Salary Outlook
The BLS reports the median annual wage for a registered nurse was $65,950 in 2011. The best-paid 10 percent of RNs made more than $96,630, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $44,970. The highest wages are reserved for personal care nurses, or those working for private-sector pharmaceutical or medical-device manufacturers. By location, the highest-paid positions are clustered in the metropolitan areas of northern California, including municipalities in and around San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco.
| Job Salary | Year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | $44,800.00 |
| 2004 | $54,020.00 |
| 2006 | $59,710.00 |
| 2008 | $65,220.00 |
| 2010 | $67,720.00 |
Average Registered Nurse Pay vs. All Healthcare Jobs
Registered nurses make a median salary of $65,950, which is pretty good pay compared with some of the other healthcare jobs on this year’s list of The Best Jobs of 2013. That’s comparable to the pay of occupational and physical therapists. Medical assistants take home far less money in a year—approximately $29,100 less in 2011 than the average RN earned that same year. And with a median salary that’s a little less than $31,000 per year, paramedics also have a lower average salary than nurses.
| Job Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Physical Therapist | $78,270.00 |
| Occupational Therapist | $73,820.00 |
| Registered Nurse | $65,690.00 |
| Paramedic | $30,710.00 |
| Medical Assistant | $29,100.00 |
See Complete List of Best Healthcare Jobs
Best Paying Cities for Registered Nurses
The highest paid in the registered nurse profession work in the metropolitan areas of San Jose, CA, Oakland, CA, and San Francisco, CA. The Salinas, CA area also pays well, as does the city of Napa, CA.
San Jose, CA
Average Salary: $116,150 | See Job Openings
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in San Jose, CA is $116,150, which is $50,460 more than the average pay in the profession.
Oakland, CA
Average Salary: $100,900 | See Job Openings
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Oakland, CA is $100,900, which is $35,210 more than the average pay in the profession.
San Francisco, CA
Average Salary: $97,600 | See Job Openings
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in San Francisco, CA is $97,600, which is $31,910 more than the average pay in the profession.
Salinas, CA
Average Salary: $97,450 | See Job Openings
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Salinas, CA is $97,450, which is $31,760 more than the average pay in the profession.
Napa, CA
Average Salary: $97,090 | See Job Openings
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Napa, CA is $97,090, which is $31,400 more than the average pay in the profession.
