Registered Nurse.
Houston.
$88,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$74,000 to $101,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Registered Nurse salary in Houston is $88,000, 6% below the national average. Entry level starts near $74,000. Experienced professionals push past $101,000. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Houston, 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 $99,830 for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, based on 65,910 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$74,860
25th percentile
$81,890
Median
$99,830
75th percentile
$116,000
90th percentile
$130,440
Workers surveyed
65,910
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 Houston 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 $79,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$57,000
to $70,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$75,000
to $92,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$97,000
to $114,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$110,000
to $136,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$88,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $114,000
How Houston compares.
Houston, TX
$88,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$94,000
Houston is $6,000 below
Registered Nurse salary by city.
Salary by role in Houston.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Registered Nurse roles in Houston, here is what you are walking into. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong purchasing power. 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 Houston, 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: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $88,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for Registered Nurses in Houston runs from $74,000 to $101,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- An Operations Manager in Houston earns $87,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Houston is CTO at $285,000
Common questions.
Registered Nurse salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Houston.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Registered Nurse Salary in Houston, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/registered-nurse/houston
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