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Salary comparison

Emergency Medicine Physicians vs. Registered Nurses: Who Earns More?

Emergency Medicine Physicians out-earn Registered Nurses by $238K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Emergency Medicine Physicians land at $335,550 and Registered Nurses at $97,550. The education gap is real: emergency medicine physician programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while registered nurse programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Emergency Medicine Physicians is Rhode Island ($512,730); for Registered Nurses it's California ($140,270).

Emergency Medicine Physicians
Registered Nurses
Median salary
$335,550
$97,550
Hourly rate
$161.32/hr
$46.9/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$103,610
$68,940
Senior level (90th %)
$495,910
$137,470
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
32,880
3,379,720
Job growth (10-year)
2.7%
4.9%
Category
Healthcare
Healthcare
Top-paying state
Rhode Island
California

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Emergency Medicine Physicians median pay.

State
Emergency Medicine Physicians
Registered Nurses
Rhode Island
$512,730
$100,640
Alaska
$452,620
$109,480
Maryland
$451,620
$99,790
Vermont
$430,820
$97,460
Connecticut
$418,940
$102,740
Michigan
$417,760
$94,300
New Mexico
$405,130
$94,340
Minnesota
$390,940
$101,510
Washington
$380,870
$124,200
Massachusetts
$356,230
$104,550
District of Columbia
$318,200
$102,540
Texas
$316,830
$95,970
New Jersey
$315,340
$106,500
New York
$301,690
$109,440
Georgia
$219,010
$93,550

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Registered Nurses?

Emergency Medicine Physicians earn more nationally. The median is $335,550 for Emergency Medicine Physicians versus $97,550 for Registered Nurses, a difference of $238K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Registered Nurses?

Registered Nurses has the better 10-year outlook at 4.9% projected growth, compared to 2.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Emergency Medicine Physicians or Registered Nurses?

Emergency Medicine Physicians typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Registered Nurses requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Emergency Medicine Physicians get paid the most?

Rhode Island is the top-paying state for Emergency Medicine Physicians at $512,730/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Emergency Medicine Physicians vs. Registered Nurses pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Rhode Island, Emergency Medicine Physicians earn $512,730 vs. $100,640 for Registered Nurses. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Emergency Medicine Physicians salary breakdownView →Full Registered Nurses salary breakdownView →Best cities for Emergency Medicine Physicians by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Registered Nurses by take-home payExplore →How to become a emergency medicine physiciansGuide →How to become a registered nursesGuide →