Registered Nurse Salary by City (2026)

Q: How much does registered nurse salary pay on average?

The national average ranges from $55,000 to $95,000. Lubbock is cheapest at $42,810, while San Francisco is most expensive at $176,216.

Q: Where is registered nurse salary cheapest in the US?

Top 5 cheapest: Lubbock ($42,810), Abilene ($43,642), Mobile ($43,732), Louisville ($43,747), Oshkosh ($45,116).

Q: Why does registered nurse salary cost more in some cities?

Factors include local labor rates, state regulations, material costs, competitive density, and regional demand. High cost-of-living cities have higher baseline expenses.

Registered Nurse Salary vary dramatically across the United States — and location is the single biggest factor most people overlook. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive cities can exceed 100%, meaning the same service that costs $55,000 in one market might run over $95,000 in another. Our data covers salary figures from 301 cities, updated with the latest federal data. Lubbock leads as the most affordable market, while San Francisco tops the list for highest costs.

Direct Answer

Registered Nurse Salary pay averages about $75,000/yr nationally. In this city dataset, San Francisco, CA has the highest modeled pay at $176,216/yr, while Lubbock, TX is lowest at $42,810/yr.

This hub is designed to route readers from the national answer into city-specific pages, where local rent, wages, insurance, taxes, and market conditions explain the real decision difference.

National average

$75,000

Reported as $/yr.

Highest city

San Francisco

$176,216/yr modeled pay.

Lowest city

Lubbock

$42,810/yr modeled pay.

City spread

$133,406

312% gap between the highest and lowest city values in this topic set.

Why Registered Nurse Salary Vary by City

Regional cost of living that employers must match to attract talent

Local demand for this role relative to supply of qualified professionals

State income tax rates that affect take-home pay negotiations

Remote work availability — roles that can be done remotely are converging on national rates, while on-site roles retain geographic premiums

Industry concentration — tech hubs, healthcare centers, and manufacturing regions each have different pay scales

How to Use This Guide

Start with the national average, then check the city page because registered nurse salary can move sharply by local market.
Compare pay against rent and taxes before treating one city as the best option.
Use the related city links and comparison pages to connect this topic to full cost-of-living decisions.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities for Registered Nurse Salary

