According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses in 2020 was $75,330. BLS also breaks out salary by industry. In 2020, the medians in different industries where RNs are commonly employed were:
• Government - $84,490
• State, local, and private hospitals - $76,840
• Ambulatory healthcare services - $72,340
• Nursing and residential care facilities - $68,450
• Educational services - $64,630
The top tier of nurses is small but makes considerably more. In 2020, those in the top ten percent of the profession earned more than $116,230.