The best states for nurses on pay are California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. On the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data for May 2025, registered nurses in California earned an average of $150,280 a year, against $101,420 across the US. Even after adjusting for living costs, the same West Coast states stay at the top of the RN salary by state ranking.
For an international nurse, though, the best state is usually the one where an employer will sponsor your green card, and where you can get a licence. This guide gives the full state table, explains the cost-of-living adjustment, covers the Nurse Licensure Compact, and shows where the international nurse jobs on this board are. Pay data changes every year and this is general information, not financial or immigration advice.
Where the numbers come from
- Pay: the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for registered nurses (occupation code 29-1141), May 2025, the latest release. We used the annual mean and median wage and employment for each state (BLS).
- Living costs: the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPPs) for 2024, released on 19 February 2026. An RPP of 110 means prices are 10% above the US average (BEA).
- Adjusted pay is our own calculation: the state’s mean wage divided by its RPP, times 100. It shows what the pay is worth at average US prices. The years differ (2025 pay, 2024 prices), so treat it as a guide, not an exact figure.
Nationally, the BLS says the median registered nurse earned $97,550 in May 2025, with the lowest 10% under $68,940 and the top 10% over $137,470 (BLS).
Highest paying states for nurses
The ten states with the highest average RN pay in May 2025:
| State | Average (mean) | Median | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $150,280 | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $124,340 | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $123,140 | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| Washington | $121,540 | $124,200 | 69,260 |
| Massachusetts | $117,960 | $104,550 | 88,200 |
| Alaska | $114,870 | $109,480 | 7,510 |
| New York | $113,440 | $109,440 | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 | 92,680 |
| District of Columbia | $106,980 | $102,540 | 11,440 |
| Nevada | $105,710 | $103,670 | 27,070 |
The lowest averages were in Alabama ($77,020), South Dakota ($77,140), Mississippi ($78,950), Iowa ($80,540) and Arkansas ($81,520).
Highest paying states for nurses adjusted for cost of living
When you divide pay by local prices, the order changes:
| Rank | State | Average pay | Price level (US = 100) | Adjusted pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $150,280 | 110.7 | $135,754 |
| 2 | Oregon | $123,140 | 103.4 | $119,091 |
| 3 | Washington | $121,540 | 107.0 | $113,589 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $124,340 | 110.0 | $113,036 |
| 5 | Alaska | $114,870 | 102.4 | $112,178 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $117,960 | 105.8 | $111,493 |
| 7 | Nevada | $105,710 | 100.0 | $105,710 |
| 8 | New York | $113,440 | 107.9 | $105,134 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $103,420 | 98.6 | $104,888 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $95,290 | 92.2 | $103,351 |
Some lower-paying states look better once prices are counted: New Mexico, Wisconsin ($100,627 adjusted), Nebraska ($98,036) and West Virginia ($97,173). Florida drops from 32nd on raw pay to near the bottom, because its prices (103.4) are above the US average while its RN pay ($90,650) is below it.
The RPP is an average for the whole state. Big cities like San Francisco, Boston or New York City cost much more than the rest of their state, so look at the city too. BEA says housing rents drive most of the differences between states.
RN salary by state: the full table
All 50 states and DC, May 2025, sorted by adjusted pay.
| State | Mean | Median | Price level | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $150,280 | $140,270 | 110.7 | $135,754 |
| Oregon | $123,140 | $129,010 | 103.4 | $119,091 |
| Washington | $121,540 | $124,200 | 107.0 | $113,589 |
| Hawaii | $124,340 | $136,320 | 110.0 | $113,036 |
| Alaska | $114,870 | $109,480 | 102.4 | $112,178 |
| Massachusetts | $117,960 | $104,550 | 105.8 | $111,493 |
| Nevada | $105,710 | $103,670 | 100.0 | $105,710 |
| New York | $113,440 | $109,440 | 107.9 | $105,134 |
| Minnesota | $103,420 | $101,510 | 98.6 | $104,888 |
| New Mexico | $95,290 | $94,340 | 92.2 | $103,351 |
| Connecticut | $105,250 | $102,740 | 103.6 | $101,593 |
| New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 | 108.8 | $101,195 |
| Wisconsin | $94,690 | $95,530 | 94.1 | $100,627 |
| Delaware | $99,460 | $99,520 | 99.8 | $99,659 |
| Arizona | $99,730 | $99,500 | 100.7 | $99,037 |
| Rhode Island | $101,260 | $100,640 | 102.3 | $98,983 |
| Georgia | $95,080 | $93,550 | 96.3 | $98,733 |
| Vermont | $96,650 | $97,460 | 98.0 | $98,622 |
| Texas | $95,380 | $95,970 | 97.1 | $98,229 |
| Nebraska | $88,330 | $84,730 | 90.1 | $98,036 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 | 96.2 | $98,025 |
| District of Columbia | $106,980 | $102,540 | 109.9 | $97,343 |
| West Virginia | $86,970 | $80,130 | 89.5 | $97,173 |
| Idaho | $92,710 | $92,460 | 95.5 | $97,079 |
| Oklahoma | $85,060 | $82,920 | 87.8 | $96,879 |
