How much do nurses make?
Answer
There is no single nurse salary: BLS publishes pay for each type. Medians range from $42,260 to $236,590 a year (May 2025).
| Nurse Anesthetists | $236,590 | $155,250 | $339,500 | 51,840 | Master's degree | +9.7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Midwives | $134,040 | $93,620 | $188,320 | 7,920 | Master's degree | +11.5% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | $101,340 | $174,420 | 323,040 | Master's degree | +41.0% |
| Registered Nurses | $97,550 | $68,940 | $137,470 | 3,379,720 | Bachelor's degree | +5.6% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $64,400 | $49,740 | $83,440 | 648,410 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +3.0% |
| Nursing Assistants | $42,260 | $33,940 | $51,980 | 1,448,910 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +2.6% |
BLS OEWS, May 2025 (released April 30, 2026); typical education and growth from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
How the types of nurse compare
The nursing ladder has clear steps, and each one adds training, responsibility and pay.
A nursing assistant (CNA) completes a state-approved program, at least 75 hours under federal rules for nursing homes, and passes a state competency exam. CNAs handle bathing, feeding, moving and vital signs, and earn a median of $42,260, the lowest in the group.
A licensed practical nurse (LPN) finishes a program of about a year and passes the NCLEX-PN. LPNs give medications and routine care under RN or physician direction, mostly in nursing homes, home health and clinics, with a median of $64,400, about two-thirds of the RN figure.
A registered nurse (RN) earns an associate degree or BSN and passes the NCLEX-RN. RNs assess patients, plan care and supervise LPNs and aides. With 3,379,720 jobs, it is by far the largest group, and the median is $97,550, the benchmark for nurse pay.
Advanced practice registered nurses need a graduate degree and national certification. Nurse practitioners diagnose and treat patients and earn a median of $132,300, while nurse midwives care for women through pregnancy and birth and earn $134,040, a similar level. Nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) give anesthesia after ICU experience and a doctorate, and earn the most: $236,590, more than double the RN median.
Nurse salary by state
Median annual pay by type
| Alabama | $77,080 | $57,030 | $34,140 | $105,750 | $190,300 | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $109,480 | $80,800 | $46,370 | $155,170 | $341,210 | $133,430 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | $77,070 | $44,780 | $134,420 | $248,660 | $140,960 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | $56,620 | $34,430 | $125,660 | $224,280 | — |
| California | $140,270 | $79,750 | $47,630 | $168,520 | $292,410 | $203,840 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | $73,880 | $47,380 | $132,930 | — | $137,610 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | $73,690 | $44,790 | $138,470 | $236,960 | $130,790 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | $68,710 | $42,030 | $131,040 | — | $127,510 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | $75,740 | $47,700 | $135,880 | — | $101,450 |
| Florida | $84,190 | $61,770 | $37,510 | $129,510 | $210,570 | $127,460 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | $62,030 | $37,680 | $129,430 | $224,630 | $105,510 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $71,140 | $45,350 | $135,570 | — | $170,110 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | $63,800 | $38,650 | $132,540 | $263,130 | — |
| Illinois | $95,990 | $75,000 | $45,960 | $130,680 | $286,830 | $120,840 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | $65,720 | $38,330 | $128,830 | — | $101,630 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | $62,630 | $39,350 | $130,160 | $273,070 | $131,360 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | $61,760 | $38,010 | $126,650 | $212,090 | — |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | $60,460 | $38,370 | $122,870 | $222,520 | — |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | $57,470 | $30,510 | $125,600 | $222,130 | $119,280 |
| Maine | $86,990 | $73,200 | $47,070 | $130,260 | $247,470 | $133,270 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $74,660 | $43,240 | $131,110 | $223,140 | $140,120 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | $80,220 | $46,680 | $142,440 | $295,550 | $159,800 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $65,460 | $39,570 | $131,450 | $247,010 | $125,140 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | $63,750 | $46,680 | $133,260 | $266,190 | $134,810 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | $50,220 | $31,520 | $124,730 | $198,410 | — |
