Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Duluth, MN-WI make a median of $96,940 a year, or about $46.61 an hour. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.77), which stretches that salary to about $109,204 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,232/month, or 20.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $97K get you in Duluth?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Duluth’s Regional Price Parity (88.77). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Duluth
Registered nurses pay in Duluth tracks closely to the national median, $97K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,232/month, 20.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.77 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Duluth, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $103K | $98K |
| Rochester | $102K | $112K |
| St. Cloud | $105K | $120K |
| Mankato | $103K | $114K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Duluth, MN-WI
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $97K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Registered Nurses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +44% | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136K | +40% | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129K | +32% | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124K | +27% | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109K | +12% | 7,510 |
| New York | $109K | +12% | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $107K | +9% | 92,680 |
| Massachusetts | $105K | +7% | 88,200 |
| Nevada | $104K | +6% | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +5% | 40,110 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +5% | 11,440 |
| Minnesota | $102K | +4% | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +3% | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $100K | +3% | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $100K | +2% | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +2% | 15,390 |
| Delaware | $100K | +2% | 14,290 |
| Arizona | $100K | +2% | 73,150 |
| Vermont | $97K | -0% | 7,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | -1% | 146,520 |
| Illinois | $96K | -2% | 138,910 |
| Texas | $96K | -2% | 271,380 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -2% | 68,060 |
| New Mexico | $94K | -3% | 17,980 |
| Michigan | $94K | -3% | 104,950 |
| Virginia | $94K | -4% | 77,490 |
| Georgia | $94K | -4% | 100,950 |
| Idaho | $92K | -5% | 16,880 |
| Maine | $87K | -11% | 16,540 |
| Montana | $85K | -13% | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $85K | -13% | 24,720 |
| Utah | $85K | -13% | 27,420 |
| North Carolina | $84K | -14% | 111,120 |
| Florida | $84K | -14% | 229,940 |
| Wyoming | $84K | -14% | 5,330 |
| Indiana | $84K | -14% | 68,980 |
| Oklahoma | $83K | -15% | 38,270 |
| Ohio | $83K | -15% | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $82K | -16% | 49,750 |
| Missouri | $82K | -16% | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -16% | 72,200 |
| Kentucky | $81K | -17% | 50,300 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -17% | 11,340 |
| Louisiana | $80K | -18% | 48,970 |
| West Virginia | $80K | -18% | 23,430 |
| Kansas | $79K | -19% | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $79K | -19% | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $79K | -19% | 34,420 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -20% | 14,710 |
| Mississippi | $77K | -21% | 29,060 |
| Alabama | $77K | -21% | 54,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Duluth numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Duluth?
Yes — at the median salary of $97K, rent takes 20.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,232/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Duluth?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,648/month. At HUD’s $1,232/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Duluth?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $97K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Duluth compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Duluth pays $97K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $109K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Duluth, MN-WI?
The median is $96,940 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $77,460, and experienced registered nurses can clear $125,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $97K enough to live in Duluth?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,952/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,232/month, which eats 20.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses salary go in Duluth?
Duluth has a Regional Price Parity of 88.77 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $109,204 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.