California has the highest hourly mean wage for registered nurses in the U.S., while Oregon has the highest hourly mean wage for RNs when adjusted for cost of living, according to data released May 15 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Below are the mean annual and hourly wages for registered nurses in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on May 2025 salary data published by the bureau. Becker’s also calculated mean hourly wages adjusted for each state’s cost of living using 2025 cost-of-living index data from World Population Review.
Nationally, registered nurses — the largest healthcare practitioners and technical occupation in the U.S. workforce — earned an annual mean wage of $101,420, according to the BLS. Annual mean wages ranged from $77,020 in Alabama to $150,280 in California.
Most registered nurses were employed in general medical and surgical hospitals, which accounted for 56% of RN employment nationwide, or about 1.9 million jobs. After hospitals, the industries employing the most registered nurses were physicians’ offices and home healthcare services.
| State | Annual wage | Hourly wage | Cost of living index (2025) | RN hourly mean wage, adjusted by cost of living |
| Alabama | $77,020 | $37.03 | 88.6 | $41.79 |
| Alaska | $114,870 | $55.23 | 124.9 | $44.22 |
| Arizona | $99,730 | $47.95 | 110.7 | $43.32 |
| Arkansas | $81,520 | $39.19 | 89.6 | $43.74 |
| California | $150,280 | $72.25 | 142.3 | $50.77 |
| Colorado | $99,370 | $47.78 | 102.7 | $46.52 |
| Connecticut | $105,250 | $50.60 | 112.7 | $44.90 |
| Delaware | $99,460 | $47.82 | 101.9 | $46.93 |
| District of Columbia | $106,980 | $51.43 | 138.8 | $37.05 |
| Florida | $90,650 | $43.58 | 102.2 | $42.64 |
| Georgia | $95,080 | $45.71 | 92.5 | $49.42 |
| Hawaii | $124,340 | $59.78 | 185 | $32.31 |
| Idaho | $92,710 | $44.57 | 99.9 | $44.61 |
| Illinois | $94,360 | $45.36 | 94.7 | $47.90 |
| Indiana | $89,150 | $42.86 | 91 | $47.10 |
| Iowa | $80,540 | $38.72 | 89.7 | $43.17 |
| Kansas | $82,360 | $39.60 | 88.8 | $44.59 |
| Kentucky | $86,140 | $41.41 | 92.5 | $44.77 |
| Louisiana | $84,190 | $40.48 | 92.3 | $43.86 |
| Maine | $91,700 | $44.09 | 113 | $39.02 |
| Maryland | $99,010 | $47.60 | 115.4 | $41.25 |
| Massachusetts | $117,960 | $56.71 | 141.2 | $40.16 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $45.34 | 90.1 | $50.32 |
| Minnesota | $103,420 | $49.72 | 94.6 | $52.56 |
| Mississippi | $78,950 | $37.96 | 87.3 | $43.48 |
| Missouri | $85,900 | $41.30 | 89 | $46.40 |
| Montana | $91,510 | $43.99 | 95.5 | $46.06 |
| Nebraska | $88,330 | $42.47 | 92.6 | $45.86 |
| Nevada | $105,710 | $50.82 | 100.2 | $50.72 |
| New Hampshire | $97,900 | $47.07 | 111.4 | $42.25 |
| New Jersey | $110,100 | $52.93 | 115.1 | $45.99 |
| New Mexico | $95,290 | $45.81 | 93.7 | $48.89 |
| New York | $113,440 | $54.54 | 125.1 | $43.60 |
| North Carolina | $90,470 | $43.50 | 97.8 | $44.48 |
| North Dakota | $83,600 | $40.19 | 91.4 | $43.97 |
| Ohio | $87,730 | $42.18 | 94.3 | $44.73 |
| Oklahoma | $85,060 | $40.90 | 86 | $47.56 |
| Oregon | $123,140 | $59.20 | 111.8 | $52.95 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $45.20 | 97.2 | $46.50 |
| Rhode Island | $101,260 | $48.68 | 110.6 | $44.01 |
| South Carolina | $87,670 | $42.15 | 94.7 | $44.51 |
| South Dakota | $77,140 | $37.09 | 91.9 | $40.36 |
| Tennessee | $85,390 | $41.05 | 90.3 | $45.46 |
| Texas | $95,380 | $45.86 | 92.1 | $49.79 |
| Utah | $90,950 | $43.72 | 102.2 | $42.78 |
| Vermont | $96,650 | $46.47 | 113.6 | $40.91 |
| Virginia | $93,850 | $45.12 | 100.8 | $44.76 |
| Washington | $121,540 | $58.43 | 114.1 | $51.21 |
| West Virginia | $86,970 | $41.81 | 88.3 | $47.35 |
| Wisconsin | $94,690 | $45.53 | 97.7 | $46.60 |
| Wyoming | $88,600 | $42.60 | 93.7 | $45.46 |
Which state has the highest registered nurse pay adjusted for cost of living?
Oregon has the highest cost-of-living-adjusted hourly mean wage for registered nurses, at $52.95.
Which state pays registered nurses the most before adjusting for cost of living?
California pays registered nurses the most, with an hourly mean wage of $72.25 and an annual mean wage of $150,280.
Where is registered nurse pay lowest after adjusting for cost of living?
Hawaii has the lowest cost-of-living-adjusted hourly mean wage for registered nurses, at $32.31.
Where does the registered nurse pay data come from?
The wages come from May 2025 salary data that the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on May 15, 2026, and they cover all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Becker’s calculated the cost-of-living-adjusted hourly wages using 2025 cost-of-living index data from World Population Review.
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