Data-driven salary guides by state, city, and specialty — updated for 2026.
Raleigh-area RNs earn around $78,000–$84,000/year in 2026 — 8–12% above the NC state average. Duke Raleigh Hospital leads at $80,000–$94,000, followed by UNC Rex and WakeMed. Full breakdown by hospital, specialty, and experience.
Miami-area RNs earn around $90,000–$97,000/year in 2026 — Florida's highest-paying metro. Jackson Health, Baptist Health South Florida, and UM/Sylvester breakdown with specialty rates and negotiation tips.
Jacksonville RNs earn around $82,000–$89,000/year in 2026. Mayo Clinic Florida leads with $88,000–$105,000. UF Health Level I trauma center and Baptist Health pay breakdown plus specialty rates and negotiation tips.
UCSF Health RNs earn $155,000–$170,000/year under the CNA union contract — among the highest hospital nurse salaries in the US. Full step scale, shift differentials ($8.50–$11/hr nights), UC pension, and how UCSF compares to Kaiser and Stanford.
RNs in the Washington DC metro earn around $99,000–$103,000/year — top 5 nationally. MedStar, Inova, and Georgetown lead the market. Tax strategy matters: Virginia-side nurses take home $3,000–$5,000 more on the same salary.
North Carolina RNs earn $72,970/year on average per BLS OEWS May 2024. Durham and Charlotte nurses average $80,000–$90,000. Duke and UNC Health lead state pay. NC is a compact state — your license works in 40+ states.
Virginia RNs earn $77,720/year per BLS OEWS May 2024 — but Northern VA nurses at Inova average $96,000–$108,000. The state is two distinct markets. Virginia compact license works in 40+ states. Tax advantage over DC adds $3K–$5K take-home.
HCA Healthcare RNs earn $32–$50/hr base ($66K–$104K/yr). See shift differential, sign-on bonuses up to $25K, and how HCA compares to Ascension, Tenet, and Kaiser.
Michigan RNs earn $78,280/year on average — but Detroit union nurses at Michigan Medicine earn $88,000–$96,000. See MI nurse pay by city, hospital, and union status.
New Jersey RNs earn $99,280/year — the third-highest in the country. See NJ nurse salary by city, hospital, specialty, and how HPAE union contracts affect pay.
Hospice nurses earn $79,050–$91,640/year depending on setting. See pay by role, state, and employer — plus how hospice compares to hospital RN pay.
LVNs earn $61,790/year nationally. California pays $70,940; Texas $56,020. See LVN salary by state, work setting, and how the LVN-to-RN bridge changes the math.
A $89K nurse salary buys very different lives in different cities. Real purchasing power ranked for 15 metros — adjusted for COL and state income tax.
Tampa RNs earn $73,000/year on average in 2026. See salary by hospital, specialty, and experience — with Florida no-income-tax take-home analysis.
Detroit RNs earn $82,000/year on average in 2026. Henry Ford Health pays $80K–$102K. See salary by hospital, specialty, and experience — with Michigan tax take-home breakdown.
BSN nurses have more high-paying options than most realize. See 8 career paths over $85K in 2026 — from ICU and CRNA to travel nursing, informatics, and NP — with real salary ranges.
Night shift differential adds $4–$12/hr to RN pay — $7,200–$21,600/year for full-time night nurses. See rates by hospital system, how differentials stack, and what to negotiate at hire.
Cleveland RNs earn $74,000/yr in 2026 — below the national average, but with a cost of living 15–20% below the US average. Cleveland Clinic pays $78K–$98K with strong benefits and PSLF eligibility.
Portland RNs earn $109,000/yr in 2026 — well above the national average. OHSU and Legacy Emanuel top the market. Oregon's 8.75–9.9% income tax is the key variable to model before comparing offers.
Baltimore RNs earn $89,000/yr in 2026. Johns Hopkins pays $88K–$110K; UMMC Shock Trauma adds trauma differentials. Maryland state + Baltimore City income tax (up to 9%) is the critical take-home variable.
