Nurse Anesthetist
Median wage · national
$236,590
Range: $207K – $294K
Employed
52K
Openings/yr
2K
Typically: master's degree
HEALTH
Registered Nurse
Registered Nurse earn $97,550 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $80,330 and $112,350. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
About Registered Nurse
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a registered nurse: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Nursing and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
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.
- Median Wage
- $97,550
- Employed Nationally
- 3.4M
- Openings / Year
- 180,800
- Entry Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
Also known as:
Cardiac Care Unit Nurse (CCU Nurse)
Cardiac Nurse Specialist
Central Supply Nurse
Certified Operating Room Nurse (CNOR)
Charge Nurse
How Much Do Registered Nurses Make?
Most registered nurses take home around $97,550 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $80,330 and $112,350, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$97,550
National Median (Annual)
Well above average for college graduates.
$80K–$112K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$80,330
Entry-level
$97,550
Median
$112,350
Experienced
What Do Registered Nurses Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Active Listening
Social Perceptiveness
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Service Orientation
Who Thrives Here
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
I
Investigative
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
Where Do Registered Nurses Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
High
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
What Is the Job Outlook for Registered Nurses?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +5.6%, meaning it is growing at about the same pace as everything else, so expect steady demand. Around 180,800 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +5.6%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
About as fast as average.
180,800
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
3.4M
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Registered Nurse professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $97,550 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 338,940 | $140,270 | +43.8% |
| 2 | Texas | 271,380 | $95,970 | -1.6% |
| 3 | Florida | 229,940 | $84,190 | -13.7% |
| 4 | New York | 205,810 | $109,440 | +12.2% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 146,520 | $96,430 | -1.1% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a bachelor's degree. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Zone
Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
These positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 308,114 | $88,910 | 2,190 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Registered Nurses
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 4 | North Florida College Madison, FL | 91 | $804 | $33,929 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | 91 | $13,138 | $83,648 |
| 6 | University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL | 90 | $4,815 | $71,588 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Registered Nurse, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Registered Nurse pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Registered Nurse Pros & Cons
Strong earnings and growing demand make Registered Nurse a compelling path. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
PROS
- Very high median salary The national median of $97,550 places this career well above average for college graduates, with significant upside at the 75th percentile.
- Steady job outlook The BLS projects +5.6% growth through 2035, keeping pace with the national average. Demand is stable and annual openings remain consistent.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $112,350 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
- Large, established field 3.4M people work in this occupation nationally, creating a broad job market with openings spread across every region and industry.
CONS
- Multi-year ramp before career-level pay This is a Job Zone 4 occupation, these positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles. Most workers in this field spend their first several years at entry-level pay well below the $97,550 median while building the experience employers require.
Registered Nurse Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Registered Nurse professionals earn?
Around $97,550 a year for the typical worker, above the national median for full-time workers. The middle 50% of earners fall between $80,330 and $112,350. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Registered Nurse a good career?
Yes, the data is strong. Median pay of $97,550 with +5.6% projected growth through 2035 is a combination most fields cannot match. The real variable is early career: workers around the 25th percentile earn $80,330, so your first employer and location will shape your trajectory more than the national number suggests.
How long does it take to work as Registered Nurses?
Expect 4 years of undergraduate education followed by 2 or more years of field experience before most employers consider you qualified for career-level positions. A bachelor's degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Nursing are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $97,550 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
What is the job outlook for Registered Nurse?
Employment is projected to change by +5.6% through 2035, about as fast as average compared with other occupations. Around 180,800 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 3.4M people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
What skills do Registered Nurse professionals need?
Mainly Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Service Orientation. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
-
The Healthcare Pay Ladder, Rung by Rung
From a $37,000 dietetic technician to a $238,000 family physician, healthcare pay climbs with required schooling. But one rung breaks the pattern.
- Healthcare careers
- Median wage
- Entry education
- Nursing
- Physician pay
-
The Nursing-School Effect, Why Health Colleges Dominate the Earnings Charts
Health and nursing-named colleges earn 27 percent above the average school, and hospital-run nursing schools turn that into the steepest returns in the data.
- Nursing schools
- Health colleges
- Earnings
- College ROI
- Registered nurse
-
What a High-Stress Job Actually Pays Extra
High-stress careers average 43 percent more than moderate-stress ones, but the typical one pays only 7 percent more. The gap between those two numbers is the finding.
- Job stress
- Median wage
- Stress premium
- Career pay
- Hazard pay
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