How Much Does a Nurse Make?

When I became a nurse, I had a general idea that nursing salaries varied. I knew that my nurse friends from different cities, states, hospitals, and specialties had wildly different incomes. However, I had NO idea just how much they varied, or how years later my salary would so heavily influence my decision to stay in California (for the time being).

So how much do nurses actually make? The short answer: It varies.

In a list of nurses’ salaries posted in late 2022, Nurse.org gave us some wild information: The average hourly rate between the lowest and highest paid nurses by state differed by almost 43 dollars an hour, while NurseJournal.org’s report on the average nursing salary in 2022 states

The average annual RN salary is $82,750, or $39.78 an hour.

However, as we’ve seen, that number truly is just an average. This same article from NurseJournal.org shows that the median annual salary for nurses between the highest paying state (California) and the lowest (South Dakota) differs by 64,800 dollars a year. That is an absolutely insane number.

I know what you’re thinking. Why wouldn’t you just move to a state that pays nurses more?

So what factors (other than location) can influence your salary?

Degree

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), the letters behind your name do matter when it comes to salary. Some hospitals are no longer hiring ADNs, as according to the AACN,

The nation’s Magnet hospitals, which are recognized for nursing excellence and superior
patient outcomes, have moved to require all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold a
baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing.

Many hospitals also offer hourly differentials for having a Bachelors Degree, a Masters Degree, or a certification in their specialty (such as the CCRN, CPAN, CCTC, etc). It’s also worth noting that there are significant differences between a LPN and an RN’s salary, but please know that LPNs are still used if that is the route you want to take. RegisteredNurseRN has a great video that discusses LPN salary.

Unfortunately, in many circumstances it seems that if you are hoping to have the best odds of a higher salary, more time and money is *often* (but not necessarily) required. There are many different paths to becoming a nurse (but that’s a different post),  so finding the one that is right for you is super important.

Specialty

According to this article by Incredible Health, CRNAs are the highest paid nursing professionals, earning “a nationwide average of $202,470 per year”, with the next top earners being Nursing Administrators ($119,840/year) and Nurse Practitioners ($118,040/year). While this is interesting information, it’s worth noting that these specialties oftentimes require extra schooling, years of experience, and a strong desire to pursue that path. So if you’re seeing those numbers and comparing yourself, please know that most nurses aren’t necessarily making that amount, and unless you’re truly interested in becoming an advanced practice nurse, you shouldn’t do it!

The different environment that you work in also heavily impacts your salary. For example, ZipRecruiter reports

As of Mar 29, 2023, the average annual pay for a School Nurse in California is $55,717 a year. 

Conversely, per Vivian Health, a flight nurse might make $133,120 per year. These are obviously two very different jobs, but it’s good to be aware that the type of nurse you want to be can also impact your pay.

Years of experience

Many hospitals will offer hourly raises for each year you’ve been there or for each year of nursing experience. For example, at the hospital I work at, the difference in pay between someone who has been a nurse for 20 years versus someone who has been a nurse for a year varies by over 30 dollars per hour. I think this is why new grads are often encouraged to “take what they can get”, but you can and should still shop around and negotiate when possible.

Cost of living

It’s important to keep in mind that in many locations where the salary looks too good to be true, that’s usually because it’s all relative to the cost of living. For example, while nurses in South Dakota might make the least, RentCafe states that the cost of living in South Dakota is 6% lower than the national average, while the cost of living in California is 39% higher than the national average. This can mean that if you’re a nurse in California who isn’t careful with their finances, you very well might feel like you are getting  a South Dakota salary. It really is all relative.

Your status

If you haven’t read my post on the difference between being per diem vs part time or full time, this is a great place to start! It’s worth noting that whether you are a per diem, part time, or full time employee (or a traveler, but that’s a different post), your hourly salary will be significantly different. There are so many factors that go into deciding if a status change is right for you, so as always, do your research and make sure you’re educated about your decision!

As you can see, asking “how much does a nurse make” is an extremely difficult question to answer, because there are so many factors that influence our hourly and yearly salaries as nurses. While salary is a huge factor in choosing the job that is right for you, the most important thing is that you find a job you’re okay going to everyday!