Article from U.S. News
#1 in U.S. News Best Jobs 2012
Overall Score: 8.2
| Number of Jobs: 711,900 | Median Salary: $64,690 |
| Unemployment Rate: 5.5% | Job Satisfaction: MEDIUM |
Salary Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for a registered nurse was $64,690 in 2010. The best-paid 10 percent of RNs made approximately $95,130, while the bottom 10 percent made approximately $44,190. The highest wages are reserved for personal care nurses, or those working for private-sector pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturers. By location, the highest-paid positions are clustered in the metropolitan areas of northern California, including municipalities in and around San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco.
Average Registered Nurse Pay vs. All Healthcare Jobs
Registered nurses make an average salary of $64,690, which is pretty good pay compared with some of the other Healthcare Jobs on this year's list of The Best Jobs of 2012. That's comparable to the pay of occupational and physical therapists. Medical assistants take home far less money in a year—approximately $35,830 less in 2010 than the average RN earned that same year. And with an average salary that's a little more than $30,000 per year, paramedics also have a lower average salary than nurses.
Best Paying Cities for Registered Nurses
The highest paid in the registered nurse profession work in the metropolitan areas of San Jose, Calif., Oakland, Calif., and San Francisco. The Salinas, Calif. area also pays well, as does the city of Napa, Calif..
San Jose, Calif.
Salary: $116,150
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in San Jose, Calif. is $116,150, which is $51,460 more than the average pay in the profession.
Oakland, Calif.
Salary: $100,900
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Oakland, Calif. is $100,900, which is $36,210 more than the average pay in the profession.
San Francisco
Salary: $97,600
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in San Francisco is $97,600, which is $32,910 more than the average pay in the profession.
Salinas, Calif.
Salary: $97,450
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Salinas, Calif. is $97,450, which is $32,760 more than the average pay in the profession.
Napa, Calif.
Salary: $97,090
The annual median wage of a registered nurse working in Napa, Calif. is $97,090, which is $32,400 more than the average pay in the profession.
