Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Fortune
Fortune
Preston Fore

Should nurses get paid less than tech workers? Based on the data, they largely do

Nurse pulls cash out of the front pocket of their scrubs. (Credit: Getty Images)

During and following the pandemic, increased attention was placed on the nursing profession. While the world can agree they deserved to be paid well and respected, there remains high burnout in the field—which in part has led to a shortage of nurses in many communities.

For those who are eager to take on the challenging—yet rewarding—field of nursing, obtaining a master’s in nursing or nurse practitioning can be one way to stick out from the pack, especially if you are eager to work at one of the nation’s best hospitals. But before you get started, you are probably wondering: how much in salary can you earn as a nurse? Here’s everything you need to know.

How much do nurses make? 

The median salary of a registered nurse is about $86,070, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One’s exact pay may depend on a variety of factors, including setting, experience level, and education. For example, those pursuing a nurse licensure via a bachelor’s degree may be initially paid greater than those who seek it through an associate’s or diploma program.

Nurse anesthetists, midwives, and practitioners experience much higher salaries—earning about $129,480. These roles are also seeing much higher demand. While registered nurses are estimated to grow by a rate of 6% over the next decade, anesthetists, midwives, and practitioners are expected to grow by 38%. The latter, though, does require much more education—with a master’s degree required. 

For comparison, the average salary of a tech worker is about $111,193, according to Dice.

Nursing salaries by industry

Nurses tend to make the most money working in government or hospital settings, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Those employed within educational services or care facilities tend to make the least; while lower than the median of a typical nurse, the pay is still above the national median of all occupations.

View this interactive chart on Fortune.com

Nurse salary by state

Registered nurses have the highest salaries in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, whereas they earn the least in Alabama, South Dakota, and Mississippi.

View this interactive chart on Fortune.com

In eight states—California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey as well as the District of Columbia, the median salary for a nurse is over $100k. However, they make less than $75,000 in six states: Alabama, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa, Arkansas, and North Dakota.

As you analyze the salaries of nurses, it is important to keep in mind that how much a dollar will buy you can differ drastically in various states. In New England and on the west coast, the cost of living is much more expensive, and thus, salaries may be higher to compensate.  

View this interactive chart on Fortune.com

The table below includes a ranking of the states where registered nurses experience the highest salaries on average. The cost of living (COL) index for each state, as seen below, is calculated by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), which averages indexes from metro areas and cities, and incorporates costs for groceries, housing, utilities, and transportation. The baseline for the U.S. as a whole is 100, so those above it experience high cost of living, those below it are lower.

Here are the states where registered nurses make the most, in descending order:

Rank Location Avg. nurse salary Cost of living
1 California $133,990 145.0
2 Hawaii $129,210 186.2
3 Oregon $110,940 114.1
4 Washington $107,720 115.1
5 Alaska $106,410 125.1
6 District of Columbia $105,220 144.6
7 New York $104,570 123.1
8 Connecticut $100,620 113.2
9 New Jersey $100,160 113.7
10 Massachusetts $99,830 144.3
11 Minnesota $97,300 94.8
12 Nevada $96,210 102.7
13 Rhode Island $94,840 113.4
14 Delaware $93,200 100.9
15 Maryland $89,340 116.2
16 Arizona $88,310 110.5
17 Colorado $86,900 101.8
18 New Hampshire $86,620 113.6
19 Texas $85,110 92.4
20 Virginia $84,100 101.3
21 New Mexico $83,970 93.6
22 Georgia $83,620 91.3
23 Wisconsin $83,300 97.0
24 Pennsylvania $82,780 95.6
25 Illinois $82,470 93.3
26 Vermont $81,900 114.7
27 Michigan $81,710 91.8
28 Maine $81,610 113.3
29 Florida $80,960 103.1
30 Idaho $80,130 101.1
31 Wyoming $79,970 95.1
32 Ohio $79,940 94.0
33 Utah $79,790 102.9
34 North Carolina $79,580 98.5
35 Montana $79,170 94.6
36 Oklahoma $78,760 86.4
37 West Virginia $78,730 83.8
38 Indiana $78,530 90.3
39 South Carolina $78,380 97.6
40 Nebraska $78,100 93.4
41 Kentucky $77,830 92.7
42 Missouri $77,190 88.5
43 Louisiana $76,650 92.1
44 Tennessee $76,200 90.3
45 Kansas $75,780 87.3
46 North Dakota $74,930 92.8
47 Arkansas $72,920 88.5
48 Iowa $71,570 90.1
49 Mississippi $69,370 88.3
50 South Dakota $67,030 93.4
51 Alabama $65,900 88.1
Nurse salaries across all 50 states + D.C.

