29
Registered Nurses is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Registered Nurses against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-1141 |
| title | Registered Nurses |
| onet code | 29-1141.00 |
| description | Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. |
| job zone | 4 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 3,282,010 |
| a mean | 98,430 |
| a median | 93,600 |
| a pct10 | 66,030 |
| a pct25 | 78,610 |
| a pct75 | 107,960 |
| a pct90 | 135,320 |
| h mean | 47 |
| h median | 45 |
The day-to-day work of a registered nurses typically centers on record patients' medical information and vital signs. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.94 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working registered nurses, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (55.9%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 57% of incumbents. Entry pathways are mixed; a meaningful minority enters without a four-year degree.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $140,330 and lowest in South Dakota at $69,510 — a 2.0× spread. The top five states (California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska) average $124,702. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,330 | $148,330 | $100,120 | $208,880 | 326,720 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $123,720 | $82,380 | $146,480 | 13,100 |
| Oregon | $123,990 | $120,470 | $95,040 | $143,410 | 39,900 |
| Washington | $112,180 | $115,740 | $86,490 | $149,370 | 64,690 |
| Alaska | $110,690 | $112,040 | $82,400 | $137,400 | 7,040 |
| New York | $105,600 | $110,490 | $77,930 | $153,420 | 204,120 |
| District of Columbia | $104,550 | $109,240 | $81,880 | $135,620 | 9,790 |
| New Jersey | $102,730 | $106,990 | $81,670 | $130,540 | 95,150 |
| Nevada | $101,990 | $102,280 | $77,960 | $132,990 | 27,570 |
| Massachusetts | $101,970 | $112,610 | $76,950 | $173,590 | 90,190 |
| Connecticut | $101,590 | $103,670 | $78,660 | $132,840 | 39,020 |
| Minnesota | $100,870 | $99,460 | $75,830 | $128,200 | 64,740 |
| Rhode Island | $99,960 | $99,770 | $72,090 | $128,520 | 10,760 |
| Arizona | $96,890 | $95,230 | $69,930 | $123,480 | 64,430 |
| Maryland | $96,830 | $96,650 | $75,470 | $121,150 | 48,980 |
| New Hampshire | $96,830 | $94,620 | $69,250 | $120,120 | 16,580 |
| Colorado | $96,520 | $95,470 | $76,050 | $121,710 | 54,510 |
| Delaware | $92,610 | $95,450 | $72,850 | $127,340 | 13,260 |
| Texas | $90,010 | $91,690 | $64,660 | $122,060 | 261,050 |
| Virginia | $88,820 | $90,930 | $64,370 | $124,040 | 77,420 |
| New Mexico | $88,260 | $94,360 | $70,630 | $121,200 | 17,510 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,610 | $90,830 | $67,410 | $116,590 | 146,840 |
| Georgia | $86,560 | $91,960 | $66,110 | $124,810 | 97,410 |
| Illinois | $86,410 | $91,130 | $64,930 | $112,320 | 139,900 |
| Idaho | $86,100 | $89,770 | $65,690 | $118,460 | 14,540 |
| Wisconsin | $86,070 | $90,450 | $74,970 | $109,270 | 64,960 |
| Michigan | $85,670 | $90,580 | $70,150 | $106,770 | 104,210 |
| Vermont | $85,150 | $92,710 | $70,840 | $117,310 | 7,240 |
| Maine | $82,860 | $87,440 | $66,330 | $104,870 | 16,280 |
| Florida | $82,850 | $88,200 | $66,670 | $110,530 | 218,100 |
| Utah | $82,270 | $88,240 | $67,980 | $106,960 | 25,780 |
| North Carolina | $81,860 | $86,270 | $64,180 | $107,110 | 108,510 |
| Wyoming | $81,790 | $88,020 | $64,660 | $108,350 | 5,180 |
| Montana | $81,560 | $88,480 | $67,720 | $109,450 | 10,540 |
| Ohio | $81,250 | $86,110 | $66,060 | $103,650 | 138,360 |
| Oklahoma | $81,160 | $85,800 | $64,110 | $105,320 | 32,870 |
| Nebraska | $81,020 | $82,890 | $63,290 | $101,500 | 24,180 |
| Indiana | $80,740 | $85,850 | $63,720 | $103,820 | 68,950 |
| West Virginia | $79,990 | $80,650 | $53,060 | $106,830 | 21,740 |
| Kentucky | $79,910 | $83,900 | $63,180 | $104,430 | 48,170 |
| South Carolina | $79,900 | $84,930 | $64,200 | $102,040 | 50,300 |
| Missouri | $79,770 | $81,950 | $58,510 | $103,140 | 74,270 |
| Tennessee | $79,030 | $82,010 | $59,540 | $102,040 | 67,990 |
| Louisiana | $78,880 | $84,110 | $62,830 | $111,810 | 46,790 |
| North Dakota | $78,260 | $81,900 | $65,770 | $99,540 | 11,000 |
| Kansas | $78,060 | $79,430 | $60,630 | $97,870 | 32,640 |
| Arkansas | $77,130 | $77,720 | $57,380 | $99,960 | 28,320 |
| Iowa | $76,960 | $77,780 | $62,210 | $98,280 | 33,480 |
| Mississippi | $74,470 | $79,470 | $58,130 | $104,040 | 29,400 |
| Alabama | $71,040 | $74,970 | $53,360 | $98,840 | 53,340 |
| South Dakota | $69,510 | $72,210 | $51,980 | $92,570 | 14,500 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for registered nurses. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Cardiac Care Unit Nurse (CCU Nurse) or Cardiac Nurse Specialist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Registered Nurses compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Registered Nurses
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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