🏥 Healthcare ↑ 6% growth · Faster than average

Registered Nurse (RN)

RNs are the backbone of American healthcare — they assess patients, administer medications, coordinate care plans, and advocate for patients across every setting from ICUs to schools. It's one of the most in-demand and recession-proof careers in existence.

$81,220 Median Salary

3.1M US Jobs

2–4 years Training

$8,000–$40,000 Typical Cost

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💰 Salary & Earning Potential

Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Figures represent national averages — local wages vary by state, city, and employer.

Registered nurses typically earn $65,000–$100,000 annually for hospital staff positions. ICU, OR, and ED nurses earn $75,000–$120,000 with shift differentials. Travel RNs earn $2,500–$5,000+ per week on 13-week contracts — total annual income of $100,000–$250,000 for full-time travelers. California RNs earn substantially above the national median — RN wages in California average $120,000–$150,000 due to mandatory nurse-patient ratio laws. Nurse practitioners earn $110,000–$160,000. Nursing leadership — nurse managers and CNOs — earn $90,000–$200,000.

Entry Level

$61,000

Median

$81,220

Experienced

$116,000

Want your state's salary? Select a state below to see local wage data, demand, and training programs.

📈 Job Outlook

Projected Growth (10yr)

Faster than average

3.1M

Total US Jobs

Active positions nationwide

RN License

Required Credential

RN License (NCLEX-RN)

Registered nurses are the backbone of hospital care — assessing patients, administering medications, managing complex care plans, and coordinating the interdisciplinary team. The BLS projects much-faster-than-average employment growth for RNs driven by the aging population, nursing workforce retirements, hospital expansion, and the growing complexity of care that requires professional nursing judgment. Nurse practitioners — requiring a master's degree and advanced practice licensure — are one of the fastest-growing healthcare occupations with NP scope of practice expansion creating new opportunities for experienced RNs. Travel nursing contracts provide exceptional income — $2,500–$5,000+ per week — for nurses willing to work 13-week assignments at facilities nationwide.

🎓 Training & Education

Typical Program

ADN or BSN

Program Length

2–4 years

Typical Tuition

$8,000–$40,000

Work Setting

Hospitals, clinics, home health, schools

Registered nurses enter practice through an associate degree in nursing (ADN, 2 years) or a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN, 4 years) — both requiring passing the NCLEX-RN examination for licensure. Hospital employers increasingly prefer BSN-prepared nurses — Magnet designation hospitals require a BSN-educated nursing workforce. The RN-to-BSN program allows ADN-educated nurses to complete a BSN while working. Advanced practice nursing — nurse practitioner, CRNA, CNS — requires a master's or doctoral degree in nursing. Specialty certifications — CCRN, CEN, CNOR, and others — demonstrate advanced clinical competency in ICU, emergency, and surgical nursing specialties.

🏆 Credential Required: RN License (NCLEX-RN)

☀️ Day in the Life

A Registered Nurse begins the hospital shift with a handoff report from the outgoing nurse — reviewing the condition, medications, recent lab values, and plan of care for each of six assigned patients. The first patient is post-operative day one from an appendectomy — the nurse assesses surgical site, checks pain score, administers scheduled IV antibiotics, and documents the assessment in the EHR. A second patient's telemetry shows a new irregular rhythm — the nurse pulls the rhythm strip, recognizes atrial fibrillation, confirms the patient is hemodynamically stable, and calls the physician to report. They receive a new admission from the ED — a 68-year-old with acute CHF exacerbation — and complete the admission assessment, initiate the IV furosemide order, and coordinate with dietary and respiratory therapy for the care plan. Throughout the shift they manage medication administration, patient education, family communication, and coordination with the interdisciplinary team.

⚖️ Pros & Cons

Pros

Among the highest-demand professions with exceptional job security: The nursing shortage is structural and national — RN employment security is among the strongest of any profession.
Travel nursing provides extraordinary income potential: Travel RN contracts at $2,500–$5,000+ per week allow nurses to earn $100,000–$250,000 annually while experiencing different healthcare settings.
Clear advancement to NP, CRNA, and nursing leadership: RN experience is the foundation for nurse practitioner, CRNA, and nursing director career advancement with significant salary growth.
Meaningful direct patient care and clinical decision-making: RNs make clinical judgments that directly affect patient outcomes — a profession with genuine purpose and moment-by-moment significance.
Geographic flexibility in an acute national workforce shortage: RNs can work in virtually any geographic market — the workforce shortage creates employment opportunities everywhere in the country.

Cons

Physical demands of 12-hour shifts including patient handling: 12-hour hospital nursing shifts with patient transfers, constant movement, and sustained alertness are physically and mentally exhausting.
Emotional toll of caring for seriously ill and dying patients: RNs regularly care for patients at the end of life, witness acute suffering, and manage difficult family conversations — emotional demands are significant.
Mandatory overtime and short staffing in persistent shortage: The nursing shortage means RNs are frequently asked to accept mandatory overtime and work with more patients than is optimal for care quality.
Workplace safety risks including needlestick and workplace violence: Needlestick injuries, patient aggression, and workplace violence in healthcare settings are occupational safety risks requiring protocol and awareness.

📍 Fort Myers, FL

Certificate 2-4yr

Federal dataset match

Yuba College

📍 Marysville, CA

Certificate 1-<2yr

How to compare these options

Look for programs that align with the most common hiring path for Registered Nurse (RN) in your state.
Ask whether graduates are prepared for any required credential, license, or employer screening step.
Compare cost, completion time, and schedule before making a final decision.

🗺️ Registered Nurse (RN) by State

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