Registered Nurse.
Baltimore.
$102,000
median salary, 9% above the national average
$85,000 to $117,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Registered Nurse pay in Baltimore ranges from $85,000 to $117,000 in 2026. The median is $102,000, 9% above the national average. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Registered Nurse in Baltimore, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $99,550 for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, based on 30,930 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$77,600
25th percentile
$83,690
Median
$99,550
75th percentile
$108,030
90th percentile
$125,020
Workers surveyed
30,930
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) rather than Registered Nurse specifically. The Baltimore range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1141Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $92,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$66,000
to $82,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$87,000
to $107,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$112,000
to $133,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$128,000
to $158,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$102,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $132,000
How Baltimore compares.
Baltimore, MD
$102,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$94,000
Baltimore is $8,000 above
Registered Nurse salary by city.
Salary by role in Baltimore.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Registered Nurse roles in Baltimore, here is what you are walking into. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. The city has strong cybersecurity, defense, and biotech sectors, benefiting from proximity to NSA, Fort Meade, and NIH. The port of Baltimore also drives significant logistics and trade employment. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. ICU, OR, and emergency nurses earn premiums over med surg nurses. Travel nursing contracts can pay 50 to 100% more than permanent positions. Union representation and shift differentials for nights and weekends also impact total pay.
New graduate RNs start at $58,000 to $72,000, with experienced RNs reaching $80,000 to $100,000 after five years. Nurse practitioners earn $110,000 to $140,000, and CRNAs (nurse anesthetists) can earn $180,000 to $220,000. Nursing management roles offer $95,000 to $140,000 with administrative responsibilities. In Baltimore, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Benefits are a major component, typically including health insurance, pension or 403(b) matching, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education credits. Shift differentials add $3 to $8 per hour for nights and weekends. Signing bonuses of $5,000 to $20,000 are common in high demand specialties. And on the tax side: maryland's top income tax rate is 5.75%, and Baltimore City adds a local income tax of 3.2%. The combined burden is among the higher ones, but federal and defense salaries compensate. When someone quotes you $102,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is extremely valuable in the Baltimore corridor. Cleared professionals earn 20 to 30% more, and the NSA and defense contractor presence drives constant demand. The range for Registered Nurses in Baltimore runs from $85,000 to $117,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- A Marketing Manager in Baltimore earns $103,000 (1% more)
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Common questions.
Registered Nurse salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Baltimore.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Registered Nurse Salary in Baltimore, MD." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/registered-nurse/baltimore
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