United States · Pay by job · Healthcare Practitioners

Registered Nurse salary and take-home pay

The typical US registered nurse earns $97,550 a year, or $46.90 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $95,970, a single filer keeps about $76,345 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a registered nurse earn?

Registered Nurse pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $68,940 $33.14
25th $80,330 $38.62
Median $97,550 $46.90
75th $112,350 $54.02
90th $137,470 $66.09

The middle half of people in this job earn $80,330 to $112,350 a year, and about 3,379,720 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Registered Nurse · Texas · single · median

$76,344.90 a year after tax

$6,362.07 a month · $2,936.34 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$95,970.00
Federal income tax−$12,283.40
Social Security and Medicare−$7,341.71
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$76,344.90

Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $95,970 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a registered nurse take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Registered Nurse take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $68,940 $57,329$54,253$53,875
25th $80,330 $65,342$61,206$61,223
Median $97,550 $77,456$71,505$72,298
75th $112,350 $87,868$80,348$81,783
90th $137,470 $105,227$95,044$97,374

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a registered nurse keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Registered Nurse: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 California $140,270 $96,661
2 Washington $124,200 $94,434
3 Alaska $109,480 $85,578
4 Nevada $103,670 $81,762
5 New York $109,440 $79,941
6 New Hampshire $99,700 $78,969
7 New Jersey $106,500 $78,521
8 Texas $95,970 $76,345
9 Pennsylvania $96,430 $73,641
10 Illinois $95,990 $71,752
11 Michigan $94,300 $71,413
12 Georgia $93,550 $70,723
13 Virginia $93,600 $70,110
14 Florida $84,190 $68,058
15 Wyoming $83,760 $67,755
16 Tennessee $81,500 $66,165
17 North Carolina $84,350 $65,313
18 Ohio $82,510 $65,043
19 South Dakota $78,060 $63,745

How much does a registered nurse earn in each state?

Registered Nurse median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $77,080 54,340 not yet
Alaska $109,480 7,510 $85,578 (#3)
Arizona $99,500 73,150 not yet
Arkansas $78,940 29,400 not yet
California $140,270 338,940 $96,661 (#1)
Colorado $100,260 54,490 not yet
Connecticut $102,740 40,110 not yet
Delaware $99,520 14,290 not yet
District of Columbia $102,540 11,440 not yet
Florida $84,190 229,940 $68,058 (#14)
Georgia $93,550 100,950 $70,723 (#12)
Hawaii $136,320 12,940 not yet
Idaho $92,460 16,880 not yet
Illinois $95,990 138,910 $71,752 (#10)
Indiana $83,500 68,980 not yet
Iowa $78,630 34,420 not yet
Kansas $79,320 33,800 not yet
Kentucky $81,040 50,300 not yet
Louisiana $80,230 48,970 not yet
Maine $86,990 16,540 not yet
Maryland $99,790 52,910 not yet
Massachusetts $104,550 88,200 not yet
Michigan $94,300 104,950 $71,413 (#11)
Minnesota $101,510 70,110 not yet
Mississippi $77,090 29,060 not yet
Missouri $81,780 76,310 not yet
Montana $85,280 10,950 not yet
Nebraska $84,730 24,720 not yet
Nevada $103,670 27,070 $81,762 (#4)
New Hampshire $99,700 15,390 $78,969 (#6)
New Jersey $106,500 92,680 $78,521 (#7)
New Mexico $94,340 17,980 not yet
New York $109,440 205,810 $79,941 (#5)
North Carolina $84,350 111,120 $65,313 (#17)
North Dakota $80,730 11,340 not yet
Ohio $82,510 143,730 $65,043 (#18)
Oklahoma $82,920 38,270 not yet
Oregon $129,010 39,730 not yet
Pennsylvania $96,430 146,520 $73,641 (#9)
Rhode Island $100,640 10,090 not yet
South Carolina $82,360 49,750 not yet
South Dakota $78,060 14,710 $63,745 (#19)
Tennessee $81,500 72,200 $66,165 (#16)
Texas $95,970 271,380 $76,345 (#8)
Utah $84,600 27,420 not yet
Vermont $97,460 7,410 not yet
Virginia $93,600 77,490 $70,110 (#13)
Washington $124,200 69,260 $94,434 (#2)
West Virginia $80,130 23,430 not yet
Wisconsin $95,530 68,060 not yet
Wyoming $83,760 5,330 $67,755 (#15)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a registered nurse?

BLS expects jobs as a registered nurse to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+5.6%
Openings a year
about 180,800
Usual education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

The 10 healthcare practitioners jobs closest in pay to a registered nurse:

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What else can I work out?

Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about registered nurse pay

How much does a registered nurse make an hour?

The median is $46.90 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $38.62 to $54.02, and the top 10% earn $66.09 or more.

Which state pays a registered nurse the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, California has the highest median for this job: $140,270 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, California leaves the most: $96,661 a year for a single filer on its median of $140,270.

What is a registered nurse’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $97,550, a single filer keeps about $77,456 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $71,505 in California and $72,298 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a registered nurse?

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the usual way in, with no work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.

Is the number of registered nurse jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a registered nurse to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).