Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC make a median of $81,400 a year, or about $39.14 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.02), that's roughly $83,044 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,816/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $81K get you in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal’s Regional Price Parity (98.02). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Pay for registered nurses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $98K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,816/month, which is 35.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.02) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for registered nursess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $93K | $92K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $81K | $87K |
| Columbia | $82K | $87K |
| Spartanburg | $82K | $90K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $33K 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 35.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,816/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,851/month. At HUD’s $1,816/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $81K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.02), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?
The median is $81,400 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,180, and experienced registered nurses can clear $97,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,172/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,816/month, which eats 35.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a registered nurses salary go in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal has a Regional Price Parity of 98.02 (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 $83,044 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.