alaska | $53.86 | $112,040 | $53.22 | $110,690 |
| Arizona | $45.79 | $95,230 | $46.58 | $96,890 |
| Arkansas | $37.36 | $77,720 | $37.08 | $77,130 |
| California | $71.31 | $148,330 | $67.47 | $140,330 |
| Colorado | $45.90 | $95,470 | $46.40 | $96,520 |
| Connecticut | $49.84 | $103,670 | $48.84 | $101,590 |
| Delaware | $45.89 | $95,450 | $44.53 | $92,610 |
| District of Columbia | $52.52 | $109,240 | $50.27 | $104,550 |
| Florida | $42.40 | $88,200 | $39.83 | $82,850 |
| Georgia | $44.21 | $91,960 | $41.61 | $86,560 |
| Hawaii | $59.48 | $123,720 | $65.54 | $136,320 |
| Idaho | $43.16 | $89,770 | $41.39 | $86,100 |
| Illinois | $43.81 | $91,130 | $41.54 | $86,410 |
| Indiana | $41.27 | $85,850 | $38.82 | $80,740 |
| Iowa | $37.39 | $77,780 | $37.00 | $76,960 |
| Kansas | $38.19 | $79,430 | $37.53 | $78,060 |
| Kentucky | $40.34 | $83,900 | $38.42 | $79,910 |
| Louisiana | $40.44 | $84,110 | $37.92 | $78,880 |
| Maine | $42.04 | $87,440 | $39.84 | $82,860 |
| Maryland | $46.46 | $96,650 | $46.55 | $96,830 |
| Massachusetts | $54.14 | $112,610 | $49.03 | $101,970 |
| Michigan | $43.55 | $90,580 | $41.19 | $85,670 |
| Minnesota | $47.82 | $99,460 | $48.50 | $100,870 |
| Mississippi | $38.21 | $79,470 | $35.80 | $74,470 |
| Missouri | $39.40 | $81,950 | $38.35 | $79,770 |
| Montana | $42.54 | $88,480 | $39.21 | $81,560 |
| Nebraska | $39.85 | $82,890 | $38.95 | $81,020 |
| Nevada | $49.17 | $102,280 | $49.03 | $101,990 |
| New Hampshire | $45.49 | $94,620 | $46.55 | $96,830 |
| New Jersey | $51.44 | $106,990 | $49.39 | $102,730 |
| New Mexico | $45.37 | $94,360 | $42.43 | $88,260 |
| New York | $53.12 | $110,490 | $50.77 | $105,600 |
| North Carolina | $41.48 | $86,270 | $39.36 | $81,860 |
| North Dakota | $39.38 | $81,900 | $37.62 | $78,260 |
| Ohio | $41.40 | $86,110 | $39.06 | $81,250 |
| Oklahoma | $41.25 | $85,800 | $39.02 | $81,160 |
| Oregon | $57.92 | $120,470 | $59.61 | $123,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $43.67 | $90,830 | $42.12 | $87,610 |
| Rhode Island | $47.96 | $99,770 | $48.06 | $99,960 |
| South Carolina | $40.83 | $84,930 | $38.41 | $79,900 |
| South Dakota | $34.72 | $72,210 | $33.42 | $69,510 |
| Tennessee | $39.43 | $82,010 | $38.00 | $79,030 |
| Texas | $44.08 | $91,690 | $43.27 | $90,010 |
| Utah | $42.42 | $88,240 | $39.55 | $82,270 |
| Vermont | $44.57 | $92,710 | $40.94 | $85,150 |
| Virginia | $43.72 | $90,930 | $42.70 | $88,820 |
| Washington | $55.64 | $115,740 | $53.93 | $112,180 |
| West Virginia | $38.77 | $80,650 | $38.46 | $79,990 |
| Wisconsin | $43.48 | $90,450 | $41.38 | $86,070 |
| Wyoming | $42.32 | $88,020 | $39.32 | $81,790 |
All salary data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. | ||||
Better your earning potential with a BSN
For future nurse leaders like Nabeela Rehan, earning a bachelor’s degree is a logical way to ensure career advancement.
“I worked as a certified nurse’s assistant (CNA) for eight years. I loved my job and I knew that nursing was the right career for me,” she recalls. “But I wanted to be more hands-on with patients. My co-workers encouraged me to enroll in a BSN program.”
Now, Rehan is a registered nurse at a local hospital and volunteers her time as head nurse at a camp for children who are victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Earning her BSN changed her life and allowed her to make a difference in more ways than she could have imagined.
You don't necessarily need a BSN to be an RN - you can become an RN with an associate degree. However, whether you’re new to nursing or looking to advance your career, there’s never been a better time to advance your education to the bachelor's level. Hospitals and healthcare organizations are looking for nurses who are prepared to become leaders, and earning your BSN can help you do that.
“You can expect a better financial return on your investment if you choose to pursue your BSN,” says Susan Austin, program chair of the online RN-BSN program at Herzing University.
Your next big career step starts here.
With Herzing University, you are possible.
Take the next step and leap towards advancing your career.
Learn more about the Herzing BSN program
* BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.