Registered Nurses

More data on this career

Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round workers ages 25 to 64 in the occupation group that includes registered nurses (5 related careers are counted together), median yearly pay is $81,200 with a high school diploma or GED, $76,100 with some college or an associate's degree, $86,300 with a bachelor's degree and $101,500 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.

Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of workers in the occupation group that includes registered nurses (5 related careers are counted together) work in Health Care and Social Assistance (89%), Educational Services (3%), Public Administration (3%) and Finance and Insurance (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most workers in the occupation group that includes registered nurses (5 related careers are counted together) are General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (56% of the jobs counted, median pay $100,210), Offices of Physicians (7% of the jobs counted, median pay $85,000), Home Health Care Services (6% of the jobs counted, median pay $84,930), Outpatient Care Centers (5% of the jobs counted, median pay $99,350) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Federal Executive Branch ($121,260), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals ($102,840), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals ($100,210). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.

What workers studied. Among workers in the occupation group that includes registered nurses (5 related careers are counted together) with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Nursing (70%), Biology (3%), Psychology (3%) and Business Management and Administration (1%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Injury and illness rates. For the occupation group that includes registered nurses (5 related careers are counted together) (BLS category "Registered nurses"), employers reported 123.7 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.

Projected supply and demand. HRSA projects the supply of registered nurses (the group that includes registered nurses) at 92% of demand in 2025 and 97% in 2038 (100% means supply matches demand); in nonmetro areas, 74% in 2025 and 89% in 2038. These are model projections, not forecasts of any one job market (U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration).

Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare practitioners and technical", which includes this career, 12.0% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,605 for union members and $1,521 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to registered nurses.

Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For the occupation group that includes registered nurses (the Department reports one figure for the 6-digit occupation code, which covers 5 related careers), employers filed 1,520 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 3,699 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $80,000 (the middle half ran from $70,700 to $86,800) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to registered nurses, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for registered nurses are: work with or contribute to a work group or team (99%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (98%), telephone conversations (98%), contact with others (98%), indoors, environmentally controlled (91%), importance of being exact or accurate (89%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (34% of 27 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (33% of 27 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (34% of 27 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to registered nurses in the work done and the skills used: Acute Care Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Critical Care Nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Nurse Midwives, Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses, Nurse Anesthetists (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Pay by state. See what registered nurses earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Registered Nurses salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).

Compare registered nurses with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →