The average hourly pay for nurses in the U.S. is $39.78 for registered nurses and $56.75 for nurse practitioners, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey.
The highest average hourly wage for both registered nurses and nurse practitioners is in California. RNs and NPs in South Dakota and Tennessee made the lowest hourly rates, respectively.
Here is the average hourly wage for nurses by state in descending order, with ties denoted by asterisks:
|
State |
RN hourly mean wage |
Rank |
State |
NP hourly mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
California |
$59.62 |
1 |
California |
$72.99 |
|
Hawaii |
$51.22 |
2 |
New Jersey |
$65.87 |
|
Oregon |
$47.42 |
3 |
New York |
$64.39 |
|
Alaska |
$46.74 |
4 |
Washington |
$62.90 |
|
Massachusetts |
$46.46 |
5 |
Massachusetts |
$62.28 |
|
Washington |
$45.84 |
6 |
Oregon |
$61.63 |
|
New York |
$44.86 |
7 |
Hawaii |
$61.29 |
|
New Jersey |
$43.12 |
8 |
Minnesota |
$61.06 |
|
Nevada |
$42.69 |
9 |
Rhode Island |
$60.94 |
|
Connecticut |
$42.56 |
10 |
Nevada |
$59.46 |
|
Rhode Island |
$40.99 |
11 |
Iowa |
$58.35 |
|
Minnesota |
$40.40 |
12 |
New Hampshire |
$58.05 |
|
Maryland |
$39.74 |
13 |
Illinois |
$57.92 |
|
Arizona |
$39.23 |
14 |
Connecticut |
$57.91 |
|
Colorado |
$38.78 |
15 |
Arizona |
$57.65 |
|
Texas |
$38.04 |
16 |
New Mexico |
$56.96 |
|
Illinois** |
$37.63 |
17 |
Texas |
$56.68 |
|
New Hampshire** |
$37.63 |
18 |
Pennsylvania |
$56.38 |
|
Delaware |
$37.39 |
19 |
Wisconsin |
$56.24 |
|
New Mexico |
$37.31 |
20 |
Oklahoma |
$56.08 |
|
Wisconsin |
$36.95 |
21 |
Maine |
$55.95 |
|
Virginia |
$36.87 |
22 |
Delaware |
$55.88 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$36.54 |
23 |
Montana** |
$55.63 |
|
Michigan |
$36.51 |
24 |
Maryland** |
$55.63 |
|
Georgia |
$36.24 |
25 |
Wyoming |
$55.06 |
|
Vermont |
$36.13 |
26 |
Alaska |
$54.72 |
|
Idaho |
$35.41 |
27 |
Indiana |
$54.56 |
|
Maine |
$35.40 |
28 |
Utah |
$54.29 |
|
Montana |
$35.39 |
29 |
North Carolina |
$54.20 |
|
Wyoming |
$35.16 |
30 |
North Dakota |
$54.19 |
|
Utah |
$34.99 |
31 |
Nebraska |
$54.17 |
|
Florida |
$34.62 |
32 |
Louisiana |
$54.16 |
|
Ohio |
$34.44 |
33 |
Colorado |
$54.13 |
|
North Carolina** |
$34.23 |
34 |
Vermont |
$54.11 |
|
North Dakota** |
$34.23 |
35 |
Ohio |
$54.08 |
|
Louisiana |
$33.84 |
36 |
Virginia** |
$54.00 |
|
Nebraska |
$33.58 |
37 |
South Dakota** |
$54.00 |
|
South Carolina |
$33.45 |
38 |
Mississippi |
$53.73 |
|
Indiana |
$33.12 |
39 |
Georgia |
$52.67 |
|
Oklahoma |
$32.78 |
40 |
Michigan |
$52.30 |
|
Missouri |
$32.59 |
41 |
Kansas |
$52.27 |
|
West Virginia |
$32.52 |
42 |
Arkansas |
$51.48 |
|
Kentucky |
$32.34 |
43 |
Kentucky |
$51.00 |
|
Tennessee |
$32.06 |
44 |
Idaho |
$50.62 |
|
Kansas |
$32.00 |
45 |
Florida |
$50.40 |
|
Arkansas |
$31.64 |
46 |
West Virginia |
$50.36 |
|
Iowa |
$31.25 |
47 |
Missouri |
$49.76 |
|
Mississippi |
$30.35 |
48 |
South Carolina |
$49.45 |
|
Alabama |
$29.77 |
49 |
Alabama |
$49.24 |
|
South Dakota |
$29.11 |
50 |
Tennessee |
$45.73 |