Average Nurse Salary by State (2026): RN, LPN, NP, and More
By Wealthvieu
·
Updated
Nursing is one of the most in-demand and well-paying career paths in America. Here’s how pay varies by role, specialty, state, and experience.
Table of Contents
Nurse Salary by Role
| Role |
Abbreviation |
Median Salary |
Education Required |
Job Growth (2024-34) |
| Certified Nursing Assistant |
CNA |
$35,740 |
Certificate (4-12 weeks) |
4% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse |
LPN |
$54,620 |
Certificate/diploma (1 year) |
5% |
| Registered Nurse (ADN) |
RN-ADN |
$75,000 |
Associate’s (2-3 years) |
6% |
| Registered Nurse (BSN) |
RN-BSN |
$85,000 |
Bachelor’s (4 years) |
6% |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist |
CNS |
$106,000 |
Master’s (6-8 years) |
9% |
| Nurse Practitioner |
NP |
$121,610 |
Master’s/DNP (6-8 years) |
40% |
| Nurse Midwife |
CNM |
$120,880 |
Master’s/DNP (6-8 years) |
6% |
| Nurse Anesthetist |
CRNA |
$205,770 |
Doctorate (7-9 years) |
12% |
RN Salary by State
| Rank |
State |
Mean RN Salary |
Median RN Salary |
Hourly Rate |
CoL-Adjusted |
| 1 |
California |
$133,340 |
$124,000 |
$59.59 |
$109,339 |
| 2 |
Hawaii |
$113,220 |
$106,530 |
$51.22 |
$55,224 |
| 3 |
Oregon |
$106,610 |
$98,870 |
$47.54 |
$95,527 |
| 4 |
Washington |
$105,280 |
$97,200 |
$46.73 |
$91,698 |
| 5 |
Massachusetts |
$104,150 |
$96,000 |
$46.21 |
$85,866 |
| 6 |
Alaska |
$103,310 |
$95,250 |
$45.83 |
$91,619 |
| 7 |
New York |
$101,470 |
$94,000 |
$45.18 |
$81,105 |
| 8 |
Connecticut |
$98,140 |
$90,000 |
$43.34 |
$83,758 |
| 9 |
New Jersey |
$97,420 |
$89,500 |
$42.99 |
$82,870 |
| 10 |
Nevada |
$95,320 |
$88,000 |
$42.57 |
$92,115 |
| — |
National |
$89,010 |
$81,220 |
$39.05 |
$81,220 |
| 41 |
Kentucky |
$73,330 |
$66,000 |
$31.73 |
$73,743 |
| 42 |
Tennessee |
$72,780 |
$65,500 |
$31.48 |
$74,011 |
| 43 |
Oklahoma |
$72,360 |
$65,000 |
$31.25 |
$74,627 |
| 44 |
Iowa |
$71,860 |
$64,500 |
$31.01 |
$72,309 |
| 45 |
Arkansas |
$70,540 |
$63,500 |
$30.43 |
$73,922 |
| 46 |
South Dakota |
$69,870 |
$63,000 |
$30.23 |
$69,614 |
| 47 |
West Virginia |
$69,250 |
$62,500 |
$29.93 |
$73,357 |
| 48 |
Louisiana |
$68,780 |
$62,000 |
$29.70 |
$68,650 |
| 49 |
Alabama |
$67,360 |
$61,000 |
$29.12 |
$70,520 |
| 50 |
Mississippi |
$65,780 |
$63,000 |
$28.88 |
$74,270 |
NP Salary by Specialty
| Specialty |
Median Salary |
Salary Range |
| Acute care NP |
$128,000 |
$105,000-$160,000 |
| Psychiatric mental health NP |
$132,000 |
$108,000-$170,000 |
| Neonatal NP |
$125,000 |
$100,000-$155,000 |
| Family practice NP |
$118,000 |
$95,000-$145,000 |
| Pediatric NP |
$115,000 |
$92,000-$140,000 |
| Women’s health NP |
$112,000 |
$90,000-$138,000 |
| Oncology NP |
$120,000 |
$98,000-$150,000 |
| Emergency NP |
$126,000 |
$102,000-$158,000 |
RN Salary by Specialty
| Specialty |
Median Salary |
Premium Over General RN |
| Informatics nurse |
$98,000 |
+21% |
| Nurse researcher |
$95,000 |
+17% |
| ICU/critical care RN |
$92,000 |
+13% |
| Emergency room RN |
$88,000 |
+8% |
| Operating room RN |
$90,000 |
+11% |
| Labor and delivery RN |
$85,000 |
+5% |
| Oncology RN |
$84,000 |
+3% |
| Pediatric RN |
$82,000 |
+1% |
| Medical-surgical RN |
$78,000 |
-4% |
| Home health RN |
$74,000 |
-9% |
| School nurse |
$58,000 |
-29% |
Travel Nurse Pay
Travel nursing offers premium pay for temporary assignments (typically 13 weeks):
| Factor |
Typical Range |
| Weekly gross pay (travel RN) |
$2,200-$4,500/week |
| Annual equivalent |
$100,000-$200,000 |
| Tax-free stipends (housing + meals) |
$800-$1,800/week |
| Premium over staff RN |
+30-100% |
| Best-paying states for travel |
CA, NY, MA, WA |
| Best-paying specialties |
ICU, ER, OR, L&D |
Post-COVID, travel nurse pay has normalized from 2021-2022 peaks but remains significantly above staff rates.
Nurse Salary by Experience
| Years of Experience |
RN Median |
NP Median |
Annual Increase |
| New grad (0-1) |
$63,000 |
$100,000 |
— |
| 1-4 years |
$70,000 |
$108,000 |
+3.8% |
| 5-9 years |
$80,000 |
$118,000 |
+2.5% |
| 10-14 years |
$88,000 |
$128,000 |
+2.0% |
| 15-19 years |
$93,000 |
$135,000 |
+1.5% |
| 20+ years |
$98,000 |
$142,000 |
+1.0% |
Nursing Workforce Facts
| Metric |
Value |
| Total RNs in the US |
3.1 million |
| Total NPs |
385,000 |
| Total LPNs |
640,000 |
| Total CNAs |
1.5 million |
| Nursing shortage (projected by 2030) |
200,000-400,000 RNs |
| Average age of RN workforce |
52 |
| % male nurses |
13% |
| Burnout rate (post-COVID) |
62% report burnout |
| Nurses planning to leave profession |
32% |
How to Maximize Nurse Earnings
| Strategy |
Potential Income Boost |
| Advance to NP/CRNA |
+$40,000-$125,000 |
| Specialize (ICU, OR, informatics) |
+$5,000-$20,000 |
| Get BSN (if ADN) |
+$5,000-$10,000 |
| Travel nursing |
+$30,000-$80,000 |
| Overtime (1.5x-2x rate) |
+$15,000-$40,000 |
| Per diem shifts |
+$10,000-$25,000 |
| Relocate to high-paying state |
+$20,000-$50,000 |
| Earn certifications (CCRN, CEN) |
+$3,000-$8,000 |
| Move to management/admin |
+$10,000-$30,000 |
Related: Average Income by Occupation | Average Income | Average Income by Education | Income Percentile Calculator
