Registered Nurse (RN) Salary Report 2024

Interested to see the difference between the Registered Nurse salary reports from 2023 to 2024? In this blog, we are going to break down Medscape’s 2024 Registered Nurse salary report for 2024. Medscape invited nurses to participate in a 10-minute online survey between March 20^th, 2024 to May 15th, 2024. The nurses were required to be licensed in the U.S. and the sample size for Registered Nurses ended up being 3,303 RNs. Check out the RN salary report 2024 results below.

Registered Nurse Salary Report 2024:

How Much Education Registered Nurses Are Pursuing:

• Associate Degree: 20%
• Bachelor’s Degree: 55%
• Master’s Degree: 19%
• Doctoral Degree: 3%

It’s not that surprising to see 55% of Registered Nurses are getting their Bachelor’s degree. In recent years there has been a growing trend of nurses pursuing BSN programs  over associate degree programs. This is due to the opportunities for career advancement and driven by employer preferences. This is especially true for nurses in New York. Since 2017, New York State implemented the “BSN in 10 Law” where nurses must obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree or higher within 10 years of initial licensure in order to continue practicing.

Registered Nurse Compensation:

Below is the breakdown from Medscape’s results including both gross income and income after taxes. Registered Nurses reported their average salary as:

• Base: $91,000
• Total Compensation: $95,000

With these results, we can conclude that the average salary (before taxes) for Registered Nurses is around $95,000 and after taxes is an average of $91,000. Over the past year, Registered Nurse compensation increased by $6,000 from the 2023 RN salary report.

Pay Differences Between Male and Female Registered Nurses:

• RN Females vs Males
  • Female: $94,000
  • Male: $104,000

Since the 2023 RN salary report, we saw an increase of $5,000 for male RNs and a $6,000 increase for female RNs. With the 2024 results, the wage gap between male and female nurses decreased by $1,000 making the difference drop from $11,000 to $10,000. Although it decreased by a small amount, it is a step in the right direction to equal pay!

Which Regions do RNs Make the Most?

• RN Salary by region
  • Pacific: $119,000
  • Mid-Atlantic: $100,000
  • Mountain: $93,000
  • East North Central: $90,000
  • West South Central: $90,000
  • South Atlantic: $89,000
  • West North Central: $85,000
  • East South Central: $85,000

The Pacific region is still the top paying region for Registered Nurses. The average salary has increased from $110,000 to $119,000. For the region that makes the least, East South Central, the average pay increased from 2023 by $8,000.

Which Work Setting Do RNs Make the Most?

• RN Salary per setting
  • Hospital-inpatient care: $100,000
  • Hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic: $97,000
  • Public/community health settings: $85,000
  • Non-hospital-based medical office/urgent care clinic: $85,000
  • School/college health services: $72,000

Hospital-inpatient care is still the top work setting with the highest pay. Depending on the work setting you choose, your Registered Nurse salary can range from $72,000 per year to $100,000 per year.

Do RNs Make More in a Non-Union or Union Setting?

• RN Union vs non-union earnings
  • Union: $106,000
  • Non-union: $93,000

The pay gap between union RNs and non-union RNs has actually increased over this past year. In 2023 it was reported that union RNs made an average of $97,000 and non-union RNs made an average of $87,000. Last year, the wage gap was a $10,000 difference. This year with the pay increases, there is now a $13,000 salary difference between union and non-union RNs.

Registered Nurse Income By Years of Practice:

• 6 – 10 years: $88,000
• 11 – 20 years: $95,000
• 21 years+ : $98,000

It looks like this year Medscape did not have enough data to report the average income for RNs with less than 6 years of experience. However, we do see an increase in salary across the board. With this years report, we see an $8,000 increase for RNs with 6 – 10 years of experience and a $5,000 increase for RNs with 11+ years of experience.

Final Thoughts

With the results of the 2024 Registered Nurse Salary Report, we’ve seen an increase in wages across the board. Nurses are our real-life heroes, and they deserve to be compensated for their dedication and hard work. If you’re looking for a Registered Nurse job in New Jersey or New York, take a look at our current hot job openings! We are always posting new opportunities in numerous settings and locations in the tri-state area. You can apply online or give us a call!