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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

29-1141 Registered Nurses

Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes Clinical Nurse Specialists. Excludes “Nurse Anesthetists” (29-1151), “Nurse Midwives” (29-1161), and “Nurse Practitioners” (29-1171).


National estimates for Registered Nurses
Industry profile for Registered Nurses
Geographic profile for Registered Nurses

National estimates for Registered Nurses:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Registered Nurses:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,072,700 0.3 % $ 42.80 $ 89,010 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Registered Nurses:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 29.45 $ 32.06 $ 39.05 $ 48.60 $ 62.21
Annual Wage (2) $ 61,250 $ 66,680 $ 81,220 $ 101,100 $ 129,400


Industry profile for Registered Nurses:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Registered Nurses are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Registered Nurses, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Registered Nurses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,724,510 30.85 $ 43.56 $ 90,600
Offices of Physicians 208,760 7.50 $ 38.37 $ 79,810
Home Health Care Services 173,640 11.31 $ 39.87 $ 82,920
Outpatient Care Centers 152,120 14.87 $ 46.73 $ 97,200
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 124,690 9.28 $ 37.11 $ 77,190

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Registered Nurses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,724,510 30.85 $ 43.56 $ 90,600
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 63,460 23.43 $ 43.89 $ 91,290
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 39,080 16.86 $ 40.83 $ 84,920
Outpatient Care Centers 152,120 14.87 $ 46.73 $ 97,200
Home Health Care Services 173,640 11.31 $ 39.87 $ 82,920

Top paying industries for Registered Nurses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (8) (8) $ 54.08 $ 112,480
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 160 0.05 $ 53.02 $ 110,270
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 40 0.08 $ 52.48 $ 109,160
Employment Services 118,820 3.03 $ 52.43 $ 109,050
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 1,410 0.36 $ 51.62 $ 107,360


Geographic profile for Registered Nurses:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Registered Nurses are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Registered Nurses, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of registered nurses by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Registered Nurses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 325,620 18.46 0.89 $ 64.10 $ 133,340
Texas 231,060 17.78 0.86 $ 40.54 $ 84,320
Florida 197,630 21.46 1.03 $ 38.42 $ 79,910
New York 190,470 20.91 1.01 $ 48.14 $ 100,130
Pennsylvania 137,970 23.74 1.14 $ 38.76 $ 80,630


Map of location quotient of registered nurses by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Registered Nurses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 14,360 32.99 1.59 $ 31.01 $ 64,500
West Virginia 21,110 31.13 1.50 $ 34.73 $ 72,230
North Dakota 11,300 27.88 1.34 $ 36.06 $ 75,000
Massachusetts 94,100 26.39 1.27 $ 50.07 $ 104,150
Mississippi 29,370 25.96 1.25 $ 32.66 $ 67,930


Map of annual mean wages of registered nurses by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Registered Nurses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 325,620 18.46 0.89 $ 64.10 $ 133,340
Hawaii 11,800 19.84 0.96 $ 54.43 $ 113,220
Oregon 37,400 19.72 0.95 $ 51.26 $ 106,610
Massachusetts 94,100 26.39 1.27 $ 50.07 $ 104,150
Alaska 6,730 21.98 1.06 $ 49.67 $ 103,310



Map of employment of registered nurses by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Registered Nurses:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 182,710 19.89 0.96 $ 50.41 $ 104,860
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 111,660 18.30 0.88 $ 60.26 $ 125,350
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 94,640 21.43 1.03 $ 40.99 $ 85,260
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 70,220 25.97 1.25 $ 51.44 $ 106,980
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 69,370 25.04 1.21 $ 42.23 $ 87,830
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 66,550 17.49 0.84 $ 42.24 $ 87,850
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 58,620 19.19 0.92 $ 42.73 $ 88,880
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 55,200 21.04 1.01 $ 39.33 $ 81,810
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 45,360 16.63 0.80 $ 43.40 $ 90,270
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 44,120 14.57 0.70 $ 44.61 $ 92,800


Map of location quotient of registered nurses by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Registered Nurses:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 2,600 65.27 3.14 $ 36.17 $ 75,230
Morgantown, WV 3,890 60.22 2.90 $ 33.68 $ 70,060
Rochester, MN 6,760 57.57 2.77 $ 43.30 $ 90,060
Ann Arbor, MI 10,400 49.22 2.37 $ 41.54 $ 86,410
Iowa City, IA 4,250 46.93 2.26 $ 35.69 $ 74,230
Sioux Falls, SD 7,420 45.96 2.21 $ 30.18 $ 62,780
Greenville, NC 3,450 44.28 2.13 $ 36.37 $ 75,640
Gainesville, FL 6,020 43.84 2.11 $ 38.91 $ 80,940
Carbondale-Marion, IL 2,120 40.66 1.96 $ 35.86 $ 74,590
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 1,680 38.33 1.84 $ 31.37 $ 65,250


Map of annual mean wages of registered nurses by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Registered Nurses:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 41,970 17.54 0.84 $ 79.21 $ 164,760
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 20,150 17.94 0.86 $ 76.94 $ 160,020
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 3,790 27.49 1.32 $ 76.12 $ 158,340
Santa Rosa, CA 3,490 17.18 0.83 $ 72.67 $ 151,150
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 1,500 15.53 0.75 $ 72.00 $ 149,750
Napa, CA 1,420 19.19 0.92 $ 70.38 $ 146,400
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 23,180 22.53 1.08 $ 69.82 $ 145,230
Modesto, CA 4,780 25.18 1.21 $ 66.59 $ 138,510
Stockton-Lodi, CA 4,760 17.30 0.83 $ 62.68 $ 130,370
Chico, CA 2,280 29.38 1.41 $ 60.78 $ 126,420

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Registered Nurses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 8,050 20.99 1.01 $ 31.42 $ 65,350
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 5,910 18.36 0.88 $ 33.95 $ 70,620
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 5,630 22.50 1.08 $ 35.32 $ 73,470
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 5,360 23.65 1.14 $ 31.58 $ 65,680
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 4,210 26.80 1.29 $ 35.42 $ 73,680

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Registered Nurses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 3,090 31.62 1.52 $ 33.27 $ 69,210
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 2,970 29.96 1.44 $ 40.10 $ 83,420
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 3,400 28.14 1.35 $ 35.60 $ 74,060
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,920 27.13 1.31 $ 29.75 $ 61,890
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 4,210 26.80 1.29 $ 35.42 $ 73,680

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Registered Nurses:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,140 18.78 0.90 $ 61.45 $ 127,820
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,660 16.49 0.79 $ 59.35 $ 123,450
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,750 16.82 0.81 $ 58.05 $ 120,740
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 1,750 17.93 0.86 $ 50.57 $ 105,190
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,470 14.49 0.70 $ 50.17 $ 104,350


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023