Methodology

MoneyGeek analyzed nurse salaries in 109 U.S. metro areas using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For its rankings, the company looked at a broad range of nurse specialties, including RNs, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. However, the best metro areas rankings only included RNs, LPNs, LVNs, and NPs.

To calculate net salaries, MoneyGeek used SmartAsset's paycheck calculator to apply federal, state, and local taxes before using data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust for local costs of living.

The best (and worst) cities for nurse salaries

The 10 metro areas with the highest adjusted nurse salaries are:

1. Winston-Salem, NC (average annual salary: $127,063; adjusted take-home pay: $106,721)
2. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (average annual salary: $119,680; adjusted take-home pay: $100,576)
3. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (average annual salary: $119,484; adjusted take-home pay: $99,232)
4. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (average annual salary: $119,088; adjusted take-home pay: $97,891)
5. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (average annual salary: $127,808; adjusted take-home pay: $96,358)
6. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (average annual salary: $124,680; adjusted take-home pay: $94,474)
7. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR (average annual salary: $104,523; adjusted take-home pay: $94,453)
8. Lafayette, LA (average annual salary: $112,373; adjusted take-home pay: $94,435)
9. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (average annual salary: $125,280; adjusted take-home pay: $94,090)
10. Jackson, MS (average annual salary: $114,643; adjusted take-home pay: $93,781)

In comparison, the 10 metro areas with the lowest adjusted nurse salaries are:

1. Honolulu, HI (average annual salary: $124,308; adjusted take-home pay: $46,988)
2. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (average annual salary: $102,377; adjusted take-home pay: $59,211)
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (average annual salary: $157,800; adjusted take-home pay: $59,889)
4. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (average annual salary: $117,925; adjusted take-home pay: $60,718)
5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (average annual salary: $132,334; adjusted take-home pay: $62,454)
6. Colorado Springs, CO (average annual salary: $90,730; adjusted take-home pay: $62,555)
7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (average annual salary: $138,155; adjusted take-home pay: $62,720)
8. Provo-Orem, UT (average annual salary: $87,463; adjusted take-home pay: $62,998)
9. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA (average annual salary: $166,788; adjusted take-home pay: $63,652)
10. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (average annual salary: $86,793; adjusted take-home pay: $63,940)

MoneyGeek also ranked metro areas for different nurse specialties:

• RNs: The metro area with the highest RN salary was Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, with an adjusted take-home pay of $88,847. The metro area with the lowest RN salary was Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, with an adjusted take-home pay of $48,079.
• LPNs and LVNs: The metro area with the highest LPN/LVN salary was Reno, NV, with an adjusted take-home pay of $56,774. The metro area with the lowest LPN/LVN salary was Honolulu, HI, with an adjusted take-home pay of $25,726.
• NPs: The metro area with the highest NP salary was Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, with an adjusted take-home pay of $118,676. The metro area with the lowest NP salary was Honolulu, HI, with an adjusted take-home pay of $47,505.

Advisory Board nursing resources

For more insights on nursing, check out these Advisory Board resources:

This expert insight outlines the three underlying causes of nurse recruitment and retention challenges and offers ways for leaders to address them. Similarly, this research explains four ways to retain early-career nurses.

Another expert insight addresses what health system leaders should know about nurse leaders' priorities. We also offer recommendations on how to stabilize the RN workforce, as well as a decision guide on technologies that can help address clinical workforce challenges.

This featured page can also help leaders find resources to boost recruitment and retention, optimize technology, and better support their nurses. (Jachim, Nexstar Media Wire News/The Hill, 5/5; Solum, MoneyGeek, 4/29)