Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Fargo, ND-MN make a median of $82,120 a year, or about $39.48 an hour. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.87), which stretches that salary to about $90,371 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,112/month, or 21% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Fargo?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fargo’s Regional Price Parity (90.87). 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 Fargo
Pay for registered nurses in Fargo runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,112/month, 20.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.87 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Fargo can be a reasonable trade-off for registered nursess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Fargo, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bismarck | $81K | $89K |
| Grand Forks | $79K | $91K |
| Minot | $80K | $92K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $103K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fargo, ND-MN
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $34K 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
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Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fargo?
Yes — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 20.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,112/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Fargo?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,177/month. At HUD’s $1,112/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Fargo?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $82K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fargo compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Fargo pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Fargo, ND-MN?
The median is $82,120 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,620, and experienced registered nurses can clear $103,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Fargo?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,380/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,112/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 Fargo?
Fargo has a Regional Price Parity of 90.87 (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 $90,371 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.