Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Helena, MT make a median of $98,690 a year, or about $47.45 an hour. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $103,157 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,404/month, or 22.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $99K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). 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 Helena
Registered nurses pay in Helena tracks closely to the national median, $99K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,404/month, 23% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $82K | $88K |
| Missoula | $82K | $85K |
| Bozeman | $99K | $97K |
| Great Falls | $78K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $48K 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 Helena numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
Yes — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 23% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,717/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Helena?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $99K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Helena compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Helena pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Helena, MT?
The median is $98,690 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,620, and experienced registered nurses can clear $126,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,092/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 23% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (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 $103,157 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.