| Montana | $91,510 | $85,280 | 94.6 | $96,734 |
| Colorado | $99,370 | $100,260 | 103.1 | $96,382 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $96,430 | 97.6 | $96,332 |
| North Carolina | $90,470 | $84,350 | 94.3 | $95,938 |
| Wyoming | $88,600 | $83,760 | 92.7 | $95,577 |
| Indiana | $89,150 | $83,500 | 93.3 | $95,552 |
| Kentucky | $86,140 | $81,040 | 90.2 | $95,499 |
| Louisiana | $84,190 | $80,230 | 88.2 | $95,454 |
| Missouri | $85,900 | $81,780 | 90.8 | $94,604 |
| Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 | 92.8 | $94,537 |
| Maine | $91,700 | $86,990 | 97.1 | $94,439 |
| Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 | 100.0 | $94,360 |
| Maryland | $99,010 | $99,790 | 105.0 | $94,295 |
| New Hampshire | $97,900 | $99,700 | 104.2 | $93,954 |
| North Dakota | $83,600 | $80,730 | 89.0 | $93,933 |
| Arkansas | $81,520 | $78,940 | 86.9 | $93,809 |
| South Carolina | $87,670 | $82,360 | 93.7 | $93,565 |
| Tennessee | $85,390 | $81,500 | 91.9 | $92,916 |
| Virginia | $93,850 | $93,600 | 101.1 | $92,829 |
| Utah | $90,950 | $84,600 | 98.9 | $91,962 |
| Iowa | $80,540 | $78,630 | 87.8 | $91,731 |
| Kansas | $82,360 | $79,320 | 90.1 | $91,410 |
| Mississippi | $78,950 | $77,090 | 87.0 | $90,747 |
| Florida | $90,650 | $84,190 | 103.4 | $87,669 |
| South Dakota | $77,140 | $78,060 | 88.6 | $87,065 |
| Alabama | $77,020 | $77,080 | 88.8 | $86,734 |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, BEA RPPs 2024. Adjusted pay is our calculation.
The Nurse Licensure Compact
In the US, your nursing licence is issued by one state. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets nurses who live in a member state hold one multistate licence that is valid in all member states. NCSBN’s compact site says 43 jurisdictions are part of it (NurseCompact.com), and if you move from one compact state to another you must apply for a licence in your new home state within 60 days.
According to the NLC map, the compact is not in force in several of the best-paying states: California, Hawaii, Oregon, Alaska, New York, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan, plus DC. Massachusetts has enacted it but was still awaiting implementation. Washington joined on 31 January 2024 and Pennsylvania on 7 July 2025 (NLC map).
Why it matters to you: a multistate licence makes it easier to move or take a job across state lines later. A licence in a non-compact state like California is valid only in that state.
Best state for international nurses
For a nurse coming from abroad, three things matter more than the pay table:
- Who will sponsor you. Most international nurses come on an EB-3 green card filed by their employer under Schedule A (USCIS). You go where that employer has a job, so the employer often decides the state.
- How the state board treats foreign-educated nurses. Each state sets its own rules, for example on credentials evaluation and English tests. Check the board in the state of your offer before you plan.
- Living costs against pay. A Florida or Texas job may pay less than California, but the adjusted table shows how the gap narrows or widens.
On Nurse Jobs World on 16 October 2026, US employers with job ads that mentioned visa sponsorship included AdventHealth (Florida and other regions), Intermountain Health (Utah and Colorado), Rochester Regional Health (New York), Cleveland Clinic (Ohio), Fresenius Medical Care and DaVita (dialysis, several states) and LCMC Health (Louisiana). See the visa sponsorship jobs page and employers sponsoring visas for the current list.
Across all US ads on this board, the October 2026 report found a median of $91,000 for registered nurse ads with a yearly US dollar salary, and the cities with the most jobs were New Orleans, Charlotte, San Antonio, Nashville and Birmingham. Browse nursing jobs in the United States or all registered nurse jobs.
Read US nursing jobs for international nurses for the licence and green card steps, and agency vs direct hire before you sign with a staffing company.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest paying state for nurses?
California. On BLS data for May 2025, registered nurses there earned an average of $150,280 a year and a median of $140,270. Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts followed.
Which states pay nurses best adjusted for cost of living?
Using BLS pay for May 2025 and BEA price levels for 2024, the top five are California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska. New Mexico, Wisconsin and Nebraska also rank higher than their raw pay suggests.
What is the average RN salary in the US in 2026?
The latest official figures are for May 2025: a median of $97,550 and a mean of $101,420 a year. Check the BLS site for newer releases.
Which states are in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
NCSBN says 43 jurisdictions are part of the compact, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington. California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, Minnesota, Michigan, Hawaii and Alaska were not members on the NLC map we checked.
What is the best state for international nurses?
There is no single answer. Most international nurses go where an employer sponsors their green card. Compare the offer’s pay with the state’s living costs in the table above, and check that state’s board of nursing rules for foreign-educated nurses.