Registered nurse pay by city
Across the 50 largest US metros, typical registered nurse pay ranges from $78,680 in Birmingham, AL to $216,740 in San Jose, CA. After taxes and local prices, it goes furthest in San Jose, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Francisco, CA.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141).
| Rank | Metro | Typical pay | Worth after taxes and prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $216,740 | $131,600 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $171,460 | $109,400 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $186,610 | $108,800 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $128,260 | $89,000 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | $133,940 | $88,900 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | $139,520 | $87,500 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $130,310 | $84,900 |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | $135,560 | $84,100 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $103,940 | $81,800 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $99,830 | $80,200 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $94,370 | $79,400 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $97,890 | $79,200 |
| 13 | Dallas, TX | $101,420 | $77,800 |
| 14 | Buffalo, NY | $99,060 | $76,900 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | $97,360 | $75,900 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $100,830 | $75,000 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $100,490 | $74,900 |
| 18 | Providence, RI | $99,880 | $74,600 |
| 19 | Hartford, CT | $101,470 | $74,200 |
| 20 | New York, NY | $119,720 | $73,600 |
| 21 | Boston, MA | $106,180 | $72,400 |
| 22 | Minneapolis, MN | $103,040 | $72,400 |
| 23 | Chicago, IL | $100,490 | $72,100 |
| 24 | Denver, CO | $101,130 | $72,000 |
| 25 | Memphis, TN | $81,500 | $71,800 |
| 26 | Richmond, VA | $93,580 | $71,600 |
| 27 | Charlotte, NC | $90,620 | $71,400 |
| 28 | Philadelphia, PA | $101,180 | $71,300 |
| 29 | Detroit, MI | $97,280 | $70,800 |
| 30 | Oklahoma City, OK | $82,920 | $70,800 |
| 31 | Nashville, TN | $84,040 | $70,600 |
| 32 | Washington, DC | $102,710 | $69,200 |
| 33 | Virginia Beach, VA | $89,450 | $68,900 |
| 34 | Kansas City, MO | $83,040 | $68,600 |
| 35 | Louisville, KY | $84,850 | $68,500 |
| 36 | Cleveland, OH | $83,940 | $68,400 |
| 37 | Tampa, FL | $85,470 | $68,300 |
| 38 | Baltimore, MD | $99,550 | $68,200 |
| 39 | Jacksonville, FL | $83,520 | $67,900 |
| 40 | Cincinnati, OH | $83,650 | $67,800 |
| 41 | Columbus, OH | $83,900 | $67,300 |
| 42 | St. Louis, MO | $83,180 | $66,800 |
| 43 | Indianapolis, IN | $84,230 | $66,800 |
| 44 | Raleigh, NC | $84,830 | $66,800 |
| 45 | Orlando, FL | $83,550 | $66,700 |
| 46 | Grand Rapids, MI | $83,920 | $66,300 |
| 47 | Pittsburgh, PA | $82,370 | $65,200 |
| 48 | Birmingham, AL | $78,680 | $65,200 |
| 49 | Salt Lake City, UT | $85,890 | $64,800 |
| 50 | Miami, FL | $91,380 | $64,000 |
“Worth” is take-home pay at the typical salary (single filer, 2026 income taxes), divided by local prices, so every city is in the same typical-US-city dollars.
Common questions
Which city pays registered nurses the most?
Before taxes, San Jose, CA has the highest typical registered nurse pay among the 50 largest US metros: $216,740 a year. The lowest is Birmingham, AL at $78,680. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Where does registered nurse pay go furthest after cost of living?
After federal, state, and local income taxes and local prices, typical registered nurse pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Francisco, CA. It goes the least far in Miami, FL, where it's worth about $64,000 in typical-US-city dollars.