Registered Nurse Salary
Registered Nurses in Fort Collins, CO make a median of $97,600 a year, or about $46.92 an hour. The range runs from $72K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.13), that's roughly $96,509 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,759/month, or 28% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $98K actually covers in Fort Collins-Loveland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Collins-Loveland’s Regional Price Parity (101.13). 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 Fort Collins-Loveland
Registered nurses pay in Fort Collins-Loveland tracks closely to the national median, $98K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,759/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 101.13) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Fort Collins-Loveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $101K | $96K |
| Colorado Springs | $96K | $95K |
| Boulder | $103K | $98K |
| Grand Junction | $96K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $98K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $51K 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)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Collins-Loveland?
Yes — at the median salary of $98K, rent takes 29% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,759/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Fort Collins-Loveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $72K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,678/month. At HUD’s $1,759/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Fort Collins-Loveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $98K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Fort Collins-Loveland compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Fort Collins-Loveland pays $98K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO?
The median is $97,600 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,410, and experienced registered nurses can clear $123,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $98K enough to live in Fort Collins-Loveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,063/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,759/month, which eats 29% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Fort Collins-Loveland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.13 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $96,509 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.