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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
2,986,500 0.5 % $ 38.47 $ 80,010 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Registered Nurses:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 25.68 $ 29.63 $ 36.22 $ 44.99 $ 55.88
Annual Wage (2) $ 53,410 $ 61,630 $ 75,330 $ 93,590 $ 116,230


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 1,729,200 30.90 $ 39.27 $ 81,680
Offices of Physicians 192,300 7.42 $ 34.45 $ 71,660
Home Health Care Services 169,630 11.35 $ 36.48 $ 75,870
Outpatient Care Centers 150,380 15.66 $ 42.93 $ 89,300
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 143,250 9.34 $ 34.66 $ 72,090

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 1,729,200 30.90 $ 39.27 $ 81,680
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 63,910 23.93 $ 39.86 $ 82,910
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 39,840 16.47 $ 37.14 $ 77,250
Outpatient Care Centers 150,380 15.66 $ 42.93 $ 89,300
Home Health Care Services 169,630 11.35 $ 36.48 $ 75,870

Top paying industries for Registered Nurses:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business Support Services 560 0.07 $ 51.28 $ 106,670
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 86,860 4.17 $ 46.26 $ 96,230
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 340 0.11 $ 44.29 $ 92,110
Other Investment Pools and Funds 100 0.92 $ 44.23 $ 91,990
Office Administrative Services (8) (8) $ 43.02 $ 89,490


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.



Employment of registered Nurses, by state, May 2020


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 307,060 18.69 0.87 $ 57.96 $ 120,560
Texas 219,330 18.12 0.84 $ 36.92 $ 76,800
Florida 183,130 21.69 1.01 $ 33.42 $ 69,510
New York 178,550 20.54 0.96 $ 43.16 $ 89,760
Pennsylvania 146,640 26.60 1.24 $ 35.66 $ 74,170


Location Quotient of Registered Nurses, by state, May 2020


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 13,130 31.93 1.49 $ 29.31 $ 60,960
West Virginia 19,800 30.46 1.42 $ 31.31 $ 65,130
Rhode Island 12,150 27.42 1.28 $ 39.81 $ 82,790
Delaware 11,410 26.77 1.25 $ 35.74 $ 74,330
Mississippi 28,800 26.74 1.25 $ 29.45 $ 61,250


Annual mean wage of Registered Nurses, by state, May 2020


Top paying states for Registered Nurses:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 307,060 18.69 0.87 $ 57.96 $ 120,560
Hawaii 11,260 19.62 0.91 $ 50.40 $ 104,830
Massachusetts 84,030 25.08 1.17 $ 46.27 $ 96,250
Oregon 36,840 20.39 0.95 $ 46.27 $ 96,230
Alaska 6,240 21.05 0.98 $ 45.81 $ 95,270



Employment of registered nurses, by area, May 2020


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 173,570 19.65 0.92 $ 45.63 $ 94,920
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 109,790 18.86 0.88 $ 54.38 $ 113,120
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 95,730 21.95 1.02 $ 37.48 $ 77,970
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 70,350 26.09 1.21 $ 38.45 $ 79,980
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 62,260 23.93 1.11 $ 47.79 $ 99,410
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 60,140 16.76 0.78 $ 37.50 $ 77,990
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 56,520 19.04 0.89 $ 40.85 $ 84,960
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 53,900 21.49 1.00 $ 34.76 $ 72,300
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 43,250 24.31 1.13 $ 36.64 $ 76,210
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 42,820 14.17 0.66 $ 40.14 $ 83,490


Location Quotient of registered nurses, by area, May 2020


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)
Rochester, MN 11,700 101.72 4.74 $ 34.67 $ 72,110
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 2,590 66.90 3.12 $ 33.98 $ 70,680
Morgantown, WV 3,200 51.66 2.41 $ 32.52 $ 67,640
Greenville, NC 3,460 46.91 2.18 $ 32.88 $ 68,390
Ann Arbor, MI 9,690 46.51 2.17 $ 39.09 $ 81,310
Iowa City, IA 4,000 46.25 2.15 $ 33.14 $ 68,940
Sebring, FL 1,120 45.49 2.12 $ 32.61 $ 67,830
Sioux Falls, SD 6,550 42.69 1.99 $ 29.70 $ 61,770
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 3,020 42.10 1.96 $ 36.67 $ 76,270
Carbondale-Marion, IL 2,120 42.09 1.96 $ 30.64 $ 63,740


Annual mean wage of Registered Nurses, by state, May 2020


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 40,600 17.42 0.81 $ 71.73 $ 149,200
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 17,750 16.10 0.75 $ 70.61 $ 146,870
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 3,690 27.76 1.29 $ 68.34 $ 142,140
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 21,920 22.63 1.05 $ 64.59 $ 134,350
Salinas, CA 2,910 16.96 0.79 $ 63.54 $ 132,160
Santa Rosa, CA 3,640 18.78 0.87 $ 60.02 $ 124,840
Modesto, CA 4,720 26.30 1.23 $ 58.21 $ 121,090
Stockton-Lodi, CA 4,780 19.29 0.90 $ 55.70 $ 115,860
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 109,790 18.86 0.88 $ 54.38 $ 113,120
Redding, CA 1,650 25.66 1.20 $ 53.78 $ 111,860

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 7,840 20.73 0.97 $ 28.39 $ 59,050
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 5,460 22.22 1.03 $ 31.52 $ 65,550
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 5,340 23.83 1.11 $ 27.47 $ 57,130
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 5,210 16.70 0.78 $ 31.11 $ 64,700
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 4,470 24.48 1.14 $ 33.22 $ 69,100

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 3,080 32.25 1.50 $ 28.40 $ 59,080
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 3,010 30.47 1.42 $ 36.21 $ 75,310
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 4,390 29.32 1.37 $ 31.03 $ 64,540
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 1,090 29.08 1.35 $ 31.65 $ 65,830
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 2,310 27.43 1.28 $ 29.25 $ 60,840

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)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,290 13.29 0.62 $ 49.95 $ 103,890
Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 49.23 $ 102,390
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 960 17.50 0.81 $ 48.56 $ 101,000
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 1,730 18.66 0.87 $ 47.09 $ 97,950
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,830 18.63 0.87 $ 44.60 $ 92,760


About May 2020 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.

(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:

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021