Reports

The Best-Paying Metros for Travel Nurses (RN Pay)

100 ranked · Median RN pay

U.S. metro areas ranked by the median annual wage for Registered Nurses, from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. A starting point for travel nurses weighing where the base pay runs highest. Sourced from BLS OEWS public data.

1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Ca
22,930 RNs employed
$217K
median RN pay
2
Vallejo, Ca
4,120 RNs employed
$203K
median RN pay
3
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Ca
41,750 RNs employed
$187K
median RN pay
4
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Ca
3,720 RNs employed
$175K
median RN pay
5
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, Ca
23,590 RNs employed
$171K
median RN pay
6
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Ca
1,750 RNs employed
$171K
median RN pay
7
Yuba City, Ca
1,080 RNs employed
$149K
median RN pay
8
Kahului-Wailuku, Hi
1,270 RNs employed
$144K
median RN pay
9
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Ca
28,680 RNs employed
$140K
median RN pay
10
Urban Honolulu, Hi
9,680 RNs employed
$139K
median RN pay
11
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Ca
2,180 RNs employed
$139K
median RN pay
12
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Ca
3,280 RNs employed
$137K
median RN pay
13
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Ca
109,360 RNs employed
$136K
median RN pay
14
Bend, Or
2,500 RNs employed
$135K
median RN pay
15
Salinas, Ca
3,180 RNs employed
$135K
median RN pay
16
Stockton-Lodi, Ca
5,460 RNs employed
$135K
median RN pay
17
Redding, Ca
1,720 RNs employed
$134K
median RN pay
18
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Ca
35,290 RNs employed
$134K
median RN pay
19
Modesto, Ca
4,850 RNs employed
$133K
median RN pay
20
Salem, Or
4,010 RNs employed
$132K
median RN pay
21
Merced, Ca
1,050 RNs employed
$132K
median RN pay
22
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, Ca
5,710 RNs employed
$131K
median RN pay
23
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Or-Wa
24,220 RNs employed
$130K
median RN pay
24
Bakersfield-Delano, Ca
5,620 RNs employed
$129K
median RN pay
25
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wa
39,900 RNs employed
$128K
median RN pay
26
Hanford-Corcoran, Ca
710 RNs employed
$128K
median RN pay
27
Chico, Ca
2,170 RNs employed
$127K
median RN pay
28
Medford, Or
2,370 RNs employed
$127K
median RN pay
29
Fresno, Ca
11,030 RNs employed
$125K
median RN pay
30
Visalia, Ca
2,990 RNs employed
$125K
median RN pay
31
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, Wa
2,250 RNs employed
$125K
median RN pay
32
New York-Newark-Jersey City, Ny-Nj
197,740 RNs employed
$120K
median RN pay
33
Walla Walla, Wa
810 RNs employed
$117K
median RN pay
34
Anchorage, Ak
4,990 RNs employed
$115K
median RN pay
35
Eugene-Springfield, Or
3,590 RNs employed
$114K
median RN pay
36
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, Wa
1,330 RNs employed
$112K
median RN pay
37
Albany, Or
580 RNs employed
$112K
median RN pay
38
Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wa
6,850 RNs employed
$112K
median RN pay
39
Reno, Nv
4,850 RNs employed
$108K
median RN pay
40
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, Wa
1,410 RNs employed
$107K
median RN pay
41
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Wa
1,190 RNs employed
$107K
median RN pay
42
Grants Pass, Or
540 RNs employed
$107K
median RN pay
43
Kennewick-Richland, Wa
2,560 RNs employed
$106K
median RN pay
44
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Ma-Nh
64,240 RNs employed
$106K
median RN pay
45
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, Ct
8,370 RNs employed
$106K
median RN pay
46
St. Cloud, Mn
2,910 RNs employed
$105K
median RN pay
47
Prescott Valley-Prescott, Az
1,510 RNs employed
$105K
median RN pay
48
Pittsfield, Ma
1,230 RNs employed
$105K
median RN pay
49
New Haven, Ct
10,050 RNs employed
$104K
median RN pay
50
Glens Falls, Ny
1,030 RNs employed
$104K
median RN pay
51
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, Nv
20,410 RNs employed
$104K
median RN pay
52
Ann Arbor, Mi
10,980 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
53
El Centro, Ca
950 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
54
Mankato, Mn
1,570 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
55
Barnstable Town, Ma
1,860 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
56
Vineland, Nj
1,590 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
57
Boulder, Co
3,140 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
58
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Mn-Wi
43,600 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
59
Yakima, Wa
1,610 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
60
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, Ny
5,760 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
61
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Dc-Va-MD-Wv
46,830 RNs employed
$103K
median RN pay
62
Binghamton, Ny
2,570 RNs employed
$102K
median RN pay
63
Waterbury-Shelton, Ct
3,050 RNs employed
$102K
median RN pay
64
Rochester, Mn
6,390 RNs employed
$102K
median RN pay
65
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Ct
13,850 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
66
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa-Nj
10,860 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
67
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Tx
76,680 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
68
Carson City, Nv
820 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
69
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, Ct
2,460 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
70
Amherst Town-Northampton, Ma
1,150 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
71
Madison, Wi
10,650 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
72
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa-Nj-De-MD
73,790 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
73
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, Co
30,380 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
74
Kingston, Ny
1,000 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
75
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Az
53,700 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
76
Santa Fe, Nm
1,090 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
77
Flagstaff, Az
1,570 RNs employed
$101K
median RN pay
78
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga
56,460 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
79
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Il-In
100,240 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
80
Ithaca, Ny
940 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
81
Worcester, Ma
10,070 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
82
Trenton-Princeton, Nj
5,180 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
83
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Ny
10,230 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
84
Providence-Warwick, Ri-Ma
15,180 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
85
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Tx
65,910 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
86
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
30,930 RNs employed
$100K
median RN pay
87
Atlantic City-Hammonton, Nj
3,400 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
88
Charlottesville, Va
3,040 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
89
Bozeman, Mt
1,070 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
90
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, Ny
13,830 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
91
Coeur D'Alene, Id
2,060 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
92
Helena, Mt
990 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
93
Manchester-Nashua, Nh
5,210 RNs employed
$99K
median RN pay
94
Reading, Pa
3,430 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
95
Springfield, Ma
5,830 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
96
La Crosse-Onalaska, Wi-Mn
2,920 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
97
Burlington-South Burlington, Vt
3,150 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
98
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Tx
18,920 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
99
Boise City, Id
8,550 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay
100
Flint, Mi
3,910 RNs employed
$98K
median RN pay

Methodology

BLS OEWS metropolitan-area median annual wage for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), latest survey year, ranked highest first, capped at 100 metros. Local cost of living is not adjusted for.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) — public domain. Compiled by Healthparse. Free to read and reuse.