What is the average RN salary in 2025?

According to BLS May 2025 OEWS data, the mean annual wage for registered nurses is $101,420 and the median is $97,550. The mean hourly wage is $48.76. California pays the highest at $150,280 mean annual.

Which state pays nurses the most in 2025?

California pays the highest RN salary at $150,280 mean annual wage according to BLS May 2025 data. However, when adjusted for cost of living, Oregon leads at $51.71/hr effective pay, followed by Minnesota at $50.28/hr.

How much do CRNAs make?

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) earn a mean annual wage of $248,320 and a median of $236,590 according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. CRNAs are the highest-paid nursing specialty, representing a 482% salary increase over CNAs.

How bad is the nursing shortage in 2024?

According to the NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, 138,000 nurses have left the profession since 2022, 40% of RNs intend to leave or retire within 5 years, and the median RN age is 50. Baby boomers are expected to largely exit the workforce by 2027.

What are the fastest growing nursing specialties?

In the BLS Employment Projections released August 27, 2026, Nurse Practitioners are projected to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035 — the fastest growing job in the entire U.S. economy. APRNs combined grow 36%. Staff RNs grow 6%, LPN/LVNs 3%, and CNAs 3%. The average for all occupations is 3.5%.

How much more do travel nurses make than staff nurses?

Travel nurses earn an average of $2,178/week compared to $1,893/week for staff RNs based on BLS May 2025 and Vivian Health March 2026 data. Travel nurses also receive tax-free stipends of approximately $1,388/week including a $770/week housing stipend.

What is the highest-paying healthcare career in 2025?

According to BLS May 2025 data, physicians and surgeons earn the highest median salary at $275,930, followed by nurse anesthetists at $236,590, pharmacists at $140,910, and nurse midwives at $134,040.

Which healthcare jobs are growing the fastest from 2025 to 2035?

Nurse practitioners lead with 41% projected growth from 2025 to 2035, followed by home health and personal care aides at 18%, speech-language pathologists at 17%, health information technologists at 16%, and occupational therapists at 15%.

Nursing by the Numbers

Every salary figure, workforce trend, and career insight — animated, verified, and cited. Built for nurses who want the real data.

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Pay

Top-Paying States Specialty Salaries APRN Pay Ladder Cost-of-Living Pay Travel vs Staff

Workforce

RN Quick Facts Nursing Shortage Burnout Gauge Where RNs Work

Growth

Fastest Growing Roles Education Pays

Career Pulse

Healthcare Salaries Fastest Growing Careers Annual Openings Career Comparison

Compensation

How Much Do Nurses Earn in 2026?

Top 5 States

Highest-Paying States for Staff RNs

Annual mean wage, BLS May 2025 OEWS (SOC 29-1141). National average: $101,420.

$150,280

$124,340

$123,140

$121,540

$117,960

Nat'l Avg

$101,420

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 | SOC 29-1141

Specialty Pay

Nursing Specialty Salaries

Mean annual wage by specialty, BLS May 2025 OEWS.

CRNA $248,320

+145% vs RN

Nurse Practitioner $137,300

+35% vs RN

Nurse Midwife $136,980

+35% vs RN

Staff RN $101,420

Baseline

APRN Job Growth (2025–2035)

NPs alone: 41% — now the fastest-growing job in the U.S. economy

36%

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

Career Progression

The APRN Pay Ladder

Mean annual wage by role. Nursing Assistant (CNA) to Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) = 482% salary increase. BLS May 2025.

CNA Nursing Assistant

$42,700

LPN Licensed Practical Nurse

$67,050

RN Registered Nurse

$101,420

Midwife Certified Nurse-Midwife

$136,980

NP Nurse Practitioner

$137,300

CRNA Nurse Anesthetist

$248,320

Nursing Assistant → Nurse Anesthetist

+482%

Registered Nurse → Nurse Practitioner

+35%

Nurse Practitioner → Nurse Anesthetist

+81%

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

Real Pay

Cost-of-Living Adjusted RN Pay

When you adjust for cost of living, the rankings flip. Oregon beats California.

