In 2022, registered nurses made a median salary of $81,220. That’s a lot more than the average American, who earned $46,310. Nurses, however, often make much more when working on the West Coast and much less when working in the Midwest or in the South.
San Francisco-based health care hiring firm Vivian Health completed a report on the highest-paying U.S. metros for nurses earlier this month. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the company discovered something vital. When it came to making the most money as a nurse in 2024, geography truly mattered.
Rome, just an hour north of Atlanta, was Georgia’s top city and ranked nearly exactly in the middle nationwide, at 23rd. The city’s nurses earned $81,320 a year, $43,360 more than the city’s median income and $100 less than the national median pay.
America’s top earners were found in Santa Cruz, California. Nurses typically earned $128,000 more than the city’s median income. In total, they brought home roughly $175,350 a year. Nurses in Urban Honolulu, Hawaii, earned the second most, banking a median annual wage of $127,020.
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, nurses earned the least, making a median $59,910 every year. Those who work in Sioux City, Iowa, took home the second lowest pay at $62,860 annually.
According to data from Vivian Health job postings, overall, Georgia ranked much lower for its nurse pay — 36th among all states. California paid the best, with an average income of $68 an hour. Mississippi compensated its nurses the least, with an average hourly pay of $29. Georgia nurses, in the meantime, took home roughly $40 an hour. That is $4.41 an hour less than the national average.
Nurses who can’t easily move to a higher paying state can look out for the highest paying employers. Adventist Health shelled out an average $58 an hour, making it the highest paying U.S. employer. Aspen Valley Hospital, Becker Health, Community Health System and Insight Global rounded out the top five.
About the Author
