(NEXSTAR) – A variety of factors contribute to the national nursing shortage that has affected the United States for the past several years. One of these factors in particular is adequate pay, or lack thereof.
In search of better pay, some nurses travel across the country or quit nursing altogether. Uncompetitive pay is causing nurses across the country to grab picket signs; go on strike For a raise and better working conditions.
according to money nerd, analyzed nurse salaries in more than 100 metropolitan areas in the United States, and found that compensation can vary significantly based on location, tax implications, and cost of living. Needless to say, local governments in some states make decisions that can help or hurt nurses in their area.
The average salary for a registered nurse in the United States totals $86,070. Less than a third of the metropolitan areas MoneyGeek analyzed are above that average. After adjusting taxes etc. cost of living indexyou’ll be left with an average of $65,414.
Salaries are not necessarily lower in the metropolitan areas where registered nurses earn the least. The cost of living and taxes in these areas often significantly impact take-home pay.
For example, the No. 1 Washington, D.C., salary is $98,000 before taxes, but the adjusted take-home pay is $48,000, according to MoneyGeek’s analysis. This equates to almost half of the salary lost due to high living costs and taxes.
Honolulu isn’t far behind D.C. with an adjusted take-home salary of $50,000, but the total salary here is much higher, at almost $134,000.
The toughest metropolitan areas for registered nurses, considering taxes and local cost of living, are:
| metropolitan area | Average salary before tax | Adjusted take-home pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $98,000 | $48,079 |
| 2. Honolulu, Hawaii | $133,820 | $50,134 |
| 3. Boston – Cambridge – Newton, Massachusetts – New Hampshire | $100,360 | $52,591 |
| 4. Huntsville, Alabama | $63,480 | $54,633 |
| 5. Salt Lake City, Utah | $80,060 | $55,510 |
| 6. New Orleans, Metairie, Louisiana | $81,400 | $55,804 |
| 7. Chicago – Naperville – Elgin, Illinois – Indiana – Wisconsin | $85,160 | $56,044 |
| 8. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida | $83,590 | $56,442 |
| 9. Probo-Orem, Utah | $78,580 | $57,359 |
| 10. Portland – South Portland, Maine | $83,540 | $58,555 |
On the other hand, two states in particular, California and Texas, had several metropolitan areas that paid more than the average salary for a registered nurse.
California has 4 cities ranked among the top 10 for Registered Nurse salaries before cost of living and taxes. The Sacramento region ranked No. 1, with registered nurses taking home pay of $88,847, nearly $10,000 more than any other metropolitan area in the country.
Texas had three cities in the top 10, with Houston slipping into second place with $79,520.
Below is a list of the top 10 metropolitan areas where registered nurses earn the most.
| metropolitan area | Average salary before tax | Adjusted take-home pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1.Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, California | $157,810 | $88,847 |
| 2. Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas | $93,330 | $79,520 |
| 3. Modesto, California | $131,060 | $78,942 |
| 4. Las Vegas – Henderson – Paradise, NV | $96,500 | $78,860 |
| 5. Minneapolis St. Minnesota – Paul Bloomington, Wisconsin | $100,800 | $78,513 |
| 6. Stockton, California | $136,090 | $78,339 |
| 7. Bakersfield, California | $125,350 | $77,027 |
| 8. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas | $76,160 | $74,961 |
| 9. Austin – Round Rock – Georgetown, Texas | $93,470 | $74,389 |
| 10. Little Rock – North Little Rock – Conway, Arkansas | $79,300 | $74,161 |
Travel nurses are on the rise across the U.S., as nurses’ salaries vary widely depending on where in the country they work. National Healthcare Maintenance and RN Staffing Report According to research by NSI (Nursing Solutions, Inc.), the average travel nurse can earn up to $102 per hour, or just over $212,000 per year, depending on where they work. This is more than double the income of the average registered nurse.
According to , most traveling nurses work on 13-week contracts and are free to change roles with each new contract. Reliable nurse staffingThis means you can choose where to go to make the most money by the end of the year.
Factors such as seasonality and local crises can also increase a traveling nurse’s salary.Some traveling nurses were making up work due to the coronavirus pandemic. $5,000 per week.
Let’s take a look at the demographics of travel nurses: Zippia shows how much they would earn on average in each county in the country if they worked there that year.
Zippia It also found that almost 59% of all travel nurses are over 40 years old, 28% are between 30 and 40 years old, and 14% are under 30 years old.
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