🟢 Most Affordable

🔴 Most Expensive

Compare Registered Nurse Salary Across 301 Cities

#	City	State	Low	Average	High	vs National
1	Lubbock	TX	$31,394	$42,810	$54,226	-43%
2	Abilene	TX	$32,004	$43,642	$55,280	-42%
3	Mobile	AL	$32,070	$43,732	$55,394	-42%
4	Louisville	KY	$32,081	$43,747	$55,413	-42%
5	Oshkosh	WI	$33,085	$45,116	$57,147	-40%
6	Tyler	TX	$33,649	$45,885	$58,121	-39%
7	Des Moines	IA	$34,584	$47,160	$59,736	-37%
8	Columbia	SC	$34,691	$47,306	$59,921	-37%
9	Tallahassee	FL	$35,445	$48,334	$61,223	-36%
10	Huntsville	AL	$35,679	$48,653	$61,627	-35%
11	Racine	WI	$35,981	$49,065	$62,149	-35%
12	Charleston	WV	$36,325	$49,534	$62,743	-34%
13	Columbus	OH	$36,845	$50,243	$63,641	-33%
14	Lafayette	LA	$36,875	$50,284	$63,693	-33%
15	Odessa	TX	$36,965	$50,407	$63,849	-33%
16	Warner Robins	GA	$37,045	$50,516	$63,987	-33%
17	Conway	AR	$37,436	$51,049	$64,662	-32%
18	Detroit	MI	$37,474	$51,101	$64,728	-32%
19	Appleton	WI	$37,826	$51,581	$65,336	-31%
20	Chattanooga	TN	$38,167	$52,046	$65,925	-31%
21	Macon	GA	$38,418	$52,388	$66,358	-30%
22	Montgomery	AL	$38,888	$53,029	$67,170	-29%
23	Murfreesboro	TN	$39,031	$53,224	$67,417	-29%
24	Rapid City	SD	$39,210	$53,468	$67,726	-29%
25	Corpus Christi	TX	$39,262	$53,539	$67,816	-29%
26	Newport News	VA	$39,383	$53,704	$68,025	-28%
27	Cleveland	OH	$39,748	$54,202	$68,656	-28%
28	La Crosse	WI	$39,960	$54,491	$69,022	-27%
29	Norfolk	VA	$40,065	$54,634	$69,203	-27%
30	Frisco	TX	$40,387	$55,073	$69,759	-27%
31	Jackson	MS	$40,893	$55,763	$70,633	-26%
32	Wichita	KS	$41,236	$56,231	$71,226	-25%
33	Shreveport	LA	$41,244	$56,242	$71,240	-25%
34	Tulsa	OK	$41,363	$56,404	$71,445	-25%
35	Tampa	FL	$41,588	$56,711	$71,834	-24%
36	Pierre	SD	$41,704	$56,869	$72,034	-24%
37	Waco	TX	$41,822	$57,030	$72,238	-24%
38	Omaha	NE	$41,883	$57,113	$72,343	-24%
39	Davenport	IA	$42,023	$57,304	$72,585	-24%
40	Bowling Green	KY	$42,147	$57,473	$72,799	-23%
41	Houston	TX	$42,169	$57,503	$72,837	-23%
42	Jefferson City	MO	$42,394	$57,810	$73,226	-23%
43	Terre Haute	IN	$42,521	$57,983	$73,445	-23%
44	Round Rock	TX	$42,730	$58,268	$73,806	-22%
45	Arlington	TX	$42,870	$58,459	$74,048	-22%
46	Baton Rouge	LA	$43,079	$58,744	$74,409	-22%
47	Raleigh	NC	$43,120	$58,800	$74,480	-22%
48	Joliet	IL	$43,337	$59,096	$74,855	-21%
49	Cary	NC	$43,453	$59,254	$75,055	-21%
50	San Antonio	TX	$43,931	$59,906	$75,881	-20%
51	Greensboro	NC	$43,978	$59,970	$75,962	-20%
52	Minneapolis	MN	$44,492	$60,671	$76,850	-19%
53	Green Bay	WI	$44,528	$60,720	$76,912	-19%
54	Grand Rapids	MI	$44,660	$60,900	$77,140	-19%
55	Laredo	TX	$44,861	$61,174	$77,487	-18%
56	Bloomington	IL	$44,880	$61,200	$77,520	-18%
57	Pompano Beach	FL	$45,216	$61,658	$78,100	-18%
58	Charleston	SC	$45,477	$62,014	$78,551	-17%
59	Brownsville	TX	$45,911	$62,606	$79,301	-17%
60	Phoenix	AZ	$46,027	$62,764	$79,501	-16%
61	Bloomington	IN	$46,123	$62,895	$79,667	-16%
62	St. Paul	MN	$46,255	$63,075	$79,895	-16%
63	Pocatello	ID	$46,307	$63,146	$79,985	-16%
64	Yakima	WA	$46,481	$63,383	$80,285	-15%
65	McKinney	TX	$46,536	$63,458	$80,380	-15%
66	Chicago	IL	$46,552	$63,480	$80,408	-15%
67	Milwaukee	WI	$46,569	$63,503	$80,437	-15%
68	Meridian	ID	$46,813	$63,836	$80,859	-15%
69	Midland	TX	$46,987	$64,073	$81,159	-15%
70	Plano	TX	$47,273	$64,463	$81,653	-14%
71	St. Joseph	MO	$47,732	$65,089	$82,446	-13%
72	Amarillo	TX	$47,825	$65,216	$82,607	-13%
73	Denton	TX	$47,900	$65,318	$82,736	-13%
74	Rochester	NY	$48,056	$65,531	$83,006	-13%
75	McAllen	TX	$48,323	$65,895	$83,467	-12%
