Registered Nurse Salary

If you are thinking about starting a career as a registered nurse in the near future, you may be curious about the money you can make. There are several factors that could impact your registered nurse salary, including your location, years of experience, certification, and more. On the low end, you can probably earn at least $30,000 a year even in an entry level position. On the high end, you could earn $90,000+. In order to get a more accurate idea of what your potential salary may be, let’s take a look at some of the average hourly rates for RNs at the moment. That should help you see what you will make once you become a registered nurse.

Registered Nurse Salary by Industry

Registered nurses can work in many different industries, so the list below outlines some of the most popular kinds of work you may encounter as an RN:

• Acute Care Hospital: $20.83 – $38.68 per hour
• Healthcare: $19.75 – $36.49 per hour
• Hospital: $20.38 – $37.20 per hour
• Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation: $20.52 – $35.35 per hour
• Medical Services: $19.58 – $36.98 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by Certification

The more certifications you get as a nurse, the more money you could possibly make. Possible earnings by certification include:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support: $20.37 – $37.87 per hour
• Basic Life Support: $19.61 – $35.68 per hour
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: $19.79 – $36.48 per hour
• Critical Care: $20.22 – $39.62 per hour
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program: $20.65 – $38.15 per hour
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support: $20.51 – $37.70 per hour
• Registered Nurse: $19.12 – $36.42 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by College

The college you go to may not have a huge influence on your potential earnings, but it is nice to know what graduates have made from colleges around the country. Those registered nursing salary levels include:

• Arizona State University: $21.28 – $39.30 per hour
• Excelsior College: $19.53 – $33.28 per hour
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: $20.08 – $33.95 per hour
• IVY Tech State College: $16.29 – $27.45 per hour
• Kent State University: $19.76 – $30.28 per hour
• University of Phoenix: $21.71 – $41.67 per hour
• University of Texas: $22.04 – $37.18 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by Degree

Higher degrees will inevitably lead to higher paying jobs. Hourly rates for nursing graduates include:

• Associate Degree Nursing: $19.46 – $35.34 per hour
• Associate of Science in Nursing: $19.29 – $34.97 per hour
• Associate’s Degree: $19.40 – $35.35 per hour
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing: $19.88 – $36.52 per hour
• Bachelor’s Degree: $19.86 – $36.64 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by Employer

Some employers pay more money to their registered nurses than others. Some of the highest paying and most popular employers in the country include:

• DaVita Inc.: $22.64 – $35.20 per hour
• Fresenius Medical Care, Inc.: $20.95 – $32.64 per hour
• HCA, Inc.: $20.77 – $34.26 per hour
• Kaiser Permanente: $29.12 – $62.22 per hour
• Memorial Hospital: $18.78 – $33.65 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by Years of Experience

As you expand your career as an RN, you will be able to earn more money in exchange for the expertise of your experience. Possible salaries by experience include:

• 1-4 years: $19.21 – $31.80 per hour
• 5-9 years: $21.16 – $36.82 per hour
• 10-19 years: $22.49 – $40.05 per hour
• 20+ years: $23.12 – $43.13 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by Gender

Women make up 89% of the RN field, but they make about the same money as their male counterparts. Registered nurse salaries by gender break down as follows:

• Male: $22.28 – $30.97 per hour
• Female: $22.12 – $30.81 per hour

Registered Nurse Salary by State

Your location will determine the standard of living your employers have to pay you based on. Some of the most popular states for registered nursing jobs include:

• California: $23.86 – $50.92 per hour
• Florida: $19.62 – $34.07 per hour
• Illinois: $19.62 – $34.95 per hour
• New York: $20.14 – $39.54 per hour
• Ohio: $19.36 – $31.98 per hour
• Pennsylvania: $20.09 – $36.03 per hour
• Texas: $20.46 – $35.77 per hour

Note that the information above is courtesy of PayScale.com as of January 9, 2012. It may not reflect the information at the time you read this article.