Highest Paying States for Nurses (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
By popular demand, we’ve adjusted our rankings for RN salaries to factor in the cost of living. To calculate the highest paying states and adjust for this, we took the average annual cost of living for a single adult in the United States ($31,5121), multiplied it by the Cost of Living Index2, and then subtracted that amount from the average nurse’s salary for that state. States were then re-ranked by salaries adjusted for cost of living.
We’ve also included the effective tax rate3 in each state so you have a clearer picture of how far your salary will go.
As expected, many of the highest paying states also had high costs for food, housing, and transportation. Conversely, many of the lowest salaries were found in states with much lower costs for those same basic necessities.
While many of the rankings remained the same, there were also a few surprises. See our list below for how your state ranked.
Average RN Salary: $59,540
Average Hourly: $26.14
Number of RNs in South Dakota: 12,950
Cost of Living Index: 99.7
Effective Tax Rate: 11.11%
Average RN Salary: $60,590
Average Hourly: $26.59
Number of RNs in Iowa: 32,980
Cost of Living Index: 91.4
Effective Tax Rate: 13.08%
Average RN Salary: $60,230
Average Hourly: $26.68
Number of RNs in Alabama: 49,190
Cost of Living Index: 89.6
Effective Tax Rate: 9.10%
Average RN Salary: $59,750
Average Hourly: $26.86
Number of RNs in Mississippi: 29,550
Cost of Living Index: 84.7
Effective Tax Rate: 11.99%
47. Maine
Average RN Salary: $69,760
Average Hourly: $29.76
Number of RNs in Maine: 14,490
Cost of Living Index: 115.2
Effective Tax Rate: 11.79%
Average RN Salary: $70,240
Average Hourly: $31.36
Number of RNs in Vermont: 6,270
Cost of Living Index: 116.7
Effective Tax Rate: 11.44%
Average RN Salary: $61,330
Average Hourly: $27.26
Number of RNs in Arkansas: 25,210
Cost of Living Index: 88.2
Effective Tax Rate: 11.28%
Average RN Salary: $63,750
Average Hourly: $28.33
Number of RNs in Kentucky: 43,840
Cost of Living Index: 94.2
Effective Tax Rate: 12.46%
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Average RN Salary: $63,220
Average Hourly: $27.98
Number of RNs in West Virginia: 19,830
Cost of Living Index: 92.4
Effective Tax Rate: 9.70%
Average RN Salary: $62,570
Average Hourly: $27.69
Number of RNs in Tennessee: 63,330
Cost of Living Index: 90
Effective Tax Rate: 8.73%
Average RN Salary: $64,840
Average Hourly: $29.32
Number of RNs in South Carolina: 46,860
Cost of Living Index: 95.5
Effective Tax Rate: 9.02%
Average RN Salary: $69,340
Average Hourly: $29.98
Number of RNs in Montana: 10,310
Cost of Living Index: 108.2
Effective Tax Rate: 7.08%
Average RN Salary: $66,290
Average Hourly: $28.77
Number of RNs in North Dakota: 9,750
Cost of Living Index: 96.5
Effective Tax Rate: 9.99%
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Average RN Salary: $64,160
Average Hourly: $28.28
Number of RNs in Missouri: 68,840
Cost of Living Index: 88.3
Effective Tax Rate: 11.18%
Average RN Salary: $66,440
Average Hourly: $28.65
Number of RNs in North Carolina: 99,960
Cost of Living Index: 95.5
Effective Tax Rate: 10.62%
Average RN Salary: $67,610
Average Hourly: $30.15
Number of RNs in Florida: 181,670
Cost of Living Index: 99.2
Effective Tax Rate: 8.31%
Average RN Salary: $65,850
Average Hourly: $29.24
Number of RNs in Louisiana: 40,870
Cost of Living Index: 93.5
Effective Tax Rate: 10.56%
Average RN Salary: $66,640
Average Hourly: $28.45
Number of RNs in Nebraska: 23,800
Cost of Living Index: 92.8
Effective Tax Rate: 13.32%
Average RN Salary: $67,970
Average Hourly: $29.23
Number of RNs in Utah: 21,650
Cost of Living Index: 96.9
Effective Tax Rate: 8.37%
Average RN Salary: $64,800
Average Hourly: $28.49
Number of RNs in Oklahoma: 31,350
Cost of Living Index: 86.7
Effective Tax Rate: 11.40%
31. Maryland
Average RN Salary: $77,910
Average Hourly: $35.31
Number of RNs in Maryland: 53,150
Cost of Living Index: 128
Effective Tax Rate: 11.44%
Average RN Salary: $66,560
Average Hourly: $28.27
Number of RNs in Indiana: 67,510
Cost of Living Index: 89.5
Effective Tax Rate: 11.75%
Average RN Salary: $87,840
Average Hourly: $38.65
Number of RNs in New York: 178,320
Cost of Living Index: 155.9
Effective Tax Rate: 13.92%
Average RN Salary: $71,410
Average Hourly: $32.05
Number of RNs in Pennsylvania: 148,040