76	Kalamazoo	MI	$48,403	$66,004	$83,605	-12%
77	Bethlehem	PA	$48,488	$66,120	$83,752	-12%
78	Charlotte	NC	$48,697	$66,405	$84,113	-11%
79	Asheville	NC	$48,722	$66,439	$84,156	-11%
80	Dayton	OH	$48,766	$66,499	$84,232	-11%
81	Chesapeake	VA	$48,840	$66,600	$84,360	-11%
82	New Orleans	LA	$48,876	$66,649	$84,422	-11%
83	Kenosha	WI	$49,068	$66,911	$84,754	-11%
84	Traverse City	MI	$49,110	$66,968	$84,826	-11%
85	Atlanta	GA	$49,178	$67,061	$84,944	-11%
86	San Juan	PR	$49,244	$67,151	$85,058	-10%
87	Pensacola	FL	$49,302	$67,230	$85,158	-10%
88	Nampa	ID	$49,387	$67,346	$85,305	-10%
89	Hattiesburg	MS	$49,698	$67,770	$85,842	-10%
90	Visalia	CA	$49,728	$67,811	$85,894	-10%
91	Nashville	TN	$49,874	$68,010	$86,146	-9%
92	Pittsburgh	PA	$50,056	$68,258	$86,460	-9%
93	Daytona Beach	FL	$50,094	$68,310	$86,526	-9%
94	St. Louis	MO	$50,375	$68,693	$87,011	-8%
95	Augusta	ME	$50,391	$68,715	$87,039	-8%
96	Peoria	AZ	$50,430	$68,768	$87,106	-8%
97	Frankfort	KY	$50,460	$68,809	$87,158	-8%
98	Dover	DE	$50,501	$68,865	$87,229	-8%
99	Memphis	TN	$50,608	$69,011	$87,414	-8%
100	Scranton	PA	$50,639	$69,053	$87,467	-8%
101	Lakeland	FL	$50,705	$69,143	$87,581	-8%
102	Jacksonville	FL	$50,955	$69,484	$88,013	-7%
103	Beaumont	TX	$51,021	$69,574	$88,127	-7%
104	Erie	PA	$51,241	$69,874	$88,507	-7%
105	Bakersfield	CA	$51,343	$70,013	$88,683	-7%
106	Evansville	IN	$51,378	$70,061	$88,744	-7%
107	Duluth	MN	$51,464	$70,178	$88,892	-6%
108	Lincoln	NE	$51,477	$70,196	$88,915	-6%
109	Eau Claire	WI	$51,491	$70,215	$88,939	-6%
110	Victorville	CA	$51,582	$70,339	$89,096	-6%
111	Independence	MO	$51,991	$70,897	$89,803	-5%
112	Casper	WY	$52,080	$71,018	$89,956	-5%
113	Bridgeport	CT	$52,085	$71,025	$89,965	-5%
114	Decatur	IL	$52,091	$71,033	$89,975	-5%
115	Greeley	CO	$52,104	$71,051	$89,998	-5%
116	Bismarck	ND	$52,184	$71,160	$90,136	-5%
117	Flint	MI	$52,220	$71,209	$90,198	-5%
118	Lexington	KY	$52,531	$71,633	$90,735	-4%
119	Springfield	MO	$52,602	$71,730	$90,858	-4%
120	Ithaca	NY	$52,855	$72,075	$91,295	-4%
121	Lansing	MI	$52,871	$72,098	$91,324	-4%
122	Sugar Land	TX	$52,872	$72,098	$91,324	-4%
123	Sandy Springs	GA	$52,971	$72,233	$91,495	-4%
124	Rockford	IL	$53,092	$72,398	$91,704	-3%
125	Reading	PA	$53,114	$72,428	$91,742	-3%
126	Mesa	AZ	$53,141	$72,465	$91,789	-3%
127	Cincinnati	OH	$53,339	$72,735	$92,131	-3%
128	El Paso	TX	$53,375	$72,784	$92,193	-3%
129	Little Rock	AR	$53,636	$73,140	$92,644	-2%
130	Durham	NC	$53,809	$73,376	$92,943	-2%
131	Janesville	WI	$53,815	$73,384	$92,953	-2%
132	Biloxi	MS	$53,848	$73,429	$93,010	-2%
133	Fayetteville	AR	$53,862	$73,448	$93,034	-2%
134	Roswell	GA	$53,864	$73,451	$93,038	-2%
135	Albuquerque	NM	$54,071	$73,733	$93,395	-2%
136	South Bend	IN	$54,134	$73,819	$93,504	-2%
137	Reno	NV	$54,318	$74,070	$93,822	-1%
138	Kansas City	MO	$54,370	$74,141	$93,912	-1%
139	Fort Worth	TX	$54,439	$74,235	$94,031	-1%
140	Oklahoma City	OK	$54,445	$74,243	$94,041	-1%
141	Topeka	KS	$54,467	$74,273	$94,079	-1%
142	Rogers	AR	$54,731	$74,633	$94,535	0%
143	Cape Coral	FL	$55,234	$75,319	$95,404	0%
144	Champaign	IL	$55,258	$75,353	$95,447	0%
145	Chandler	AZ	$55,316	$75,431	$95,546	+1%
146	New Bedford	MA	$55,322	$75,439	$95,556	+1%
147	Pueblo	CO	$55,575	$75,784	$95,993	+1%
148	Fresno	CA	$55,690	$75,941	$96,192	+1%
149	Ontario	CA	$55,734	$76,001	$96,268	+1%
150	Sioux Falls	SD	$55,751	$76,024	$96,297	+1%
151	Winston-Salem	NC	$55,756	$76,031	$96,306	+1%
152	Naples	FL	$55,784	$76,069	$96,354	+1%
153	Schenectady	NY	$55,811	$76,106	$96,401	+1%
