7 States Where You Can Earn $100K or More as a Registered Nurse
The median registered nurse (RN) earns $97,550 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s nearly double the $50,980 salary of the average earner across all occupations.
Benjamin Franklin said to do well by doing good. In one-seventh of the country, RNs can earn their way into the upper-middle class by helping to care for the sick and heal the injured.
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However, depending on where they live, these specialized healthcare workers can earn well over $100,000 per year. A new SmartAsset analysis identified seven states where RNs earn the equivalent of six-figure incomes when adjusted for the local cost of living.
What Do RNs Do?
According to the BLS, RNs must manage many responsibilities to earn their sizable salaries, including:
Assess patient conditions
Analyze patient medical histories
Provide and coordinate patient care
Administer medicines
Observe and analyze patient status
Educate patients and the public
Offer emotional support and advice
What Do RNs Earn?
Location isn’t the only factor that influences pay. The BLS notes that some RNs make higher salaries than others, depending on their specialty and place of practice.
Educational services: $78,620
Nursing and residential care facilities: $84,300
Ambulatory healthcare services: $91,230
Hospitals: $100,220
Government (excluding public hospitals): $110,780
7 States Where RNs Earn Six Figures
Since a given wage can go much farther in an inexpensive Midwestern town than in an exorbitantly pricey coastal big city, the study adjusted each of the 50 states’ typical RN salaries, according to local living costs, to express them in real, nationally comparable dollars.
The middle-earning RN enjoys a six-figure adjusted salary in the following seven states, listed alphabetically. However, it’s important to note that in several notoriously expensive states, the typical RN’s salary is adjusted downward — by five figures, in some cases — because the cost of living stretches it further than it would in the country as a whole.
Interestingly, RNs in some of the most expensive states — such as Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York — earn actual salaries over $100,000. However, they didn’t make the list because the cost of living in their states is so high that their adjusted real earnings fall into five-figure territory.
1. Alaska
Adjusted median earnings: $108,096
Actual median earnings: $110,690
2. California
Adjusted median earnings: $126,766
Actual median earnings: $140,330
3. Hawaii
Adjusted median earnings: $123,927
Actual median earnings: $136,320
4. Minnesota
Adjusted median earnings: $102,302
Actual median earnings: $100,870
5. Nevada
Adjusted median earnings: $101,990
Actual median earnings: $101,990
6. Oregon
Adjusted median earnings: $119,913
Actual median earnings: $123,990
7. Washington
Adjusted median earnings: $104,841
Actual median earnings: $112,180
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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