Jetted FoxCareers · Nursing & patient care
Registered nurses
You care for patients, give medicines and treatments, and watch for changes in their condition. Most need a college degree first.
Start after 2–3 years of college
Starting pay ranges from about $30.53/hr in Alabama to $58.87/hr in California.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27.96–30.53/hr | $37.06/hr |
| Alaska | $40.88–46.97/hr | $52.64/hr |
| Arizona | $33.91–39.33/hr | $47.84/hr |
| Arkansas | $29.22–32.04/hr | $37.95/hr |
| California | $48.68–58.87/hr | $67.44/hr |
| Colorado | $38.22–40.67/hr | $48.20/hr |
| Connecticut | $38.63–41.40/hr | $49.39/hr |
| Delaware | $37.66–41.30/hr | $47.85/hr |
| Florida | $32.68–37.82/hr | $40.48/hr |
| Georgia | $33.14–38.02/hr | $44.98/hr |
| Hawaii | $39.66–48.65/hr | $65.54/hr |
| Idaho | $34.23–38.90/hr | $44.45/hr |
| Illinois | $33.26–38.47/hr | $46.15/hr |
| Indiana | $32.09–37.86/hr | $40.14/hr |
| Iowa | $30.69–32.83/hr | $37.80/hr |
| Kansas | $30.37–35.24/hr | $38.14/hr |
| Kentucky | $30.85–36.38/hr | $38.96/hr |
| Louisiana | $30.67–33.19/hr | $38.57/hr |
| Maine | $35.65–38.41/hr | $41.82/hr |
| Maryland | $36.91–40.26/hr | $47.98/hr |
| Massachusetts | $38.61–42.05/hr | $50.27/hr |
| Michigan | $37.14–39.46/hr | $45.34/hr |
| Minnesota | $38.44–42.76/hr | $48.80/hr |
| Mississippi | $29.14–31.22/hr | $37.06/hr |
| Missouri | $30.40–36.56/hr | $39.32/hr |
| Montana | $33.71–38.56/hr | $41/hr |
| Nebraska | $31.74–38.09/hr | $40.74/hr |
| Nevada | $38.22–41.76/hr | $49.84/hr |
| New Hampshire | $36.35–39.85/hr | $47.93/hr |
| New Jersey | $39.93–47.94/hr | $51.20/hr |
| New Mexico | $35.72–38.92/hr | $45.36/hr |
| New York | $38.35–45.60/hr | $52.62/hr |
| North Carolina | $32.53–37.87/hr | $40.56/hr |
| North Dakota | $31.50–33.47/hr | $38.81/hr |
| Ohio | $32.20–38.08/hr | $39.67/hr |
| Oklahoma | $29.10–37.19/hr | $39.87/hr |
| Oregon | $45.81–51.55/hr | $62.02/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $34.04–38.75/hr | $46.36/hr |
| Rhode Island | $37.22–39.35/hr | $48.39/hr |
| South Carolina | $32.14–37.17/hr | $39.60/hr |
| South Dakota | $25.98–31.29/hr | $37.53/hr |
| Tennessee | $30.76–36.28/hr | $39.18/hr |
| Texas | $32.27–38.06/hr | $46.14/hr |
| Utah | $33.13–38.49/hr | $40.67/hr |
| Vermont | $37.34–39.53/hr | $46.86/hr |
| Virginia | $32.61–38.51/hr | $45/hr |
| Washington | $43.09–49.57/hr | $59.71/hr |
| Washington, DC | $38.17–41.28/hr | $49.30/hr |
| West Virginia | $27.50–32.77/hr | $38.52/hr |
| Wisconsin | $37.24–39.39/hr | $45.93/hr |
| Wyoming | $31.62–37.45/hr | $40.27/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Also: Background check
State registered nurse (RN) license: required in every state. It lets you practice as a registered nurse. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
A normal day
You work 12-hour shifts on a hospital floor or in a clinic, caring for 4-6 patients. You check vital signs, give medicines, start IVs, chart everything and talk with doctors and families. You are on your feet most of the shift and handle emergencies when they come.
The good parts
High pay. About 180,800 US openings a year. Many directions: ER, ICU, surgery, children, travel nursing. An associate degree is enough to get licensed.
The hard parts
12-hour shifts, nights, weekends and holidays, especially early on. Physically and emotionally hard: lifting patients, death and stressed families. Nursing school is hard to get into and takes 2+ years.
Where it leads
RNs move into specialty nursing, charge nurse, or complete a bachelor's online toward nurse practitioner or management roles.
Quick answers
Do registered nurses need a college degree?
Usually, yes: associate degree in nursing (adn) comes first.
How long is the training for registered nurses?
2–3 year associate degree in nursing, then the state nursing exam.
How much do registered nurses make?
About $33.14–38.62 an hour to start and $46.90 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.