Nurse Salary Calculator
Estimate your RN pay by state, specialty, and experience using real BLS data.
Nurse Salary Calculator
How to Use the Nurse Salary Calculator
Our nurse salary calculator estimates your RN pay based on four inputs: state, specialty, years of experience, and employment type. Each factor is weighted using the latest available BLS OEWS data (May 2024, published 2025) combined with real contract data from NurseSalaryIntel's database of nursing positions.
To get your estimate, select your state from the dropdown — this sets the baseline pay for your region. Then choose your specialty (ICU, ER, Med-Surg, etc.) and your years of experience. Finally, select whether you are a staff nurse or travel nurse. The calculator applies a specialty multiplier and experience adjustment to generate a personalized salary range.
The result shows your estimated annual salary, hourly rate, and how your pay compares to the state average. Use the "Generate Report" option to download a full salary breakdown as a PDF — useful for job offer comparisons and salary negotiations.
Average RN Salary by State
RN pay varies by more than $57,000 between the highest and lowest-paying states. Geography is the single biggest factor in nurse compensation — even more than experience or specialty in many cases. Here is a snapshot of average RN salaries across key states in 2026:
| State | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| RN salary in California | $124,000 | $59.62/hr |
| RN salary in Hawaii | $106,530 | $51.22/hr |
| RN salary in Oregon | $102,700 | $49.38/hr |
| RN salary in Washington | $100,890 | $48.51/hr |
| RN salary in New York | $98,560 | $47.38/hr |
| RN salary in Nevada | $90,210 | $43.37/hr |
| RN salary in Arizona | $82,000 | $39.42/hr |
| RN salary in Texas | $81,510 | $39.19/hr |
| RN salary in Florida | $76,450 | $36.75/hr |
| RN salary in Minnesota | $88,200 | $42.40/hr |
| National Average | $89,010 | $42.79/hr |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 + NurseSalaryIntel data
Factors That Affect Nurse Salary
Location
State and metro area are the most powerful salary drivers. California pays RNs $124,000/year on average — over $47,000 more than Mississippi ($66,590). Within states, the gap between major metros and rural areas can be $10,000–$25,000. Urban markets with strong union presence (California Nurses Association, NYSNA) tend to pay the most. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida, and Washington often deliver better take-home pay than their raw salaries suggest.
Experience
Years of experience correlates strongly with RN pay. Entry-level nurses (0–2 years) typically earn 15–25% below the state average. At 3–5 years, nurses approach or exceed the average, especially if they hold specialty certifications. At 10+ years, senior nurses often earn 20–35% above average at the bedside — and significantly more in management, education, or advanced practice roles.
Specialty
Specialty adds a meaningful premium above staff RN base pay. ICU nurses typically earn 10–18% more than Med-Surg nurses. ER nurses earn 8–14% more. CRNAs earn the most of any nursing role — averaging $198,000–$258,000 depending on state. Nurse Practitioners average $118,000–$155,000. Certifications like CCRN, CEN, and CNOR add $5,000–$12,000 on top of base.
Shift Type
Night shift, weekend, and overtime pay can significantly boost annual income. Most hospitals offer a night differential of 10–25% above base. Weekend premiums add another 5–15%. Nurses who consistently work nights and pick up overtime can add $10,000–$30,000 per year over their base salary. Travel nurses earn the most — typically 20–50% more than staff RNs in the same location, with the largest premiums in hard-to-fill markets like Alaska, Hawaii, and rural states.
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Critical care pay by state, experience level, and CCRN certification premium — with overtime math.
Nurse Salary Negotiation Scripts 2026 →
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Highest-Paying States for RNs — 2026 Rankings →
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Miami RN Salary 2026 →
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Full breakdown of RN compensation: base, differential, overtime, benefits, and total comp.
Nurse Salary by City
City-level data gives you the most precise salary benchmarks. Explore detailed salary breakdowns, top-paying hospitals, and contract data for major nursing markets:
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this nurse salary calculator?
The calculator uses the latest available BLS OEWS data (May 2024) as the baseline and adjusts it with real contract and position data from NurseSalaryIntel's database. Results are estimates — actual pay depends on your employer, union status, shift schedule, and negotiated rate. The calculator is most accurate for staff RN roles in major metro areas where we have the most data points. For travel nurse estimates, actual weekly packages vary significantly by agency and contract.
Does RN pay vary by state?
Yes — significantly. The gap between the highest-paying state (California, $124,000/year) and the lowest-paying state (Mississippi, $66,590/year) is over $57,000 annually. State factors that drive pay include nurse-to-patient ratio laws, union density, cost of living, and the severity of local nursing shortages. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida, and Washington often deliver better real take-home pay than their nominal salaries suggest when compared to high-tax states like California and New York.
How much do travel nurses make?
Travel nurses typically earn 20–50% more than staff RNs in the same location. Weekly all-in packages (base pay + housing stipend + meals) range from $1,800–$2,200/week in lower-demand markets to $2,800–$3,600/week in high-demand states like California, New York, and Hawaii. ICU, OR, and ER travel nurses command the highest rates. The premium is largest during staffing crisis periods and in rural or hard-to-fill markets like Alaska. Annual travel nurse income commonly ranges from $90,000 to $150,000+ depending on state and specialty.
Nursing Intel Dashboard
Salary benchmarks and coverage data sourced from BLS OEWS and public market research.
Salary benchmarks for all 50 states, 48+ cities, and 64+ hospital systems — sourced from BLS OEWS.
Estimated national median RN salary based on the latest available BLS OEWS data (May 2024).
Specialty salary guides — ICU, ER, CRNA, OR, L&D, psychiatric, oncology, travel nursing, and more.
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