Average Nurse Salary

The average salary of a nurse can be an important consideration when you are deciding whether you want to pursue a nursing degree and what kind of nurse you’d like to be. Knowing about how much money you might make can help you make decisions about your nursing career. 
We’ll break down the median annual salary, highest paying industries, and highest paying states, metropolitan, and non-metropolitan areas for Registered Nurses, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, and Practical and Vocational Nurses. 
 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs in the United States earned a median annual salary of $71,730 in May 2018. There were 2,951,960 employed RNs in 2018.

The median annual wage for nurses in top industries in 2018 are as follows:

Median Annual Wage for Nurses in Top Industries

1. Government: $78,390
2. Hospitals (state, local, private): $73,650
3. Ambulatory healthcare services: $68,320
4. Nursing and residential care facilities: $63,990
5. Educational services (state, local, private): $61,850

The average annual salaries for nurses in the highest-paying states in 2018 are as follows:

Average Annual Salaries for Nurses in the Highest-Paying States

1. California: $106,950
2. Hawaii: $98,080
3. DC: $92,350
4. Massachusetts: $92,140
5. Oregon: $91,080

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying metropolitan areas in 2018 are as follows: 

Average Nurse Salaries in the Highest-Paying Metropolitan Areas

1. Salinas, CA: $131,710
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $128,990
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $128,610
4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: $127,440
5. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: $120,530
6. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $115,900
7. Stockton-Lodi, CA: $111,140
8. Napa, CA: $106,060
9. Modesto, CA: $106,040
10. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA: $104,680

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying nonmetropolitan areas in 2018 are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurses in the Highest-Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas

1. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California: $102,470
2. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California: $96,930
3. Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $95,780
4. Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area: $93,220
5. North Coast Region of California: $92,320

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the median annual salaries for Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners:

• Nurse Anesthetists: $167,950
• Nurse Midwives: $107,030
• Nurse Practitioners: $103,770

The average annual salaries for these three specialties in the top-paying industries (as of May 2018) are:

• Hospitals; state, local, and private: $120,540
• Outpatient care centers: $115,720
• Offices of other health practitioners: $112,740
• Offices of physicians: $111,440
• Educational services; state, local, and private: $104,310

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying states are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in Highest-Paying States

1. Montana: $246,370
2. California: $212,210
3. Iowa: $209,130
4. Oregon: $205,730
5. Wisconsin: $204,830

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying metropolitan areas are as follows: 

Average Salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in Highest-Paying Metropolitan Areas

1. Akron, OH: $285,460
2. Columbus, GA-AL: $244,330
3. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: $243,660
4. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $242,890
5. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $237,260
6. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: $233,940
7. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: $217,880
8. Green Bay, WI: $216,200
9. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI: $211,100
10. Lansing-East Lansing, MI: $210,100

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying nonmetropolitan areas are as follows: 

Average Salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in Highest-Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas

1. Northeast Iowa: $287,210
2. Western Washington: $252,060
3. Southern Indiana: $233,730
4. Northwest Minnesota: $222,070
5. West Kentucky: $218,120

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying states are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in Highest-Paying States

1. California: $139,990
2. Massachusetts: $119,380
3. Maryland: $115,440
4. Arizona: $114,900
5. New Jersey: $113,980

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying metropolitan areas are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Midwives in Highest-Paying Metropolitan Areas

1. California: $133,780
2. Alaska: $122,880
3. Massachusetts: $122,740
4. New Jersey: $122,100
5. New York: $120,970

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying states are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Practitioners in Highest-Paying States

1. California: $133,780
2. Alaska: $122,880
3. Massachusetts: $122,740
4. New Jersey: $122,100
5. New York: $120,970

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying metropolitan areas are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Practitioners in Highest-Paying Metropolitan Areas

1. New Bedford, MA: $156,980
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $150,790
3. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA: $148,440
4. Sumter, SC: $145,890
5. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $145,400
6. Leominster-Gardner, MA: $145,020
7. Yuma, AZ: $142,650
8. Rochester, MN: $142,640
9. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL: $141,800
10. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $141,460

The average annual salaries in the highest-paying nonmetropolitan areas are as follows:

Average Salaries for Nurse Practitioners in Highest-Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas

1. Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area: $143,480
2. Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area: $141,380
3. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area: $128,410
4. Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area: $127,370
5. Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area: $125,260

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for practical and vocational nurses in 2018 was $46,240. 

As of 2018, the median annual salaries for licensed practical and vocational nurses in top industries are: 

• Government: $48,050
• Nursing and residential care facilities: $47,470
• Home healthcare services: $46,510
• Hospitals; state, local, and private: $44,630
• Offices of physicians: $42,520

The average annual salaries for practical/vocational nurses in the highest-paying states are as follows:

Average Salaries for Practical/Vocational Nurses in Highest-Paying States

1. Rhode Island: $59,130
2. Massachusetts: $58,990
3. Alaska: $58,250
4. Nevada: $57,140
5. Connecticut: $56,970

The average annual salaries for practical/vocational nurses in the highest-paying metropolitan areas are as follows:

Average Salaries for Practical/Vocational Nurses in Highest-Paying Metropolitan Areas

1. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $65,410
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $63,650
3. Santa Rosa, CA: $62,480
4. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $61,540
5. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: $61,150
6. Salinas, CA: $60,950
7. Napa, CA: $60,810
8. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA: $60,680
9. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: $59,300
10. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $59,260

The average annual salaries for practical/vocational nurses in the highest-paying nonmetropolitan areas are as follows:

Average Salaries for Practical/Vocational Nurses in Highest-Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas

1. Alaska Nonmetropolitan Area: $61,410
2. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California: $58,550
3. Hawaii/Kauai Nonmetropolitan Area: $55,040
4. Nevada Nonmetropolitan Area: $54,270
5. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California: $54,090

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