One of the most striking parts of this data is the scale. Nurses in California make just over double those than live in Alabama.

Factors affecting nurse salary—and how you can make more

Talking about salary isn’t an easy subject, but according to Kent Plunkett, founder and CEO of Salary.com, pay transparency isn’t necessarily about knowing what your peers make. Instead, he says, it's about whether your company is willing to have an open conversation since so many factors can play in decisions.

“You can't know what all those factors are—you don't really know performance of your peers, you don't really know where they rate on all their skills, knowledge and attitudes and need for a job,” he adds.

Role and intensity

Even though a lot of the data behind nursing salaries is analyzed across the board, not all nursing jobs are the same, and resultantly, neither are the salaries. For example, the median salary of a school nurse is closer to $56,000, according to Salary.com data, whereas an operating room nurse makes around $87,000. 

A nurse in more intensive roles, such as in the room during a major surgery or in the emergency room, tend to make higher salaries as compared to those in more subdue environments like a school or office building (not to say that those jobs are not important). Lead or charge nurses also tend to make much more than a staff nurse due to increased responsibilities like organizing beds and assigning tasks.

Location

To no surprise, nurses tend to make more money in states where the cost of living is higher—such as on the west coast and New England. However in communities with dire nursing shortages, individuals may also experience substantial recruitment pay bumps or bonuses as an incentive.

For those who are feeling adventurous or need a brief change of serenity, travel nurse contacts are also a great way to not only obtain a unique experience but also to possibly earn a higher salary and bonus.

The takeaway

Becoming a nurse is not for the faint of heart. While there is a variety of paths a nurse can take in their career, caring for human lives is still at the center of it all. The salary of registered nurses, while not as high as say, a field in the tech world, it can still be quite rewarding financially—especially if you take advantage of incentives like bonuses or even upskill to a nurse anesthetist of practitioner.

Based on the data, nurses in states like Minnesota or Texas may end up with the most spending cash due to a lower cost of living and higher than average salary. On the other hand, those in states like Utah, Florida, and Maine may not reap the same benefits due lower than average pay in areas with high cost of living.


Frequently asked questions

Do nurses get paid well in NYC?

Registered nurses get paid median salaries of about $108,540 in the New York City metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. That’s slightly higher than the average of all nurses in New York state as well as New Jersey.


Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.

What is the highest paid nursing job?

Nurses with specialized training and are equipped to work in critical parts of a hospital, such as an operating room, are the ones who will experience the highest pay. However, landing these roles takes time due to increased pressure for experience and educational know-how.

Do nurses get paid well in NYC?

Registered nurses get paid median salaries of about $108,540 in the New York City metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. That’s slightly higher than the average of all nurses in New York state as well as New Jersey.


Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.

How much are nurses paid in Texas?

Registered nurses in Texas earn annual wages of about $85,110, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is on par with the national average, though those working in the large metropolitan areas like Houston or Dallas may experience higher salaries due to increased cost of living. 

What is the highest paid nursing job?

Nurses with specialized training and are equipped to work in critical parts of a hospital, such as an operating room, are the ones who will experience the highest pay. However, landing these roles takes time due to increased pressure for experience and educational know-how.

Do nurses get paid well in NYC?

Registered nurses get paid median salaries of about $108,540 in the New York City metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. That’s slightly higher than the average of all nurses in New York state as well as New Jersey.


Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.