OK, so you think you may have found your passion in life – becoming a Registered Nurse.

However, the million-dollar question is…

How much will I earn per year as an RN?

We will share more information on nursing salaries with you, but there are some other things to consider first:

Is being a Registered Nurse a growing or dying career?

How are the employment prospects for an RN?

And where is the best place to live and get paid as an RN?

Keep reading and, hopefully, we can answer some of these questions for you.

What kind of salary can I expect?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for Registered Nurses was $70,000 in May 2017. By the term “median wage,” we mean that half the workers in the occupation earned more than this. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,690, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $104,100.

What are the highest paying states for RNs?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, California, Hawaii, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington are the highest paying states for professionals in this field.

What are the lowest paying states for RNs?

Again, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky seem to be on the lower end of the range.

What is the Career Ranking for this job?

Well, according to usnews.com, becoming an RN is exceptionally fulfilling. They analyze a boatload of data about salary, unemployment rate, and stress to select the top jobs for each year.

  • A Nurse Practitioner Ranked #4 in The 100 Best Jobs Overall. Wow!
  • A Registered Nurse Ranked #18 in The 100 Best Jobs.
  • A Nurse Anesthetist Ranked #22 in The 100 Best Jobs.

What is the growth potential as an RN?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical job growth in a sector is 7%. Nursing job growth over the next 10 years is expected to be over 15%, adding over 500,000 new jobs. That is more than twice the market average!

What are the unemployment figures like for RNs?

When looking at a career to get into, it is a good idea to factor in data on how long you can stay employed. Registered Nurses have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the US. According to usnews.com, the unemployment rate for RNs is only 1.2%.

The bottom line: Becoming a Registered Nurse, regardless of the specialty you choose, is not just a rewarding career; it is a growing and lucrative one, too.