Registered Nurse.
New York.
$123,000
median salary, 31% above the national average
$103,000 to $141,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Registered Nurse offer in New York, NY, here is the reality: $103,000 to $141,000, with $123,000 as the midpoint. 31% above the national average. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. Do not accept the first number. 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 New York, 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 $119,720 for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, based on 197,740 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$87,180
25th percentile
$103,970
Median
$119,720
75th percentile
$133,230
90th percentile
$159,240
Workers surveyed
197,740
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 New York range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. New York is reported by BLS within the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1141Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $111,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$80,000
to $98,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$105,000
to $129,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$135,000
to $160,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$154,000
to $191,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $36,000 to the total package.
Base
$123,000
Equity
$21,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $159,000
How New York compares.
New York, NY
$123,000
Cost of living: 28% above average
National Average
$94,000
New York is $29,000 above
Registered Nurse salary by city.
Salary by role in New York.
What you should know.
Here is what the Registered Nurse market actually looks like in New York. New York City remains one of the world's largest and most diverse job markets, with unmatched density in finance, media, and technology. The city's tech sector has grown rapidly, rivaling the Bay Area for venture funding and startup activity. Remote work has reshaped demand slightly, but employers still pay premiums for in office presence in Manhattan. 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 New York, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 28% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: new York State income tax rates reach 10.9%, and New York City adds a local income tax up to 3.876%. Combined with federal taxes, your effective rate can be among the highest nationally. When someone quotes you $123,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work from the office in Manhattan. Many NYC employers pay 10 to 15% more for in person roles compared to remote positions. The range for Registered Nurses in New York runs from $103,000 to $141,000. 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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Common questions.
Registered Nurse salary in other cities.
Other salaries in New York.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Registered Nurses in New York.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Registered Nurse Salary in New York, NY." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/registered-nurse/new-york
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