Cost of Living Index: 103.2
Effective Tax Rate: 13.90%
Average RN Salary: $68,690
Average Hourly: $29.54
Number of RNs in Wyoming: 5,120
Cost of Living Index: 94.5
Effective Tax Rate: 8.05%
Average RN Salary: $68,220
Average Hourly: $29.95
Number of RNs in Ohio: 125,470
Cost of Living Index: 92.1
Effective Tax Rate: 13.14%
Average RN Salary: $69,480
Average Hourly: $29.90
Number of RNs in Idaho: 14,110
Cost of Living Index: 94.3
Effective Tax Rate: 8.50%
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Average RN Salary: $73,880
Average Hourly: $32.07
Number of RNs in New Hampshire: 14,320
Cost of Living Index: 108
Effective Tax Rate: 10.02%
Average RN Salary: $71,870
Average Hourly: $31.00
Number of RNs in Virginia: 66,040
Cost of Living Index: 101.4
Effective Tax Rate: 10.73%
Average RN Salary: $74,100
Average Hourly: $33.32
Number of RNs in Delaware: 11,730
Cost of Living Index: 107.7
Effective Tax Rate: 6.19%
Average RN Salary: $69,590
Average Hourly: $30.93
Number of RNs in Georgia: 75,430
Cost of Living Index: 90
Effective Tax Rate: 10.46%
Average RN Salary: $104,060
Average Hourly: $43.76
Number of RNs in Hawaii: 11,330
Cost of Living Index: 197.6
Effective Tax Rate: 10.62%
Average RN Salary: $72,610
Average Hourly: $31.94
Number of RNs in Wisconsin: 61,930
Cost of Living Index: 95.7
Effective Tax Rate: 13.29%
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Average RN Salary: $62,450
Average Hourly: $27.50
Number of RNs in Kansas: 30,370
Cost of Living Index: 86.5
Effective Tax Rate: 13.40%
Average RN Salary: $76,230
Average Hourly: $33.05
Number of RNs in Colorado: 52,510
Cost of Living Index: 103.2
Effective Tax Rate: 8.58%
Average RN Salary: $94,820
Average Hourly: $38.47
Number of RNs in DC: 10,890
Cost of Living Index: 160.7
Effective Tax Rate: 8.96%
Average RN Salary: $83,440
Average Hourly: $35.33
Number of RNs in Connecticut: 34,740
Cost of Living Index: 124.2
Effective Tax Rate: 14.64%
Average RN Salary: $73,200
Average Hourly: $32.43
Number of RNs in Michigan: 96,900
Cost of Living Index: 90.1
Effective Tax Rate: 12.29%
13. Rhode Island
Average RN Salary: $82,310
Average Hourly: $35.73
Number of RNs in Rhode Island: 12,630
Cost of Living Index: 118.6
Effective Tax Rate: 12.89%
Average RN Salary: $73,510
Average Hourly: $33.03
Number of RNs in Illinois: 129,530
Cost of Living Index: 89.7
Effective Tax Rate: 14.96%
Average RN Salary: $74,540
Average Hourly: $33.02
Number of RNs in Texas: 218,090
Cost of Living Index: 91.7
Effective Tax Rate: 12.71%
Average RN Salary: $84,280
Average Hourly: $38.36
Number of RNs in New Jersey: 80,140
Cost of Living Index: 122.4
Effective Tax Rate: 12.62%
Average RN Salary: $73,300
Average Hourly: $32.49
Number of RNs in New Mexico: 17,350
Cost of Living Index: 87.2
Effective Tax Rate: 10.46%
Average RN Salary: $78,330
Average Hourly: $34.94
Number of RNs in Arizona: 54,590
Cost of Living Index: 100.1
Effective Tax Rate: 9.59%
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Average RN Salary: $80,130
Average Hourly: $35.80
Number of RNs in Minnesota: 71,000
Cost of Living Index: 101.2
Effective Tax Rate: 11.27%
Average RN Salary: $90,500
Average Hourly: $40.01
Number of RNs in Alaska: 6,210
Cost of Living Index: 128.4
Effective Tax Rate: 5.73%
Average RN Salary: $92,960
Average Hourly: $42.32
Number of RNs in Oregon: 36,660
Cost of Living Index: 134.3
Effective Tax Rate: 9.05%
Average RN Salary: $86,170
Average Hourly: $37.71
Number of RNs in Washington: 58,000
Cost of Living Index: 112.2
Effective Tax Rate: 12.06%
Average RN Salary: $93,160
Average Hourly: $40.58
Number of RNs in Massachusetts: 81,020
Cost of Living Index: 129.7
Effective Tax Rate: 10.87%
Average RN Salary: $88,380
Average Hourly: $40.36
Number of RNs in Nevada: 22,490
Cost of Living Index: 108.8
Effective Tax Rate: 8.04%
Average RN Salary: $113,240
Average Hourly: $48.30
Number of RNs in California: 302,770
Cost of Living Index: 142.7
Effective Tax Rate: 8.94%
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Next Up: 15 Highest Paying Nursing Careers
Sources:
1. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Registered Nurses. May 2016 Occupational Employment Statistics.
2. The Council for Community and Economic Research. Cost of Living Index. Cost of Living Data Series, 2016 Annual Average.
3. WalletHub.com. 2017’s Tax Rates by State. March 2017.
