RN Salary by State

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 7, 2015

I don't think such a site exists. Part of the reason for the wide ranges is the varying experience of nurses responding and also because even within a state, the cost of living is going to vary. After all, how much more is NYC when compared with other areas of the state?

Best bet is to research areas in which you want to live. What does rent/housing cost for your ideal residence? How about gas and parking? Groceries?

While it may require more work on your end, to truly know what you'd be getting yourself into, you may want to contact facilities directly to find out what new grad pay they offer, look at sites such as realtor.com to see what houses cost, and other such research that can tell you what salary vs. cost of living is. It's not always about the salary- I make a decent salary for where I live, but if I were to move to the major city 100 miles away, I wouldn't be able to afford living on the same salary.

erinhoga · Mar 7, 2015

Thanks so much! Yes, I know it can vary a lot. I work with an RN with 20+ years of experience who took a 40% pay cut to move to the other side of the state, where housing is significantly cheaper. She very much regrets her decision because she had no idea that her salary would be that much less over here. I know that it is important for us to do our research, but I didn't think about looking into websites like realtor.com to see about housing costs. Thanks again!

MatrixRn · Mar 7, 2015

To get a general idea of salaries type in -Indeed salary- in your search bar. You can search by state, job title etc.

But salary is not the end all be all.....look at cost of living in the area as well.