Nurse Salary by State (2025 BLS Data): RN, NP and LPN Pay
Nurse salary by state
Pick a state and a nursing role to see the annual pay the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for May 2025, and how it compares with the national figure.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates. Pay varies by metro area, setting and experience; figures are gross annual wages.
This page shows what nurses earn in every U.S. state, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. Use the lookup above for one state, or the full table below to compare them all.
The national picture
| Role | Median annual pay | Mean annual pay |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | $97,550 | $101,420 |
| Nurse practitioners | $132,300 | $137,300 |
| Licensed practical and vocational nurses | $64,400 | $67,050 |
The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The mean is the average, which a smaller number of very high salaries pulls upward.
Highest- and lowest-paying states for registered nurses
| Highest median pay | Lowest median pay | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,270 | Alabama | $77,080 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Washington | $124,200 | Iowa | $78,630 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | Arkansas | $78,940 |
Pay differences between states are large, but so are differences in housing and living costs. A higher salary in a high-cost state can buy less than a lower one elsewhere, so compare offers against local costs as well as the headline figure.
Every state
| State | RN median | RN mean | NP median | LPN median | RN employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $77,080 | $77,020 | $105,750 | $57,030 | 54,340 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | $114,870 | $155,170 | $80,800 | 7,510 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | $99,730 | $134,420 | $77,070 | 73,150 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | $81,520 | $125,660 | $56,620 | 29,400 |
| California | $140,270 | $150,280 | $168,520 | $79,750 | 338,940 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | $99,370 | $132,930 | $73,880 | 54,490 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | $105,250 | $138,470 | $73,690 | 40,110 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | $99,460 | $131,040 | $68,710 | 14,290 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | $106,980 | $135,880 | $75,740 | 11,440 |
| Florida | $84,190 | $90,650 | $129,510 | $61,770 | 229,940 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | $95,080 | $129,430 | $62,030 | 100,950 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $124,340 | $135,570 | $71,140 | 12,940 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | $92,710 | $132,540 | $63,800 | 16,880 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | $94,360 | $130,680 | $75,000 | 138,910 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | $89,150 | $128,830 | $65,720 | 68,980 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | $80,540 | $130,160 | $62,630 | 34,420 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | $82,360 | $126,650 | $61,760 | 33,800 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | $86,140 | $122,870 | $60,460 | 50,300 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | $84,190 | $125,600 | $57,470 | 48,970 |
| Maine | $86,990 | $91,700 | $130,260 | $73,200 | 16,540 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $99,010 | $131,110 | $74,660 | 52,910 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | $117,960 | $142,440 | $80,220 | 88,200 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 | $131,450 | $65,460 | 104,950 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | $103,420 | $133,260 | $63,750 | 70,110 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | $78,950 | $124,730 | $50,220 | 29,060 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | $85,900 | $129,930 | $61,530 | 76,310 |
| Montana | $85,280 | $91,510 | $137,210 | $62,210 | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | $88,330 | $132,130 | $62,660 | 24,720 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | $105,710 | $140,670 | $76,160 | 27,070 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | $97,900 | $137,550 | $77,110 | 15,390 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | $110,100 | $159,310 | $75,160 | 92,680 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | $95,290 | $137,520 | $59,330 | 17,980 |
| New York | $109,440 | $113,440 | $153,510 | $67,180 | 205,810 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | $90,470 | $128,990 | $63,270 | 111,120 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | $83,600 | $130,070 | $62,300 | 11,340 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | $87,730 | $124,870 | $61,950 | 143,730 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | $85,060 | $133,390 | $58,320 | 38,270 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | $123,140 | $155,680 | $80,470 | 39,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $94,020 | $130,140 | $63,940 | 146,520 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | $101,260 | $135,970 | $80,090 | 10,090 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | $87,670 | $123,290 | $61,820 | 49,750 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | $77,140 | $128,840 | $52,750 | 14,710 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | $85,390 | $117,590 | $58,870 | 72,200 |
| Texas | $95,970 | $95,380 | $131,670 | $62,240 | 271,380 |
| Utah | $84,600 | $90,950 | $130,920 | $63,230 | 27,420 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | $96,650 | $134,740 | $69,930 | 7,410 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $93,850 | $127,810 | $64,920 | 77,490 |
| Washington | $124,200 | $121,540 | $156,100 | $83,150 | 69,260 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | $86,970 | $127,320 | $55,360 | 23,430 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | $94,690 | $131,980 | $63,760 | 68,060 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | $88,600 | $132,200 | $63,460 | 5,330 |
“n/a” means BLS did not publish an estimate for that role and state, usually because too few employers responded to meet its reliability standards.
How to read these numbers
- They are gross annual wages before taxes and benefits, for full-time and part-time workers combined.
- They are statewide. Pay in large metro areas is often well above the state figure; rural areas are often below it.
- Experience and setting matter. Hospital, outpatient, travel and agency roles pay differently, and specialty certifications often add to base pay.
- The survey runs every year. Figures refer to May of the reference year and are updated when BLS publishes the next release.
Source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: bls.gov/oes. Occupations: registered nurses (SOC 29-1141), nurse practitioners (29-1171), licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (29-2061). Retrieved 2026-09-25 from the BLS public data API.