| Missouri | $81,780 | $61,530 | $37,680 | $129,930 | $242,630 | $130,220 |
| Montana | $85,280 | $62,210 | $40,900 | $137,210 | $277,380 | — |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | $62,660 | $40,000 | $132,130 | $246,730 | $138,880 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | $76,160 | $45,490 | $140,670 | — | — |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | $77,110 | $47,870 | $137,550 | $275,980 | $142,960 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | $75,160 | $46,830 | $159,310 | $291,350 | $153,970 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | $59,330 | $39,390 | $137,520 | $129,370 | $123,350 |
| New York | $109,440 | $67,180 | $48,590 | $153,510 | $321,030 | $144,510 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | $63,270 | $38,460 | $128,990 | $224,610 | $126,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | $62,300 | $45,820 | $130,070 | $244,240 | $72,630 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | $61,950 | $39,010 | $124,870 | $231,810 | $127,730 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | $58,320 | $35,930 | $133,390 | $156,830 | — |
| Oregon | $129,010 | $80,470 | $49,830 | $155,680 | $272,330 | $146,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $63,940 | $44,590 | $130,140 | $221,530 | $119,990 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | $80,090 | $46,440 | $135,970 | — | $135,180 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | $61,820 | $37,220 | $123,290 | $265,480 | $122,390 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | $52,750 | $38,800 | $128,840 | $263,930 | — |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | $58,870 | $37,990 | $117,590 | $211,450 | $116,980 |
| Texas | $95,970 | $62,240 | $37,500 | $131,670 | $244,990 | $123,380 |
| Utah | $84,600 | $63,230 | $39,840 | $130,920 | $126,600 | $130,930 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | $69,930 | $47,130 | $134,740 | $283,060 | $151,030 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $64,920 | $43,200 | $127,810 | $252,110 | $135,710 |
| Washington | $124,200 | $83,150 | $49,180 | $156,100 | $274,390 | $158,970 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | $55,360 | $36,720 | $127,320 | $278,530 | — |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | $63,760 | $45,130 | $131,980 | $273,170 | $133,070 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | $63,460 | $39,160 | $132,200 | $255,250 | — |
Median annual pay by state, BLS OEWS, May 2025. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. Each occupation’s own page has its full state table with cost-of-living-adjusted pay.
What nurses do
"Nurse" covers several licensed jobs, and most people searching for it mean a registered nurse (RN). RNs assess patients, give medications and treatments, watch for changes in condition, write care plans, teach patients and families, and coordinate with physicians, therapists and pharmacists. They also supervise licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants on their unit.
RNs are the largest group, with 3,379,720 jobs in our data. Most work in hospitals, on medical-surgical floors, ICUs, emergency departments, operating rooms and labor and delivery units. Others work in doctors' offices, outpatient surgery and infusion centers, home health, nursing homes, schools, public health departments and insurance companies.
Around the RN sit other nursing roles. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) give routine care under RN or physician direction, often in nursing homes. Nursing assistants (CNAs) help patients bathe, eat and move. Advanced practice registered nurses, such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives, hold graduate degrees and diagnose, treat and prescribe within state rules. Hospital nursing means 8- or 12-hour shifts, nights, weekends and holidays, and a lot of time on your feet lifting and turning patients.
A typical day
- Take report from the previous shift and review each patient's orders and lab results
- Check vital signs, assess pain, wounds, breathing and mental status, and chart the findings
- Give medications, IV fluids and treatments, and watch for reactions
- Call the physician or rapid response team when a patient's condition changes
- Teach patients and families about new medications, wound care and warning signs
- Delegate tasks to LPNs and nursing assistants and check that they are done
- Plan discharges with case managers and hand off care at the end of the shift
Also called: nurses, nursing, certified operating room nurse (cnor), charge nurse, emergency department rn (emergency department registered nurse), oncology rn (oncology registered nurse), operating room registered nurse (or rn), psychiatric rn (psychiatric registered nurse).