$51.71/hr

$50.28/hr

$49.25/hr

$48.72/hr

$48.63/hr

Lowest adjusted: Hawaii — $31.82/hr (raw $59.48/hr, COL 186.9)

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 | Missouri COLI Index

Comparison

Travel Nurse vs. Staff Nurse

Staff salary from BLS May 2025. Travel data from Vivian Health, March 2026.

Metric	Staff RN	Travel RN
Avg Weekly Pay	$1,950	$2,178
Annualized	$101,420	~$113,100
Tax-Free Stipends	None	~$1,388/wk
Housing Stipend	N/A	~$770/wk

Top State (Travel)

Alaska

$2,617/wk

Post-Pandemic

Normalized

Below pre-COVID (inflation-adj)

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 | Vivian Health March 2026

Workforce

What Is the State of the Nursing Workforce?

National Overview

RN Workforce Quick Facts

May 2025 BLS OEWS wages; 2025–2035 BLS Employment Projections for growth and openings. Registered Nurses (29-1141).

Active RN Jobs

Mean Annual Wage

Median Annual Wage

Mean Hourly Wage

Job Growth (2025–35)

Annual Openings

Source: BLS OOH Registered Nurses | May 2025

Crisis Data

The Nursing Shortage

NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey (published April 2025).

Nurses left since 2022

Intend to leave/retire in 5 years

Median RN age (years)

Baby boomer workforce exit

Why they leave

41.3% stress/burnout · 32.8% workload · 26.0% understaffing · 61.4% retirement

Source: NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey

Burnout Index

Nursing Burnout Gauge

Composite burnout reading across multiple 2024–2025 surveys.

Extreme Burnout

Low Moderate High Extreme

57%

Feel burnt out
(Nurse.org 2024)

58%

Burnout most days
(AMN 2025)

52%

Feel unsupported
(Nurse.org 2024)

41%

Leave due to burnout
(NCSBN 2024)

Source: NCSBN 2024 | ANA Surveys 2024–2025

Employment

Where Do RNs Work?

Employment distribution by industry setting, BLS OOH 2025.

3.47M

Total RN Jobs

Hospitals — 59% ($100,220 mean)

Ambulatory Care — 19% ($91,230)

Nursing/Residential Facilities — 6% ($84,300)

Government — 5% ($110,780)

Education — 3% ($78,620)

Other — 8%

Source: BLS OOH Registered Nurses | May 2025

Education & Growth

What Are the Fastest Growing Nursing Roles?

Growth

Fastest Growing Nursing Roles

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035, released August 27, 2026. Average for all occupations: 3.5%.

NPs (alone)

41%

APRNs (combined)

36%

Staff RNs

LPN/LVNs

CNAs

NPs = #1 fastest growing job in the entire U.S. economy

Now ahead of every other occupation BLS tracks — up from 3rd in the 2024–34 projections. About 29,400 NP openings a year.

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Education

Education Pays

BSN vs ADN salary gap and credential trends. NCSBN 2024.

+$3.89

per hour BSN premium

73%+

RNs hold BSN or higher

The highest educational level ever documented by NCSBN. Diploma as first credential decreased from 14.3% (2015) to 8.6% (2024). Hispanic/Latino RNs doubled from 3.6% to 7.2%.

Annual BSN premium at 40 hrs/wk = ~$8,091/year

Source: NCSBN 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey

BLS Data — Updated August 2026

Healthcare Career Pulse

Interactive infographics mapping salary, growth, and opportunity across 18 healthcare occupations — all verified from BLS May 2025 OEWS and the 2025–2035 Employment Projections released August 27, 2026.

Annual Job Openings

Median Practitioner Salary

Practitioner Growth Rate

Occupations Tracked