Every salary figure on this site starts with BLS OEWS data, cross-referenced against job postings and regional conditions. Here is exactly how our 2026 estimates are built — and what they cannot tell you.
Houston RNs earn $83,500/yr on average in 2026. Texas has no state income tax — adding thousands to real take-home pay. See pay at Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, and the Texas Medical Center.
Seattle RNs earn $110,000/yr — among the highest in the US. Washington has no state income tax. See pay at UW Medical Center, Seattle Children's, Swedish Health, and Virginia Mason.
Atlanta RNs earn $79,000/yr on average in 2026 with a lower cost of living than comparable metros. Grady Memorial offers one of the Southeast's best PSLF opportunities. See pay at Emory, Northside, and Wellstar.
Orlando RNs earn $78,000–$92,000/year in 2026 — below coastal markets but with zero state income tax, a fast-growing healthcare system, and strong sign-on bonuses that push total first-year compensation higher.
Phoenix RNs earn $85,000–$98,000/year in 2026 — Arizona's 2.5% flat income tax gives nurses one of the best take-home advantages in the Sun Belt. Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, and HonorHealth pay data included.
New York City RN salary 2026: $109,860/yr avg. Pay at NYU Langone, NY-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, MSK — plus NYSNA union step scales and take-home after NYC taxes.
Philadelphia RN salary 2026: $84,200/yr avg ($40.48/hr). Pay at Penn Medicine, CHOP, Jefferson, and Temple — plus city wage tax take-home math.
San Diego RN salary 2026: $104,800/yr avg ($50.38/hr). Pay at UCSD Health, Scripps, Sharp, and Kaiser — plus California state tax take-home analysis.
Neonatal nurses earn $68,000–$115,000/year in 2026 — but the range is wide because "neonatal nurse" covers everything from mother-baby units to Level IV NICUs. Full unit-level pay breakdown, RNC-NIC impact, and top hospitals.
Boston RNs earn $105,000–$122,000/year in 2026 at major academic systems — one of the highest-paying nurse markets east of California. Full hospital breakdown, MNA union data, shift differentials, and take-home math.
NICU nurses earn $80,000–$115,000/year in 2026 — more in California and Massachusetts, less in the South. RNC-NIC certification adds $3–$6/hr. Full state breakdown, shift differential math, and top hospital data.
Arizona RNs earn $79,000–$98,000/year in 2026 with a 2.5% flat income tax — one of the lowest in the nation. Phoenix leads the state at $85,000–$98,000. Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, and HonorHealth pay data included.
CNAs earn $38,200/year ($18.37/hr) nationally in 2026. See pay by state, work setting, and the full career ladder from CNA to LPN to RN to NP.
LPNs earn $55,000/year ($26.44/hr) nationally in 2026 — $16,800/year more than CNAs and $23,000–$31,000 less than RNs. See pay by state, setting, and the LPN-to-RN bridge ROI.
NPs earn $126,000/year ($60.58/hr) nationally in 2026 — $37,000 more than staff RNs. PMHNPs and ACNPs top the specialty rankings. See pay by state and all 8 NP specialties.
PMHNPs earn $138,000/year ($66.35/hr) in 2026 — the fastest-growing NP specialty. Telehealth PMHNPs in private practice can reach $180,000–$220,000/year.
FNPs earn $122,000/year ($58.65/hr) in 2026. Most common NP specialty — see pay by state, urgent care vs. private practice, and how FNP compares to PMHNP and ACNP.
AGNPs earn $126,000/year in 2026. Acute care track (AGNP-AC) earns $138,000–$148,000/year in hospital settings. See primary vs. acute care salary split by state.
Denver RNs earn $84,500/year ($40.63/hr) in 2026. UCHealth and Children's Colorado pay the market top. Colorado's 4.4% income tax reduces take-home vs. no-tax states.
Nashville RNs earn $72,800/year in 2026. No state income tax and Vanderbilt's $80K–$105K pay range make Nashville more competitive than the nominal salary suggests.
