The average hourly pay for registered nurses in the U.S. is $42.80, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey, but wages can vary based on the cost of living in every state.
The highest average hourly wage for RNs is in California, but the state also is one of the most expensive places to live. After adjusting for cost of living, Georgia holds the best average RN wages.
Here is every state, ranked by its living cost-adjusted average RN wage:
State |
RN hourly mean wage |
Cost index |
Cost of living vs. US avg. |
COL-adjusted RN wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia |
$40.95 |
88.8 |
-0.11 |
$45.54 |
California |
$64.10 |
142.2 |
0.42 |
$45.14 |
New Mexico |
$41.15 |
91 |
-0.09 |
$44.85 |
Washington |
$48.88 |
111.6 |
0.12 |
$43.80 |
Texas |
$40.54 |
92.1 |
-0.08 |
$43.74 |
Nevada |
$46.30 |
106.3 |
0.06 |
$43.56 |
Minnesota |
$42.72 |
100 |
0.00 |
$42.72 |
Michigan |
3美元8.78 |
91.3 |
-0.09 |
$42.15 |
Illinois |
3美元9.53 |
94.3 |
-0.06 |
$41.78 |
Oklahoma |
3美元6.98 |
87.9 |
-0.12 |
$41.45 |
Wyoming |
3美元8.95 |
94.3 |
-0.06 |
$41.17 |
Ohio |
3美元7.72 |
91.3 |
-0.09 |
$41.00 |
Arizona |
$41.70 |
103.2 |
0.03 |
$40.41 |
New Jersey |
$46.48 |
115.2 |
0.15 |
$40.35 |
Wisconsin |
3美元8.94 |
96.4 |
-0.04 |
$40.34 |
Kentucky |
3美元7.32 |
93.1 |
-0.07 |
3美元9.90 |
Indiana |
3美元6.34 |
90.6 |
-0.09 |
3美元9.76 |
Colorado |
$41.63 |
105.3 |
0.05 |
3美元9.53 |
Oregon |
$51.26 |
130.1 |
0.30 |
3美元9.40 |
Kansas |
3美元4.61 |
86.5 |
-0.14 |
3美元9.28 |
Alaska |
$49.67 |
127.1 |
0.27 |
3美元9.08 |
Louisiana |
3美元6.50 |
93 |
-0.07 |
3美元9.06 |
North Carolina |
3美元7.22 |
95.7 |
-0.04 |
3美元8.82 |
Tennessee |
3美元4.85 |
89 |
-0.11 |
3美元8.68 |
Virginia |
3美元9.36 |
101.8 |
0.02 |
3美元8.66 |
Florida |
3美元8.42 |
100.3 |
0.00 |
3美元8.31 |
Missouri |
3美元4.55 |
89.8 |
-0.10 |
3美元8.07 |
West Virginia |
3美元4.73 |
90.5 |
-0.10 |
3美元8.03 |
South Carolina |
3美元5.74 |
93.6 |
-0.06 |
3美元8.03 |
Delaware |
$40.88 |
107.9 |
0.08 |
3美元7.89 |
Pennsylvania |
3美元8.76 |
102.5 |
0.03 |
3美元7.81 |
Nebraska |
3美元5.34 |
93.7 |
-0.06 |
3美元7.57 |
Montana |
3美元7.67 |
100.7 |
0.01 |
3美元7.41 |
Connecticut |
$45.32 |
121.6 |
0.22 |
3美元7.27 |
Utah |
3美元6.73 |
99 |
-0.01 |
3美元7.10 |
Massachusetts |
$50.07 |
135 |
0.35 |
3美元7.09 |
Idaho |
3美元7.79 |
102.1 |
0.02 |
3美元7.01 |
Iowa |
3美元3.35 |
89.9 |
-0.10 |
3美元6.72 |
North Dakota |
3美元6.06 |
98.2 |
-0.02 |
3美元6.71 |
New Hampshire |
$40.11 |
109.9 |
0.10 |
3美元6.50 |
Rhode Island |
$42.43 |
117.2 |
0.17 |
3美元6.20 |
Alabama |
3美元2.17 |
87.9 |
-0.12 |
3美元6.06 |
Arkansas |
3美元1.98 |
90.9 |
-0.09 |
3美元4.89 |
Mississippi |
3美元2.66 |
83.3 |
-0.07 |
3美元4.85 |
Maryland |
$42.30 |
124 |
0.24 |
3美元4.11 |
Vermont |
3美元8.46 |
117 |
0.17 |
3美元2.87 |
New York |
$48.14 |
148.2 |
0.48 |
3美元2.48 |
Maine |
3美元7.22 |
115 |
0.15 |
3美元2.37 |
South Dakota |
3美元1.01 |
101 |
0.01 |
3美元0.70 |
Hawaii |
$54.43 |
193.3 |
0.93 |
$28.16 |