Washington RN Salary 2026
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
What RNs actually earn in Washington
The mean registered nurse salary in Washington is $121,540 a year, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That puts Washington 20% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and 4th-highest in the country.
That mean covers every RN in the state — new graduates and thirty-year charge nurses, day shift and nights, bedside and management. In practice new-graduate wages in Washington land around $91,155, and experienced specialty or supervisory nurses reach roughly $170,156. If you are comparing a specific offer, the ladder below is more useful than the all-RN average.
Washington pay across the nursing ladder
Six roles, all Washington figures, each against its national anchor:
| Role | Mean annual | vs national | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (all RNs) | $121,540 | 20% above national | 4th |
| ICU / critical care RN | $121,507 | 43% above national | 6th |
| Emergency department RN | $98,238 | — | 1st |
| Travel nurse (posted base) | $114,542 | 13% above national | 1st |
| Nurse practitioner | $143,620 | 5% above national | 5th |
| CRNA | $272,833 | 10% above national | 6th |
RN, NP and CRNA figures are BLS May 2025 OEWS unless the state note says otherwise. ICU, ER and travel figures are 2026 aggregator data (ZipRecruiter, Vivian, TheCRNA) — those specialties have no separate federal SOC code, so no BLS series exists for them.
What that salary is actually worth
Washington's regional price parity is 104.7 against a national average of 100, so goods and services here cost 4.7% more than the national norm. Run the $121,540 mean through that and it carries the purchasing power of $116,084 anywhere else in the country.
Washington ranks 4th on nominal pay and 3rd once cost of living is taken out, so the headline number is roughly honest here — what you are offered is close to what it is worth.
What is driving Washington pay right now
Annual hospital staffing-plan submission required; 2023 ratio law (HB 1357 family) tightening enforcement; WSNA union strength; Seattle tech-region wage pull lifts all specialties.
Staffing-ratio law: Washington has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratios, so how many patients you carry is set by hospital policy and unit budget rather than by law. That makes the ratio a question to settle in the interview, not after you start — ask what the unit actually runs on nights and weekends, not what the policy says.
Who you are competing with
Because Washington is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, every nurse working here needs a Washington licence specifically. That slows down out-of-state hiring and travel placements, and in a shortage it tends to push rates up faster than in compact states, because the supply of nurses who can legally take the shift is smaller. Full detail on requirements and timelines is in the Washington licensure guide.
Where the jobs are in Washington
The largest RN employment markets in Washington are Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma. Metro wages generally run 5-15% above the state mean, and rural postings 5-10% below — though rural and critical-access hospitals often close part of that gap with sign-on bonuses and loan repayment, because they compete for a much smaller pool of applicants. ANCC Magnet-designated hospitals typically pay 8-12% more than non-Magnet facilities for the same role.
Tax and take-home in Washington
Washington state income tax: none. With no state income tax, a given gross goes further here than the same gross in a high-tax state — worth several thousand dollars a year at RN salaries, and one reason this state stays competitive for travellers. Federal brackets and FICA (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) apply the same everywhere. The pay calculator models federal and Washington state tax together, and the cost-of-living calculator compares two states on take-home rather than headline pay.
Differentials and premium pay
Base rate is rarely the whole story. Most Washington hospitals pay a night differential of roughly $2-7/hr, weekends $1-3/hr, holidays at $1-3/hr or time-and-a-half, and charge-nurse pay of $2-5/hr on top. A nurse working a permanent night rotation with every third weekend can add several thousand a year over the base figures above. The shift differential calculator works out what a given rotation is actually worth.
Common questions
What is the average RN salary in Washington?
The mean registered nurse salary in Washington is $121,540 per year, per the BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. That is 20% above the national RN mean of $101,420, and ranks 4th-highest in the country.
Is $121,540 a good RN salary in Washington?
Adjusted for Washington's cost of living (BEA regional price parity 104.7, where 100 is the national average), $121,540 has the purchasing power of about $116,084 nationally — 3rd among the 51 states and DC. Compare offers on the adjusted figure, not the headline one.
Which Washington nursing roles pay the most?
CRNAs lead at $272,833, followed by nurse practitioners at $143,620. Within bedside nursing, ICU and critical care ($121,507) typically pays above the all-RN mean.
Related Washington guides
See nursing licensure in Washington for Board of Nursing requirements and compact status, and travel nursing in Washington for contract rates and stipend detail. National context: pay and data, highest-paying RN specialties.