Registered Nurses Career, Salary and Skills
Registered Nurses have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $97,550 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 3,379,720. Wage data is published for 433 locations.
Occupation description
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
O*NET code
29-1141.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$97,550
Hourly median
$46.90
Employment
3,379,720
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.12 | 4.38 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Service Orientation | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Coordination | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- Inform physician of patient's condition during anesthesia.
- Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
- Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.
- Engage in research activities related to nursing.
Technology
- Allscripts healthcare automation software
- Allscripts Sunrise
- Apache Spark
- Data entry software
- Database software
- Diagnostic and procedural coding software
- DoctorsPartner EMR
- Drug guide software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Epic Systems
- FaceTime
- FileMaker Pro
- Google Docs
Registered Nurses salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Registered Nurses Salary in CAMedian $140,270 · Employment 338,940
- Registered Nurses Salary in TXMedian $95,970 · Employment 271,380
- Registered Nurses Salary in FLMedian $84,190 · Employment 229,940
- Registered Nurses Salary in NYMedian $109,440 · Employment 205,810
- Registered Nurses Salary in New York, NYMedian $119,720 · Employment 197,740
- Registered Nurses Salary in PAMedian $96,430 · Employment 146,520
- Registered Nurses Salary in OHMedian $82,510 · Employment 143,730
- Registered Nurses Salary in ILMedian $95,990 · Employment 138,910
- Registered Nurses Salary in NCMedian $84,350 · Employment 111,120
- Registered Nurses Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $135,560 · Employment 109,360
- Registered Nurses Salary in MIMedian $94,300 · Employment 104,950
- Registered Nurses Salary in GAMedian $93,550 · Employment 100,950
Related careers
- HospitalistsNational median $265,930
- CardiologistsNational median $496,010
- General Internal Medicine PhysiciansNational median $256,560
- Obstetricians and GynecologistsNational median $292,910
- Pediatric SurgeonsNational median $559,030
- AnesthesiologistsNational median $391,490
- Emergency Medical TechniciansNational median $44,470
- Family Medicine PhysiciansNational median $244,180
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.