154	Fargo	ND	$56,130	$76,541	$96,952	+2%
155	Helena	MT	$56,202	$76,639	$97,076	+2%
156	College Station	TX	$56,243	$76,695	$97,147	+2%
157	North Charleston	SC	$56,265	$76,725	$97,185	+2%
158	Great Falls	MT	$56,518	$77,070	$97,622	+3%
159	Warwick	RI	$56,628	$77,220	$97,812	+3%
160	Knoxville	TN	$57,140	$77,918	$98,696	+4%
161	Manchester	NH	$57,159	$77,944	$98,729	+4%
162	Cheyenne	WY	$57,296	$78,131	$98,966	+4%
163	Dallas	TX	$57,362	$78,221	$99,080	+4%
164	Cedar Rapids	IA	$57,412	$78,289	$99,166	+4%
165	Flagstaff	AZ	$57,502	$78,412	$99,322	+5%
166	Redding	CA	$57,505	$78,416	$99,327	+5%
167	Indianapolis	IN	$57,544	$78,469	$99,394	+5%
168	Paterson	NJ	$57,590	$78,532	$99,474	+5%
169	Akron	OH	$57,643	$78,604	$99,565	+5%
170	Clarksville	TN	$57,866	$78,908	$99,950	+5%
171	Naperville	IL	$57,920	$78,983	$100,045	+5%
172	Tacoma	WA	$57,929	$78,994	$100,059	+5%
173	Savannah	GA	$57,937	$79,005	$100,073	+5%
174	Kennewick	WA	$58,303	$79,504	$100,705	+6%
175	Corvallis	OR	$58,539	$79,826	$101,113	+6%
176	Boise	ID	$58,647	$79,973	$101,299	+7%
177	Concord	NH	$58,820	$80,209	$101,598	+7%
178	Laramie	WY	$58,825	$80,216	$101,607	+7%
179	Sarasota	FL	$58,872	$80,280	$101,688	+7%
180	Modesto	CA	$58,957	$80,396	$101,835	+7%
181	Springfield	IL	$59,051	$80,524	$101,997	+7%
182	Ann Arbor	MI	$59,202	$80,730	$102,258	+8%
183	Columbia	MO	$59,227	$80,764	$102,301	+8%
184	Palm Bay	FL	$59,260	$80,809	$102,358	+8%
185	Birmingham	AL	$59,262	$80,812	$102,362	+8%
186	Orlando	FL	$59,287	$80,846	$102,405	+8%
187	Tempe	AZ	$59,898	$81,679	$103,460	+9%
188	Gainesville	FL	$60,002	$81,821	$103,640	+9%
189	Clearwater	FL	$60,302	$82,230	$104,158	+10%
190	Elizabeth	NJ	$60,434	$82,410	$104,386	+10%
191	Syracuse	NY	$60,481	$82,474	$104,467	+10%
192	Philadelphia	PA	$60,673	$82,736	$104,799	+10%
193	Fort Lauderdale	FL	$60,728	$82,811	$104,894	+10%
194	Springfield	MA	$60,852	$82,980	$105,108	+11%
195	Montpelier	VT	$61,196	$83,449	$105,702	+11%
196	Baltimore	MD	$61,317	$83,614	$105,911	+11%
197	Albany	NY	$61,674	$84,101	$106,528	+12%
198	Gilbert	AZ	$61,784	$84,251	$106,718	+12%
199	Lowell	MA	$61,889	$84,394	$106,899	+13%
200	Wilmington	DE	$62,117	$84,705	$107,293	+13%
201	Spokane	WA	$62,582	$85,339	$108,096	+14%
202	North Las Vegas	NV	$62,604	$85,369	$108,134	+14%
203	Buffalo	NY	$62,758	$85,579	$108,400	+14%
204	Madison	WI	$62,758	$85,579	$108,400	+14%
205	Allentown	PA	$63,206	$86,190	$109,174	+15%
206	Santa Fe	NM	$63,258	$86,261	$109,264	+15%
207	Austin	TX	$63,382	$86,430	$109,478	+15%
208	Palm Springs	CA	$63,539	$86,644	$109,749	+16%
209	Portland	ME	$63,979	$87,244	$110,509	+16%
210	Saratoga Springs	NY	$64,001	$87,274	$110,547	+16%
211	Medford	OR	$64,056	$87,349	$110,642	+16%
212	New Haven	CT	$64,111	$87,424	$110,737	+17%
213	Glendale	AZ	$64,290	$87,668	$111,046	+17%
214	Miami	FL	$64,699	$88,226	$111,753	+18%
215	Moreno Valley	CA	$65,043	$88,695	$112,347	+18%
216	Virginia Beach	VA	$65,079	$88,744	$112,409	+18%
217	Burlington	VT	$65,125	$88,808	$112,490	+18%
218	Newark	NJ	$65,258	$88,988	$112,718	+19%
219	Harrisburg	PA	$65,299	$89,044	$112,789	+19%
220	Billings	MT	$65,489	$89,303	$113,117	+19%
221	Tucson	AZ	$65,621	$89,483	$113,345	+19%
222	Hartford	CT	$65,923	$89,895	$113,867	+20%
223	Salt Lake City	UT	$66,000	$90,000	$114,000	+20%
224	Olympia	WA	$66,179	$90,244	$114,309	+20%
225	Richmond	VA	$66,275	$90,375	$114,475	+21%
226	Portsmouth	NH	$66,322	$90,439	$114,556	+21%
227	Twin Falls	ID	$66,509	$90,694	$114,879	+21%
228	Aurora	CO	$66,682	$90,930	$115,178	+21%
