Nurse salary by city & metro
Which city you work in changes your pay. The typical U.S. registered nurse earns about $93,600, while the San Francisco area leads these metros at around $151,630. City figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living — a starting point, not a guaranteed local wage.
Highest-paying cities for nurses
Estimated registered nurse pay by metro area, highest to lowest.
- San Francisco, CAEstimated$151,630$72.90/hr
- Sacramento, CAEstimated$135,720$65.25/hr
- Los Angeles, CAEstimated$131,040$63.00/hr
- San Diego, CAEstimated$127,300$61.20/hr
- Seattle, WAEstimated$114,190$54.90/hr
- Anchorage, AKEstimated$112,320$54.00/hr
- Honolulu, HIEstimated$112,320$54.00/hr
- Portland, OREstimated$112,320$54.00/hr
- New York, NYEstimated$110,450$53.10/hr
- Boston, MAEstimated$108,580$52.20/hr
- Washington, DCEstimated$104,830$50.40/hr
- Newark, NJEstimated$102,960$49.50/hr
Major U.S. metro areas
RN annual pay by metro. Search, sort, or filter any column.
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City figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living — a starting point, not a guaranteed local wage. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. How we source this.
Nurse salary by city FAQ
- Which cities pay nurses the most?
- California metros — the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego — lead U.S. nurse pay, with other high-cost coastal metros following. City figures here are estimates based on the national average and local cost of living.
- Why is big-city nurse pay higher?
- City pay reflects the local cost of labor and living, hospital competition for staff, and union density. Higher city wages are frequently offset by higher housing costs, so compare pay against local cost of living, not just the headline number.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
- How are the estimates calculated?
- State and city figures take the national pay for that role and adjust it for local cost of living. Specialty figures (ICU, ER, travel, and similar) apply a typical pay difference to the closest role that is measured directly. Every estimate carries a clear label, and the full method is on our methodology page. When official local pay data is added, these figures update to verified numbers automatically.