WASHINGTON — Kentucky’s media registered nurse salary ranks in the third quartile nationally, according to the national Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state is part of a clump of states whose averages are between $75,000 and $80,000, meaning that a $5,000 increase in median salary would put Kentucky in the top 20.
Median annual wages for registered nurses vary across states.
Here are the median annual wages for registered nurses for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., listed in descending order of pay. Data is the most recent available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released April 25.
1. California: $132,660
2. Hawaii: $120,100
3. Oregon: $106,680
4. Alaska: $102,260
5. Washington: $101,230
6. New York: $100,370
7. District of Columbia: $98,970
8. Massachusetts: $98,520
9. New Jersey: $98,090
10. Connecticut: $95,210
11. Nevada: $94,930
12. Rhode Island: $85,960
13. Minnesota: $84,060
14. Maryland: $83,850
15. Colorado: $82,430
16. Arizona: $82,330
17. Delaware: $82,230
18. New Mexico: $81,990
19. New Hampshire: $80,550
20. Texas: $79,830
21. Wisconsin: $79,750
22. Virginia: $79,700
23. Georgia: $79,440
24. Michigan: $79,180
25. Illinois: $78,980
26. Pennsylvania: $78,740
27. Idaho: $77,940
28. Wyoming: $77,730
29. Florida: $77,710
30. Maine: $77,340
31. Utah: $77,240
32. Vermont: $77,230
33. Ohio: $76,810
34. Montana: $76,550
35. North Carolina: $76,430
36. Kentucky: $75,800
37. South Carolina: $75,610
38. Nebraska: $74,990
39. Oklahoma: $74,520
40. West Virginia: $74,160
41. Indiana: $73,290
42. Louisiana: $73,180
43. Missouri: $71,460
44. North Dakota: $69,640
45. Kansas: $66,460
46. Tennessee: $65,800
47. Iowa: $65,000
48. Arkansas: $64,130
49. Mississippi: $63,330
50. Alabama: $63,090
51. South Dakota: $62,920