Minneapolis RNs earn $85,000/year in 2026. Strong MNA union contracts at Allina, M Health Fairview, and HealthPartners set competitive wages — offset by Minnesota's high income tax.
Las Vegas RNs earn $85,500/year in 2026. Nevada's zero income tax adds $4,000–$7,000/year in real take-home. UMC Level 1 Trauma pays $88K–$114K for experienced nurses.
NYC RNs earn $108,000–$128,000+ at major academic systems in 2026, but state + city taxes cut take-home significantly. Upstate averages $75,000–$90,000. Full breakdown with NYU Langone, NewYork-Presbyterian, and union pay data.
Austin RNs earn $86,320/year ($41.50/hr) in 2026 — above the Texas average but offset by the highest COL of any Texas metro. See pay at Dell Seton, St. David's, and Ascension Seton, plus no-state-income-tax take-home math.
Texas RNs earn $80,000–$98,000/year in 2026 with zero state income tax — worth $8,000–$14,000/year in real take-home vs high-tax states. Houston, Dallas, and Austin city breakdown with specialty premiums and sign-on data.
Dallas RNs average $80,910/year ($38.90/hr) in 2026 — above the Texas state average, with UT Southwestern and Baylor Scott & White pushing specialty nurses past $110K. Full hospital breakdown, sign-on bonuses, and DFW metro comparison inside.
Houston RNs earn $82,140/year ($39.49/hr) on average in 2026 — the Texas Medical Center cluster pushes senior ICU and ER nurses past $108K. See pay by hospital, cost-of-living-adjusted comparison vs Dallas & Austin, and sign-on bonus data.
Pediatric nurses earn $78,000–$112,000 in 2026 depending on unit, certification, and state. PICU and pediatric trauma pay the most; ambulatory the least. Full subspecialty breakdown, top children's hospitals, and CPN/CPEN certification premiums inside.
Per diem nurses earn $55–$95/hr in 2026, but the real take-home math is more complex once you factor in self-funded benefits, unpredictable scheduling, and taxes. Full breakdown of rates by state, direct vs agency pay, and the true cost of no benefits.
RNs earn $89,010/year vs LPNs at $59,730 — a $29,280 gap that widens over a career. But does the extra 2–3 years of education pay off? Full ROI math, state-by-state gap analysis, and when an LPN license actually makes sense.
Chicago registered nurses earn $83,580/year on average in 2026. See pay at Northwestern, Rush, UChicago Medicine, Advocate, and Northshore, plus cost-of-living math and Midwest comparisons.
Seattle registered nurses earn $102,740/year on average in 2026 with no state income tax. See pay at UW Medicine, Swedish, Virginia Mason Franciscan, and Providence, plus Pacific Northwest comparisons.
Atlanta registered nurses earn $71,280/year on average in 2026. See pay at Emory, Grady Memorial, Piedmont, Wellstar, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, plus Southeast comparisons.
CRNAs earn $214,000/year on average in 2026 making nurse anesthesia the highest-paid nursing credential. See salary by state, practice setting, and the full 10-year ROI versus staying an RN.
New graduate RN salary in 2026 ranges from $62,000-$88,000 depending on state and employer. See first-year pay by state, sign-on bonuses, residency stipends, and the fastest path to $100K.
Houston RNs average $82,140/year vs Dallas at $80,910. Factor in cost of living, hospital quality, and sign-on bonuses, and the choice between Texas biggest nursing markets comes down to more than the headline number.
ICU nurses average $95,200/year vs ER nurses at $92,800. The $2,400 gap grows with experience and certifications. Full comparison: hourly rates, sign-on bonuses, career trajectory, and which specialty sets you up better long-term.
Nurse sign-on bonuses average $5,000-$20,000 in 2026. ICU and ER nurses command $15,000-$30,000 at major systems. Amounts by specialty and state, clawback rules, tax implications, and negotiation tactics.