229	Coeur d'Alene	ID	$66,732	$90,998	$115,264	+21%
230	Las Vegas	NV	$66,883	$91,204	$115,525	+22%
231	Oceanside	CA	$66,971	$91,324	$115,677	+22%
232	Trenton	NJ	$66,990	$91,350	$115,710	+22%
233	Scottsdale	AZ	$66,996	$91,358	$115,720	+22%
234	Durango	CO	$67,147	$91,564	$115,981	+22%
235	Denver	CO	$67,298	$91,770	$116,242	+22%
236	Concord	CA	$67,312	$91,789	$116,266	+22%
237	Lakewood	NJ	$67,356	$91,849	$116,342	+22%
238	Idaho Falls	ID	$67,650	$92,250	$116,850	+23%
239	Riverside	CA	$67,939	$92,644	$117,349	+24%
240	Provo	UT	$68,074	$92,828	$117,582	+24%
241	Carson City	NV	$68,354	$93,210	$118,066	+24%
242	Rancho Cucamonga	CA	$68,481	$93,383	$118,285	+25%
243	Cranston	RI	$68,899	$93,953	$119,007	+25%
244	Juneau	AK	$69,190	$94,350	$119,510	+26%
245	Sacramento	CA	$69,501	$94,774	$120,047	+26%
246	Boulder	CO	$69,534	$94,819	$120,104	+26%
247	Missoula	MT	$69,567	$94,864	$120,161	+26%
248	Key West	FL	$70,001	$95,456	$120,911	+27%
249	Providence	RI	$70,062	$95,539	$121,016	+27%
250	Henderson	NV	$70,395	$95,993	$121,591	+28%
251	Sedona	AZ	$70,648	$96,338	$122,028	+28%
252	Bellingham	WA	$70,650	$96,341	$122,032	+28%
253	Simi Valley	CA	$71,533	$97,545	$123,557	+30%
254	Colorado Springs	CO	$71,748	$97,838	$123,928	+30%
255	Roseville	CA	$71,979	$98,153	$124,327	+31%
256	Stockton	CA	$72,454	$98,801	$125,148	+32%
257	Worcester	MA	$72,457	$98,805	$125,153	+32%
258	Napa	CA	$73,541	$100,283	$127,025	+34%
259	Fontana	CA	$73,818	$100,661	$127,504	+34%
260	Eugene	OR	$74,038	$100,961	$127,884	+35%
261	Anaheim	CA	$75,413	$102,836	$130,259	+37%
262	Santa Rosa	CA	$75,446	$102,881	$130,316	+37%
263	Stamford	CT	$75,482	$102,930	$130,378	+37%
264	Fort Collins	CO	$75,521	$102,983	$130,445	+37%
265	Vallejo	CA	$75,754	$103,301	$130,848	+38%
266	San Luis Obispo	CA	$76,029	$103,676	$131,323	+38%
267	Chico	CA	$76,071	$103,733	$131,395	+38%
268	Bend	OR	$77,756	$106,031	$134,306	+41%
269	Columbia	MD	$78,293	$106,763	$135,233	+42%
270	Elk Grove	CA	$78,480	$107,018	$135,556	+43%
271	Anchorage	AK	$79,167	$107,955	$136,743	+44%
272	Jersey City	NJ	$79,310	$108,150	$136,990	+44%
273	Yonkers	NY	$80,171	$109,324	$138,477	+46%
274	Cambridge	MA	$80,718	$110,070	$139,422	+47%
275	Irvine	CA	$81,524	$111,169	$140,814	+48%
276	Portland	OR	$83,490	$113,850	$144,210	+52%
277	Boston	MA	$83,498	$113,861	$144,224	+52%
278	Oakland	CA	$85,690	$116,850	$148,010	+56%
279	Santa Cruz	CA	$85,800	$117,000	$148,200	+56%
280	Park City	UT	$85,883	$117,113	$148,343	+56%
281	Jackson	WY	$86,928	$118,538	$150,148	+58%
282	Santa Barbara	CA	$87,051	$118,706	$150,361	+58%
283	Santa Ana	CA	$87,456	$119,258	$151,060	+59%
284	Oxnard	CA	$88,413	$120,563	$152,713	+61%
285	Long Beach	CA	$88,963	$121,313	$153,663	+62%
286	Washington	DC	$89,480	$122,018	$154,556	+63%
287	Martha's Vineyard	MA	$91,108	$124,238	$157,368	+66%
288	Honolulu	HI	$91,129	$124,267	$157,405	+66%
289	Huntington Beach	CA	$91,443	$124,695	$157,947	+66%
290	Los Angeles	CA	$91,614	$124,928	$158,242	+67%
291	Hayward	CA	$92,202	$125,730	$159,258	+68%
292	Seattle	WA	$93,027	$126,855	$160,683	+69%
293	San Jose	CA	$95,854	$130,710	$165,566	+74%
294	San Diego	CA	$97,254	$132,619	$167,984	+77%
295	Bellevue	WA	$97,444	$132,878	$168,312	+77%
296	Aspen	CO	$102,341	$139,556	$176,771	+86%
297	New York	NY	$103,120	$140,618	$178,116	+87%
298	Vail	CO	$109,945	$149,925	$189,905	+100%
299	Telluride	CO	$110,633	$150,863	$191,093	+101%
300	Sunnyvale	CA	$115,904	$158,051	$200,198	+111%
301	San Francisco	CA	$129,225	$176,216	$223,207	+135%

