Registered nurses earn an average annual total compensation of $95,000 in 2024, up nearly 7% from the year prior, according to Medscape's 2024 study, "Gains Made, but a Ways to Go: Medscape RN/LPN Compensation Report," published Oct. 2.
Here are nine additional things to know about RN compensation:
1. A majority of RNs, 61%, saw a 1% to 10% pay increase in the last year.
2. Around half of RNs (48%) feel unfairly compensated in 2024.
3. Hourly RNs earn around $48 an hour when working full time, or $49 an hour part time.
4. Salaried RNs have the upperhand over hourly RNs, earning an average of $99,000 yearly, compared to $92,000.
5. RNs working in the hospital inpatient setting earn more than their counterparts in other settings, at $100,000.
6. For 58% RNs, holding additional specialty certifications does not increase compensation.
7. RNs working in the Pacific region (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and California) earn the highest wages, at $119,000.
8. Female RNs earn $10,000 less than their male counterparts, at $94,000 and $104,000, respectively.
9. Unionized RNs earn significantly more than their non-union counterparts, at $106,000 and $93,000, respectively.