RN salary grows from $62K-$88K as a new grad to $108K-$140K+ at 15 years without advanced credentials. Full 2026 pay trajectory by specialty, state, and the three fastest inflection points for salary growth.
LA RNs earn $125,000–$140,000 annually in 2026. Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, and USC Keck pay $60–$70/hr base. Full breakdown by employer, experience, and specialty — plus shift differentials and sign-on bonus data.
California RNs average $132,000/year — but Bay Area, LA, San Diego, and Central Valley all differ by $20,000–$40,000. Full 2026 breakdown with experience tiers, specialty premiums, union impact, and cost-of-living reality check.
Full 2026 rankings of the top 20 highest-paying states for RNs — nominal and cost-of-living adjusted. California leads at $148K–$158K mean. Covers union density, ratio legislation, and a should-you-move decision framework.
ICU nurses earn an estimated $87,000–$115,000 base in 2026. Covers CCRN certification ROI ($50K+ career value), state-by-state estimates, requirements, new-grad residency paths, and the full career trajectory to CRNA.
Miami RN pay in 2026 is estimated at $90,000–$97,000 mean — above the Florida average but offset by cost of living. Pay by experience tier, hospital-system notes (Jackson, Baptist, HCA), and shift differentials.
Florida RN pay in 2026 is estimated at $80,000–$96,000 per year base — with Miami, Naples, and Tampa leading the state. City-by-city breakdown, experience tiers, specialty pay, and no-state-tax take-home analysis.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists earn six figures in every state — but the spread from top to bottom is over $100,000. Here's the full 2026 breakdown.
What registered nurses actually earn in every state in 2026 — base pay, cost-of-living adjusted rankings, and where new grads should consider relocating.
NP pay varies by $70,000+ across specialties. Here's what every NP track earns in 2026 — plus which pay more than others for the same credential.
California RNs earn more than any other state — but taxes, cost of living, and contract traps can cut that advantage fast. Here's the full picture.
California pays the most on paper — but the real ranking flips completely once you account for cost of living. Here are the states where an RN salary actually goes furthest.
NICU nurses earn 8–15% more than standard Med-Surg RNs, with level III/IV units paying the highest. Here's 2026 NICU salary data in all 50 states.
Everything you need to know about travel nursing pay in 2026 — by state, specialty, shift, agency, and setting. The definitive guide for travel RNs.
ICU and L&D are both high-acuity specialties with strong pay — but they don't pay the same, and the difference depends heavily on state, setting, and shift.
ICU nurses average $103K while ER nurses average $97K nationally, but differentials, travel rates, and career paths tell a more complex story.
BSN-prepared nurses earn roughly $6,000 more per year than ADN nurses — but tuition reimbursement, Magnet requirements, and career mobility make the case far stronger than the paycheck alone.
From CRNA at $214K–$260K to home health at $72K–$95K — the definitive 2026 guide to nursing salary by specialty covers every major role, travel rates, and the fastest paths to higher pay.
Starting salaries for new grad RNs vary by over $30,000 depending on state. Here's what you can realistically expect — and which states pay the most.
MSN nurses earn $98,000–$141,000/year in 2026 depending on specialty. PMHNP leads at $121,000–$141,000. Full salary breakdown by role, state, and ROI analysis versus BSN pay.
The charge nurse differential averages $3/hr nationally — adding $5,600/year on a 36-hour schedule. ICU charge nurses earn $9,500–$10,000 more than staff RN peers. Here is the full breakdown by unit, facility, and state.
Dialysis nurses earn $72,000–$88,000/year in 2026 — but the setting makes a $15,000 difference. Hospital-based acute dialysis pays $84,000–$95,000. DaVita and Fresenius outpatient centers pay $70,000–$80,000. CNN certification adds $3,000–$8,000.
CNMs earn $120,880/year on average in 2026. See certified nurse midwife salary by state, setting, and how CNM pay compares to L&D RNs and OB/GYN NPs.