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does registered nurse salary pay on average?

The national average for registered nurse salary ranges from $55,000 to $95,000. However, actual costs vary significantly by city — Lubbock is the most affordable at $42,810, while San Francisco is the most expensive at $176,216. That's a spread of $133,406 between the cheapest and most expensive cities.

Where is registered nurse salary cheapest in the US?

The top 5 most affordable cities for registered nurse salary are: 1. Lubbock, TX ($42,810); 2. Abilene, TX ($43,642); 3. Mobile, AL ($43,732); 4. Louisville, KY ($43,747); 5. Oshkosh, WI ($45,116). These cities benefit from lower labor costs, less regulatory overhead, and more competitive local markets.

Why does registered nurse salary cost more in some cities?

Several factors drive cost differences: local labor rates (often tied to housing costs), state and city regulations, material transportation costs, competitive density of service providers, and regional demand patterns. High cost-of-living cities like San Francisco (index: 244) have higher baseline expenses that push up service costs across the board.

About This Data

Data SourcesBLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census Bureau ACS, HUD Fair Market Rent data, and regional industry surveys.

MethodologyNational averages adjusted by city-specific cost-of-living indices derived from BLS regional price parities.

Confidence LevelHIGH— BLS OEWS wage data

Limitations: These are estimated ranges based on federal datasets and cost indices, not direct local surveys. Actual costs may vary based on project scope, provider, timing, and local market conditions. Data last updated: May 2026.

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Registered Nurse Salary by City

Registered Nurse Salary pay averages about $75,000/yr nationally. In this city dataset, San Francisco, CA has the highest modeled pay at $176,216/yr, while Lubbock, TX is lowest at $42,810/yr.

Why Registered Nurse Salary Vary by City

How to Use This Guide

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities for Registered Nurse Salary

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Compare Registered Nurse Salary Across 301 Cities

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