How to become a nurse
Full guideTo become a registered nurse, you complete an approved nursing program, either a 2-year associate degree (ADN) or a 4-year bachelor's (BSN), and pass the NCLEX-RN for a state license. Faster entry points are a CNA certificate (weeks) or an LPN program (about a year); advanced practice roles need a graduate degree.
- Typical time
- 2-4 years
- Fastest: About 2 years (ADN, if prerequisites are done)
- Minimum education
- Associate degree in nursing (ADN) or diploma from a state-approved program for RNs; BSN preferred by many hospitals
- License
- Required in all 50 states and DC for RNs and LPNs; CNAs must be on a state nurse aide registry to work in nursing homes
- Typical training cost
- $9.6K–$38.0K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a nurse: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 2-4 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $9.6K–$38.0K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $97,550
- $46,570 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 10–39%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($46,570 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (2-4 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for nurses
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 3,465,400
- 3,660,100 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 180,800
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 0.5%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects registered nurse jobs to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 3,465,400 to 3,660,100, faster than the 3.5% for all occupations. Because the occupation is so large, that means about 180,800 openings a year, most of them to replace nurses who retire or leave.
An older population with more chronic illness is the main driver. Growth is expected in hospitals, in outpatient centers that handle same-day surgery, chemotherapy and rehabilitation, and in home health, as more older patients choose care at home.
Outlook shown for registered nurses; each type’s growth is in the table at the top.
Related careers and their pay
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- LPN$64,400
- Nurse Midwife$134,040
- CRNA$236,590
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- CNA$42,260
- Paramedic$60,600
- EMT$44,470
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Nurse salary FAQ
What is the difference between an RN and an LPN?
An RN completes an associate degree or BSN and passes the NCLEX-RN; an LPN completes a program of about a year and passes the NCLEX-PN. RNs assess patients, create care plans and supervise others, while LPNs provide routine care under an RN's or physician's direction. In our data the RN median is $97,550, and the LPN median is $64,400, a gap of about a third.
What kind of nurse makes the most money?
Nurse anesthetists, by a wide margin. In our data, CRNAs have a median of $236,590, which comes after a bachelor's degree (usually a BSN), at least a year of full-time critical care experience and a doctoral anesthesia program. Nurse midwives ($134,040, the second highest) and nurse practitioners ($132,300, close behind) follow. Among RNs without a graduate degree, pay depends more on state, setting, shift and specialty than on job title.
Do nurses work 12-hour shifts?
Many hospital nurses do, usually three 12-hour shifts a week, rotating days, nights, weekends and holidays because hospitals need nurses around the clock. Some hospitals and units use 8-hour shifts, and on-call duty is common in surgery and labor and delivery. Nurses in doctors' offices, schools and clinics are more likely to work regular daytime hours.
How many registered nurses are there in the U.S.?
Our data counts 3,379,720 registered nurse jobs, making it one of the largest occupations in the country. Add 648,410 licensed practical nurses and 1,448,910 nursing assistants and the nursing workforce runs to well over 5 million jobs. BLS expects about 180,800 RN openings a year through 2035, mostly to replace nurses who leave.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1141
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1141.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- NCLEX Exams, National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Fees and Payment, NCSBN (NCLEX) · checked October 28, 2026
- ACEN Recognition, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Nursing Associate Degree, Massachusetts Bay Community College · checked October 28, 2026
- 42 CFR 483.152, Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) · checked October 28, 2026
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- CCNE Affiliations and Recognition, American Association of Colleges of Nursing (CCNE) · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse Licensure Compact, NCSBN · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Nursing Assistants and Orderlies, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
- Requirements to Practice as a Nurse Anesthetist in the United States, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs · checked October 28, 2026
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