Registered Nurse Pay
Registered Nurses (RNs) work in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and more.
An RN can have a field of specialization, such as an emergency room nurse or a geriatric nurse. Because of this variation, the salaries of RNs can vary widely across the medical field.
Reported pay rates
Payscale reports that the current median hourly wage for Registered Nurses stands at $28.95 per hour. Overall, RNs can earn between $22 and $41 per hour on average. Total annual salary varies between $46,207 and $87,571. RNs in the Orlando, Florida area reported to Payscale that they earn between $44,673 and $74,309 a year.
Salary can vary according to where an RN works. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wages for a Registered Nurse in 2016 were $73,980. Hospitals (state, local, and private) had a reported median annual wage of $70,590. Ambulatory nurses and residential care facility nurses had a median annual salary between $60,000 and $64,000. RNs in the educational sector had a reported median annual salary of around $59,360.
Median wage refers to the salary located in the middle of all reported data. That means that Registered Nurses can earn less or more than what is listed as the median wage. An average does not always provide the most accurate picture, especially when dealing with large amounts of data. Some RNs earn way more than what is reported on average, while other nurses may earn much less than what is reported on average.
Salaries vary across the board
Registered Nurses can earn lucrative salaries as they gain more experience and more education. While nurses can enter the field with an associate’s degree, finishing a bachelor’s degree in nursing can potentially increase the nurse’s pay. Some hospitals and medical facilities may also give regular raises, so an RN who works for a location for several years can see regular pay increases throughout their careers.
What can a Registered Nurse earn? That varies according to where the nurse works, their state, their education level, and their level of experience. A career as an RN provides many opportunities for growth, and yes, salary incentives.
