Most nurses in the U.S. currently earn somewhere between about $60,000 and $100,000 per year , with typical hourly pay in the $30–$50 per hour range, depending heavily on role, location, and experience.

Typical nurse pay ranges

  • Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) often earn around the high‑$30,000s per year in many states, reflecting more limited training and scope of practice.
  • Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) commonly fall in the roughly $60,000–$64,000 per year range on average.
  • Registered Nurses (RNs) often earn about $90,000–$100,000 per year on average nationwide, with median figures a bit lower and top earners significantly higher.
  • Advanced practice roles like Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) can range from roughly $125,000 to well above $200,000 per year.

Pay by location (high vs. moderate)

  • High‑pay states like California, Hawaii, and Oregon report average RN salaries from roughly the low‑$110,000s up to the high‑$130,000s per year.
  • Large states such as New York and Massachusetts often sit around the mid‑$90,000s to low‑$110,000s annually for RNs.
  • In many Southern or Midwestern states, RN averages are more commonly in the $80,000–$90,000 range.

Example HTML table (RN pay by selected state)

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>State</th>
      <th>Average RN hourly wage</th>
      <th>Average RN annual salary</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>California</td>
      <td>$66.20[web:5]</td>
      <td>$137,690[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Hawaii</td>
      <td>$57.55[web:5]</td>
      <td>$119,710[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Oregon</td>
      <td>$54.54[web:5]</td>
      <td>$113,440[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>New York</td>
      <td>$51.26[web:5]</td>
      <td>$106,620[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Florida</td>
      <td>$40.75[web:5]</td>
      <td>$84,760[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Hourly vs annual perspective

  • Some salary trackers list “nurse” jobs at an average of about $38–$40 per hour , which roughly aligns with mid‑$70,000s to low‑$80,000s per year for general nurse listings.
  • Specialized RN and advanced roles push that higher, with many staff RNs averaging around $45–$47 per hour and advanced practice roles significantly above that.

What affects how much a nurse gets paid

  • Role and education: Moving from CNA → LPN/LVN → RN → NP/CRNA usually increases pay as training and responsibility rise.
  • State and city: High‑cost coastal states and major metro areas tend to pay more, while rural and lower‑cost areas tend to pay less.
  • Experience and specialty: ICU, OR, ER, travel nursing, and leadership roles typically command higher rates than some outpatient or long‑term‑care positions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.