Aesthetic nurses earn $65,000–$110,000+ in 2026. See pay by role, setting, and commission structure — plus what it actually takes to break into medical aesthetics.
DNP-prepared nurses earn $118,000–$214,000/year in 2026. See DNP salary by specialty, the premium over MSN, and whether the doctoral degree pays for itself.
Women's health NPs earn $122,000/year on average in 2026. See WHNP salary by state and setting — including fertility clinics, OB/GYN practices, and hospitals.
Flight nurses earn $82,000–$110,000/year total in 2026. See base pay, flight differentials, hazard pay, and what it takes to get hired as an air medical nurse.
Psychiatric RNs earn $81,000–$89,000/year nationally in 2026. See psych nurse pay by state, setting, and certification — inpatient vs. outpatient compared.
Oncology RNs earn $82,000–$92,000/year in 2026. See onc nurse pay by setting, state, and certification — NCI cancer centers vs. community hospitals compared.
Critical care (ICU) nurse salary 2026: $98,400/yr national avg. Pay by state, hospital system, ICU unit type, and CCRN certification differential.
OR nurse (perioperative RN) salary 2026: $102,800/yr national avg. Pay by state, hospital, role type, and CNOR certification differential.
Labor and delivery nurse salary 2026: $96,800/yr national avg. L&D RN pay by state, hospital, high-risk vs. routine, and RNC-OB cert differential.
Most nurses negotiate blind. Here is exactly how to pull BLS OEWS data, job posting ranges, and cost-of-living benchmarks to walk into any offer conversation with hard numbers — and what to say.
A Nurse.com survey of 2,500+ RNs found 30% never negotiate salary, yet APRNs who do earn significantly more. Real recruiter insights and step-by-step tactics for your next offer.
7 copy-paste nurse salary negotiation scripts for 2026 — initial counter, competing-offer counter, sign-on-only, "number is firm" pivot, new-grad, and phone scripts. Plus pushback responses and a 2026 negotiation range table.
Most travel nurses sign the first offer. Here's the exact process — with phone scripts and email templates — to negotiate every part of a travel contract.
Five specific clauses in nursing contracts are responsible for most of the financial damage nurses take. Here's how to identify them and what to negotiate instead.
Night shift nurses leave thousands on the table when differentials are poorly written into their contracts. Here's what 2026 night differentials look like and how to negotiate them.
Yes, new grads can negotiate sign-on bonuses. Here's exactly how to ask — including the word-for-word email that works.
Best travel nurse agencies 2026 ranked by pay, transparency, and contract terms. Compare AMN, Aya, FlexCare, Atlas, Nomad, and more — plus how to negotiate your package.
Travel nurses gross $95,000-$130,000/year vs staff nurses at $77,600. After housing costs and benefit gaps, the real net advantage is $15,000-$35,000. The actual after-tax math nurses use to decide.
See what travel nurses actually earn in every state in 2026 — weekly pay, taxable vs stipend breakdown, and the top 10 states to work right now.
A $2,400/week travel contract can take home more than $2,800/week — or less than $1,800 — depending on the pay package. Here's how to decode it.
Travel nurses earn more — but after taxes, housing, and gaps between contracts, is the math actually better? We broke down the real numbers.
ICU is one of the highest-paying specialties in travel nursing. Here's what top packages look like, what to watch out for, and how to negotiate your next contract.
A clause-by-clause review kit for travel and staff nurse contracts — checklist, red-flag guide, and word-for-word negotiation scripts. Free download.
Non-compete clauses are showing up more in nursing offers. Here's exactly what they mean, what to watch out for, and how to push back.
Most nurses sign without reading. These 10 clauses can cost you thousands — or trap you in a job you can't leave.
A taxable housing stipend can cost you $8,000–$15,000/year in extra taxes. Here's how to know if yours qualifies — and what to do if it doesn't.
Leaving a travel contract early can cost you thousands — or nothing. It depends entirely on how the contract is written. Here's what to know before you sign.
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