Healthcare · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Registered Nurse (2025)

The median Registered Nurse salary is $216,740 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Sacramento, CA offers the best purchasing power at $137,498 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Registered Nurse, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Registered Nurse relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$100,797

National Median

$216,740

Highest City

$76,540

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$216,740	$124,140, $235,190	195.8	$110,695	22,930
2	San Francisco, CA	$186,610	$119,290, $223,770	179.6	$103,903	41,750
3	Sacramento, CA	$171,460	$100,630, $218,780	124.7	$137,498	23,590
4	San Diego, CA	$139,520	$102,480, $175,210	160.2	$87,091	28,680
5	Los Angeles, CA	$135,560	$100,980, $174,200	166	$81,663	109,360
6	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$133,940	$100,510, $172,900	122.4	$109,428	35,290
7	Portland, OR	$130,310	$97,180, $155,650	130.1	$100,161	24,220
8	Bakersfield, CA	$128,810	$87,760, $162,020	100.6	$128,042	5,620
9	Seattle, WA	$128,260	$99,020, $163,890	149.4	$85,850	39,900
10	Fresno, CA	$125,420	$89,890, $167,160	105.5	$118,882	11,030
11	New York, NY	$119,720	$87,180, $159,240	187.2	$63,953	197,740
12	Anchorage, AK	$115,290	$85,840, $155,150	127	$90,780	4,990
13	Spokane, WA	$111,750	$82,560, $148,130	97.4	$114,733	6,850
14	Reno, NV	$107,520	$80,380, $132,520	106.5	$100,958	4,850
15	Boston, MA	$106,180	$81,880, $188,670	152.1	$69,809	64,240
16	Bridgeport, CT	$105,660	$83,030, $141,330	137.5	$76,844	8,370
17	Las Vegas, NV	$103,940	$79,030, $133,270	109	$95,358	20,410
18	Minneapolis, MN	$103,040	$82,180, $133,450	106.2	$97,024	43,600
19	Washington, DC	$102,710	$80,750, $132,900	152.8	$67,219	46,830
20	Hartford, CT	$101,470	$80,440, $125,080	112.6	$90,115	13,850
21	Dallas, TX	$101,420	$73,400, $129,710	104.1	$97,426	76,680
22	Madison, WI	$101,190	$81,760, $123,240	103.8	$97,486	10,650
23	Philadelphia, PA	$101,180	$79,160, $121,900	118.4	$85,456	73,790
24	Denver, CO	$101,130	$81,210, $125,870	112.8	$89,654	30,380
25	Phoenix, AZ	$100,830	$70,730, $130,930	100.7	$100,129	53,700
26	Chicago, IL	$100,490	$77,410, $119,260	107.3	$93,653	100,240
27	Atlanta, GA	$100,490	$77,510, $132,230	99.2	$101,300	56,460
28	Albany, NY	$99,970	$77,150, $130,970	100.7	$99,275	10,230
29	Providence, RI	$99,880	$77,410, $135,240	119.4	$83,652	15,180
30	Houston, TX	$99,830	$74,860, $130,440	96.5	$103,451	65,910
31	Baltimore, MD	$99,550	$77,600, $125,020	114.2	$87,172	30,930
32	Buffalo, NY	$99,060	$78,490, $117,980	92.5	$107,092	13,830
33	Austin, TX	$97,890	$73,440, $127,510	103	$95,039	18,920
34	Boise, ID	$97,880	$79,110, $124,530	102.1	$95,867	8,550
35	Milwaukee, WI	$97,360	$78,730, $119,490	97.4	$99,959	22,400
36	Detroit, MI	$97,280	$78,140, $110,650	95.1	$102,292	44,310
37	Colorado Springs, CO	$96,140	$77,460, $123,250	104.5	$92,000	6,800
38	Albuquerque, NM	$96,040	$80,090, $123,540	94	$102,170	10,290
39	San Antonio, TX	$94,370	$66,430, $122,990	91.5	$103,137	23,660
40	Tucson, AZ	$94,110	$65,880, $128,540	95.4	$98,648	10,120
41	Richmond, VA	$93,580	$74,730, $117,970	102.1	$91,655	15,700
42	Miami, FL	$91,380	$72,640, $129,150	123.1	$74,232	61,670
43	Charlotte, NC	$90,620	$69,680, $110,020	96.7	$93,713	27,010
44	Rochester, NY	$86,570	$79,340, $106,350	92.9	$93,186	12,340
45	Salt Lake City, UT	$85,890	$71,700, $115,460	101.4	$84,704	14,070
46	Tampa, FL	$85,470	$73,290, $124,470	99.6	$85,813	38,720
47	Louisville, KY	$84,850	$65,300, $118,200	90.2	$94,069	18,180
48	Raleigh, NC	$84,830	$72,460, $110,220	99.8	$85,000	12,780
49	Tulsa, OK	$84,790	$57,240, $109,150	86.8	$97,684	10,880
50	Omaha, NE	$84,600	$69,070, $112,940	91.8	$92,157	13,200
51	Indianapolis, IN	$84,230	$69,160, $105,240	90.1	$93,485	25,800
52	Nashville, TN	$84,040	$69,480, $112,030	100.3	$83,789	25,100
53	Columbus, OH	$83,900	$67,720, $105,770	93.1	$90,118	30,510
54	Cincinnati, OH	$83,650	$67,820, $107,190	91.2	$91,721	28,520
55	Orlando, FL	$83,550	$68,890, $116,210	103.1	$81,038	30,150
56	Jacksonville, FL	$83,520	$68,950, $104,870	95.1	$87,823	18,940
57	St. Louis, MO	$83,180	$63,440, $104,460	90	$92,422	35,200
58	Kansas City, MO	$83,040	$66,970, $103,540	95.4	$87,044	29,650
59	Oklahoma City, OK	$82,920	$67,600, $102,720	86.5	$95,861	16,530
60	Greensboro, NC	$82,860	$66,400, $122,560	91.3	$90,756	6,240
61	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,370	$67,910, $111,790	92.3	$89,242	29,360
62	New Orleans, LA	$81,850	$65,660, $103,180	95.9	$85,349	11,530
63	Memphis, TN	$81,500	$65,280, $112,310	84	$97,024	13,760
64	Greenville, SC	$81,400	$68,530, $100,630	90.1	$90,344	9,730
65	Little Rock, AR	$81,070	$60,270, $114,190	88.2	$91,916	11,550
66	Lexington, KY	$79,040	$66,270, $107,880	91.3	$86,572	8,070
67	Birmingham, AL	$78,680	$62,230, $102,960	90.4	$87,035	17,850
68	Des Moines, IA	$78,630	$64,680, $100,500	93.3	$84,277	8,130
69	Knoxville, TN	$77,240	$57,070, $97,360	90.3	$85,537	9,500
70	Wichita, KS	$76,540	$60,300, $99,530	84	$91,119	7,460

