Registered Nurse Earnings

The median annual wage for registered nurses was $73,300 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $52,080, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $111,220.

In May 2019, the median annual wages for registered nurses in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

• Government: $79,790
• Hospitals; state, local, and private: $75,030
• Ambulatory healthcare services: $70,330
• Nursing and residential care facilities: $66,250
• Educational services; state, local, and private: $63,690

Because patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities need round-the-clock care, nurses in these settings usually work in shifts, covering all 24 hours. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may be on call, which means that they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice. Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.

Source: OOH, Registered Nurses