Nursing Career Profile: Compensation

The salaries for registered nurses will vary between individuals in the field. Wages typically reflect the nurses’s education level, experience, place of work, as well as the general state of the economy. However, it can be helpful to consider the national average wages for registered nurses. In May of 2008, registered nurses earned an average of $62,450, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, the lowest 10% of RN wages were lower than $43,410, while the highest 10% were more than $92,240, the BLS reports.

Your place of work can affect your compensation as well, as those employed as nurses for nursing care facilities earned an average of $57,060 annually, while those working in general medical and surgical hospitals earned an average of $63,880 annually, according to the BLS.