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Registered Nurse paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Sacramento, CA	$137,498	$171,460	124.7
2	Bakersfield, CA	$128,042	$128,810	100.6
3	Fresno, CA	$118,882	$125,420	105.5
4	Spokane, WA	$114,733	$111,750	97.4
5	San Jose, CA	$110,695	$216,740	195.8
6	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$109,428	$133,940	122.4
7	Buffalo, NY	$107,092	$99,060	92.5
8	San Francisco, CA	$103,903	$186,610	179.6
9	Houston, TX	$103,451	$99,830	96.5
10	San Antonio, TX	$103,137	$94,370	91.5
11	Detroit, MI	$102,292	$97,280	95.1
12	Albuquerque, NM	$102,170	$96,040	94
13	Atlanta, GA	$101,300	$100,490	99.2
14	Reno, NV	$100,958	$107,520	106.5
15	Portland, OR	$100,161	$130,310	130.1
16	Phoenix, AZ	$100,129	$100,830	100.7
17	Milwaukee, WI	$99,959	$97,360	97.4
18	Albany, NY	$99,275	$99,970	100.7
19	Tucson, AZ	$98,648	$94,110	95.4
20	Tulsa, OK	$97,684	$84,790	86.8
21	Madison, WI	$97,486	$101,190	103.8
22	Dallas, TX	$97,426	$101,420	104.1
23	Minneapolis, MN	$97,024	$103,040	106.2
24	Memphis, TN	$97,024	$81,500	84
25	Boise, ID	$95,867	$97,880	102.1
26	Oklahoma City, OK	$95,861	$82,920	86.5
27	Las Vegas, NV	$95,358	$103,940	109
28	Austin, TX	$95,039	$97,890	103
29	Louisville, KY	$94,069	$84,850	90.2
30	Charlotte, NC	$93,713	$90,620	96.7
31	Chicago, IL	$93,653	$100,490	107.3
32	Indianapolis, IN	$93,485	$84,230	90.1
33	Rochester, NY	$93,186	$86,570	92.9
34	St. Louis, MO	$92,422	$83,180	90
35	Omaha, NE	$92,157	$84,600	91.8
36	Colorado Springs, CO	$92,000	$96,140	104.5
37	Little Rock, AR	$91,916	$81,070	88.2
38	Cincinnati, OH	$91,721	$83,650	91.2
39	Richmond, VA	$91,655	$93,580	102.1
40	Wichita, KS	$91,119	$76,540	84
41	Anchorage, AK	$90,780	$115,290	127
42	Greensboro, NC	$90,756	$82,860	91.3
43	Greenville, SC	$90,344	$81,400	90.1
44	Columbus, OH	$90,118	$83,900	93.1
45	Hartford, CT	$90,115	$101,470	112.6
46	Denver, CO	$89,654	$101,130	112.8
47	Pittsburgh, PA	$89,242	$82,370	92.3
48	Jacksonville, FL	$87,823	$83,520	95.1
49	Baltimore, MD	$87,172	$99,550	114.2
50	San Diego, CA	$87,091	$139,520	160.2
51	Kansas City, MO	$87,044	$83,040	95.4
52	Birmingham, AL	$87,035	$78,680	90.4
53	Lexington, KY	$86,572	$79,040	91.3
54	Seattle, WA	$85,850	$128,260	149.4
55	Tampa, FL	$85,813	$85,470	99.6
56	Knoxville, TN	$85,537	$77,240	90.3
57	Philadelphia, PA	$85,456	$101,180	118.4
58	New Orleans, LA	$85,349	$81,850	95.9
59	Raleigh, NC	$85,000	$84,830	99.8
60	Salt Lake City, UT	$84,704	$85,890	101.4
61	Des Moines, IA	$84,277	$78,630	93.3
62	Nashville, TN	$83,789	$84,040	100.3
63	Providence, RI	$83,652	$99,880	119.4
64	Los Angeles, CA	$81,663	$135,560	166
65	Orlando, FL	$81,038	$83,550	103.1
66	Bridgeport, CT	$76,844	$105,660	137.5
67	Miami, FL	$74,232	$91,380	123.1
68	Boston, MA	$69,809	$106,180	152.1
69	Washington, DC	$67,219	$102,710	152.8
70	New York, NY	$63,953	$119,720	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Registered Nurse salary at $216,740. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Sacramento, CA offers the most purchasing power at $137,498 adjusted.

The national median Registered Nurse salary is $100,797 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $76,540 to $216,740 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.