GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Registered Nurses
Best States to Be a Registered Nurses
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a registered nurses salary goes furthest in California — a $140,270 BLS median worth $118,630 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 127.5).
Which US states are best for a registered nurses after cost of living and tax?
For a registered nurses, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks California #1: a $140,270 BLS median becomes $118,630 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 127.5). Florida ranks last ($81,411, index 87.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
California ranks #1 of 51 states for a registered nurses. Index 100 = the average state; 127.5 means pay goes 27.5% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedRegistered Nurses — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $140,270 | $8,923 | 110.7 | $118,630 | 127.5 |
| 2 | Washington | $124,200 | — | 107.0 | $116,061 | 124.8 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $136,320 | $8,848 | 110.0 | $115,936 | 124.6 |
| 4 | Oregon | $129,010 | $10,498 | 103.4 | $114,658 | 123.3 |
| 5 | Alaska | $109,480 | — | 102.4 | $106,957 | 115.0 |
| 6 | Nevada | $103,670 | — | 100.0 | $103,692 | 111.5 |
| 7 | Texas | $95,970 | — | 97.1 | $98,880 | 106.3 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $94,340 | $3,346 | 92.2 | $98,679 | 106.1 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $101,510 | $5,414 | 98.6 | $97,440 | 104.8 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $95,530 | $3,911 | 94.1 | $97,369 | 104.7 |
| 11 | Arizona | $99,500 | $2,013 | 100.7 | $96,832 | 104.1 |
| 12 | New York | $109,440 | $5,518 | 107.9 | $96,294 | 103.5 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $2,960 | 97.6 | $95,796 | 103.0 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $99,700 | — | 104.2 | $95,714 | 102.9 |
| 15 | Vermont | $97,460 | $4,051 | 98.0 | $95,357 | 102.5 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $100,640 | $3,221 | 102.3 | $95,247 | 102.4 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $102,740 | $4,076 | 103.6 | $95,227 | 102.4 |
| 18 | Delaware | $99,520 | $5,227 | 99.8 | $94,474 | 101.6 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $104,550 | $5,008 | 105.8 | $94,124 | 101.2 |
| 20 | Michigan | $94,300 | $3,761 | 96.2 | $94,098 | 101.2 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $106,500 | $4,594 | 108.8 | $93,659 | 100.7 |
| 22 | Colorado | $100,260 | $3,751 | 103.1 | $93,650 | 100.7 |
| 23 | Georgia | $93,550 | $4,396 | 96.3 | $92,587 | 99.5 |
| 24 | Idaho | $92,460 | $4,145 | 95.5 | $92,482 | 99.4 |
| 25 | Illinois | $95,990 | $4,610 | 100.0 | $91,418 | 98.3 |
| 26 | Maryland | $99,790 | $4,407 | 105.0 | $90,876 | 97.7 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $82,920 | $3,401 | 87.8 | $90,524 | 97.3 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $80,730 | $336 | 89.0 | $90,371 | 97.2 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $83,760 | — | 92.7 | $90,365 | 97.2 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $84,730 | $3,310 | 90.1 | $90,363 | 97.1 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $81,500 | — | 91.9 | $88,712 | 95.4 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $80,230 | $2,032 | 88.2 | $88,653 | 95.3 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $78,060 | — | 88.6 | $88,118 | 94.7 |
| 34 | Virginia | $93,600 | $4,582 | 101.1 | $88,046 | 94.7 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $102,540 | $5,841 | 109.9 | $87,987 | 94.6 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $78,940 | $2,870 | 86.9 | $87,500 | 94.1 |
| 37 | Ohio | $82,510 | $1,487 | 92.8 | $87,334 | 93.9 |
| 38 | Indiana | $83,500 | $2,475 | 93.3 | $86,817 | 93.3 |
| 39 | Missouri | $81,780 | $2,963 | 90.8 | $86,787 | 93.3 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $81,040 | $3,111 | 90.2 | $86,435 | 92.9 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $80,130 | $2,927 | 89.5 | $86,263 | 92.7 |
| 42 | Iowa | $78,630 | $2,948 | 87.8 | $86,236 | 92.7 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $84,350 | $3,043 | 94.3 | $86,198 | 92.7 |
| 44 | Montana | $85,280 | $3,893 | 94.6 | $85,992 | 92.5 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $77,090 | $2,587 | 87.0 | $85,682 | 92.1 |
| 46 | Maine | $86,990 | $4,271 | 97.0 | $85,234 | 91.6 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $82,360 | $3,499 | 93.7 | $84,119 | 90.4 |
| 48 | Kansas | $79,320 | $3,626 | 90.1 | $84,041 | 90.4 |
| 49 | Alabama | $77,080 | $3,589 | 88.8 | $82,739 | 89.0 |
| 50 | Utah | $84,600 | $3,849 | 98.9 | $81,679 | 87.8 |
| 51 | Florida | $84,190 | — | 103.4 | $81,411 | 87.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In California, a $140,270 salary is worth about $109,839 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $18,656 (≈ top marginal 13.30% (upper bound)) · take-home $121,614 · BEA cost of living 110.7 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $158,343, a $48,504 gain over California.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $158,343 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $155,054 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $154,253 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $154,219 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $153,756 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $153,737 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $152,683 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $152,098 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $151,331 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $150,025 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $149,357 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $149,177 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Registered Nurses — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a registered nurses?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, California is the best state for a registered nurses: a BLS median of $140,270 is worth $118,630 after the 2025 state income tax ($8,923) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 110.7), an index of 127.5 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a registered nurses at $140,270, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 127.5). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a registered nurses salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 51 states for a registered nurses: a $84,190 BLS median is worth only $81,411 after tax and cost of living (index 87.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversAlaska
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a registered nurses is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.