How NurseSalaryIntel Calculates Nurse Salary Estimates

Salary data is only useful if you know where it comes from and what it can't tell you. This page explains exactly how we build every estimate on NurseSalaryIntel — the sources we use, the adjustments we make, and where the limitations are. If something looks off on any page, this is the methodology you should hold us to.

Step 1: Start With BLS OEWS Data

Our foundation is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. BLS surveys approximately 1.1 million business establishments every May, collecting wage data for more than 800 occupations across every state and metropolitan area in the US. For nursing, the relevant occupation codes are:

• SOC 29-1141 — Registered Nurses (the primary code for RN salary data)
• SOC 29-1171 — Nurse Practitioners
• SOC 29-1151 — Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
• SOC 29-2061 — Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LPN/LVN)
• SOC 31-1131 — Nursing Assistants (CNAs)

The most recent OEWS data available is the May 2024 survey, published March 2025. BLS releases each year's data approximately 10 months after the survey period. Official 2025 OEWS data is not yet published as of May 2026; 2026 data will not be available until early 2027. This is why every page on this site labels figures as 2026 estimates rather than official 2026 data.

Step 2: Cross-Reference Public Job Postings

BLS OEWS data is comprehensive but lags by 10–22 months. Active job market conditions — sign-on bonus inflation, new union contracts, system-wide pay raises — won't appear in the data until the next release cycle. To account for this, we review publicly available job postings from major hospital systems, nursing job boards, and hospital careers pages.

When posted salary ranges on current job listings diverge meaningfully from BLS OEWS figures — by more than 5% consistently across multiple postings — we note this in the relevant page and adjust our estimate range accordingly. We do not replace BLS data with job posting data; we use postings as a verification layer and flag significant divergence.

Step 3: Apply Regional Market Adjustments

BLS OEWS publishes metro-level data for large metropolitan statistical areas, but not for every city or suburb. For cities without direct MSA-level BLS data, we use the nearest available MSA figure and apply a regional adjustment based on:

• Cost of living index — sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)
• State income tax rate — we cite the 2026 rate where available from state revenue departments
• Local healthcare market conditions — presence of major academic medical centers, union activity, shortage designations
• Proximity to higher-paying metro — nurses in satellite suburbs often take small discounts vs. the core metro

Step 4: Incorporate Nurse-Reported Compensation

Where available, we incorporate publicly reported compensation data from nurse surveys and community sources — including published nursing salary surveys from organizations like the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and published hospital pay transparency data. This is a supplemental source only — we do not accept unverified anonymous submissions as data inputs.

What Our Estimates Cannot Tell You

Understanding the limitations of any salary data source is as important as the data itself. NurseSalaryIntel estimates should not be used for:

• Specific offer benchmarking without verification. Always confirm with current job postings for the exact unit, system, and shift you are targeting.
• Union contract negotiations. Union pay scales are set by contract and may differ significantly from market estimates. Contact your union directly.
• Legal or financial advice. We are not attorneys, financial advisors, or certified salary consultants. Our data is for informational and career research purposes only.
• Travel nurse package comparison. Travel nurse total compensation (stipends, housing, per diem) does not map cleanly to BLS OEWS figures, which measure W-2 base wages. See our travel nurse salary guide for package-specific guidance.

How to Use These Estimates in Your Career

The most effective use of NurseSalaryIntel data is as a starting point for your own research — not as the final word. Here is the workflow we recommend:

1. Use our city and specialty pages to understand the general range for your target market.
2. Search active job postings on the careers pages of specific hospitals you are targeting to see posted ranges.
3. Check Glassdoor and Indeed salary data for nurse-reported figures at your specific employer.
4. Ask your recruiter directly what the pay grid looks like for your experience level and unit.
5. Use our negotiation guide to understand what is typically flexible and how to ask for more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Pages

Primary data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024 survey, published March 2025 · American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) · Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) cost of living data.