Nationally, healthcare related careers, and specifically RN jobs, will continue to grow at a rate far exceeding the US average.

<h2>
  <em
    >From the Registered Nurse Salary, Compensation and Demand Trends Series</em
  >
</h2>

<p>
  Nationally, healthcare related careers, and specifically RN jobs, will
  continue to grow at a rate far exceeding the US average. According to the US
  Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for RNs is expected to grow by an average
  of 16% per year &mdash; more than double the average for all jobs &mdash;
  which is 7%.
</p>

<p>
  As a headline, this data would strongly suggest that the US nursing shortage
  will not only continue into the foreseeable future, but that the gap between
  jobs and the availability of qualified nurses will continue to widen. While
  this may be true, it is important to remember that employment data is only
  relevant to us if we are evaluating supply and demand within our local job
  market.
</p>

<p>
  Cross Country Nurses, a national leader in nursing and allied contingent
  staffing, has published a
  <a href="/sites/ccn/blog"
    >series of documents to help healthcare professionals better understand the
    US job market</a
  >
  and provide insight to help RNs navigate their careers over the next 10 years.
  The series will explore local job markets by state and metropolitan area,
  salary variations by location and by cost of living factors, economic and
  other factors that may be tightening the job market for RNs, the skills gap
  and ways that RNs can improve their opportunities for both placement and
  career advancement.
</p>

<p>
  This article in this series, Registered Nurse Compensation and Pay Rates,
  looks more deeply at salaries for RNs across the US and in major metropolitan
  areas while also factoring in local cost of living expenses.
</p>

<h3>Compensation:</h3>

<p>
  Nationally, RNs earn a mean wage of $72,180 per year, but there are dramatic
  pay differences based upon both location and experience. By location alone,
  mean salary can range from $136,000 in San Francisco, CA to $49,000 in
  Springfield, OH. In fact, the only metropolitan area in the US that perfectly
  corresponds with the US mean wage for RNs is Albuquerque, NM. So unless you
  happen to live and work in Albuquerque, national data as it relates to RN
  wages is not as relevant to you as your local market data may be.
</p>

<p>
  From an experience perspective, salaries can range significantly as well. For
  entry-level nurses, the national mean wage is $47,120, and the most
  experienced nurses can earn as much as $102,990, on average. Over a career,
  this suggests that the income growth potential for RNs is $55,870 &mdash; or
  about $1,400 in average increases per year during a 40-year career.
</p>

<p>
  Again, however, location plays a significant factor. RN residents of Savannah,
  GA have the smallest income growth potential at about $19,500 during their
  career while San Rafael, CA RNs enjoy about a $110,000 swing from entry level
  to peak earning potential. For our friends in Albuquerque, mean entry-level
  salaries are $54,500 and the highest salaries top out at $95,410.
</p>

<p>
  The first table provides the top ten mean paying nursing markets in the US.
  These markets are all currently located in the state of California.
</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th valign="top" width="33%">Market*</th>
      <th valign="top" width="33%">Mean Salary</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">San Francisco, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$136,610</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Hayward, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$125,560</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Santa Cruz, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$124,920</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Vallejo, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$124,380</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">San Jose, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$120,680</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Salinas, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$120,120</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Oakland, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$117,880</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">San Rafael, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$117,550</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Sacramento, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$113,440</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">Napa, CA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="33%">$109,460</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th valign="top" width="50%">Market*</th>
      <th valign="top" width="50%">Mean Salary</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Newton, MA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$98,040</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Nashua, NH</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$92,570</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">North Central, MA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$90,620</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Honolulu, HI</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$89,290</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Portland, OR</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$88,750</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Non-metropolitan, AK</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$88,260</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Jersey City, NJ</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$88,100</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Bend, OR</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$87,890</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Kauai, HI</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$87,870</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Newark, NJ</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,850</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Anchorage, AK</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,850</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Kahului, HI</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,700</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Salem, MA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,680</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Southeast, AK</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,330</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Las Vegas, NV</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$86,150</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Danbury, CT</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$85,830</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Nassau County, NY</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$85,720</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Olympia, WA</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$84,470</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">North Coast, OR</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$83,840</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Eugene, OR</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$83,360</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th valign="top" width="50%">Market*</th>
      <th valign="top" width="50%">Cost of Living Adjusted Mean Salary</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Nevada</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$80,182</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Michigan</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$78,345</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Texas</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$77,607</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">California</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$75,482</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Oregon</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$75,390</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Arizona</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$74,852</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Washington</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$74,809</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Illinois</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$74,230</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">Minnesota</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$73,136</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">New Mexico</td>
      <td valign="top" width="50%">$71,755</td>
    </tr>
    <tr></tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<p>
  One thing is clear, nursing has, and will continue to be a well-compensated
  and in-demand profession in the US. We value our nurses for their guidance and
  lifesaving skills as well as their care and compassion. Nurses across the
  country touch lives every day, impact the overall health of our population and
  drive positive change into our healthcare system. From recent RN graduates to
  highly experienced, specialized nurses, compensation is only one benefit of
  the profession. In our next article, we will take a closer look at salary
  ranges by state and metropolitan area for new graduates as well as the most
  experienced in the profession.
</p>
