Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Indiana make a median of $83,500 a year, or about $40.14 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $90,949 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,144/month, or 21.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $84K get you in Indiana?
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Indiana
Pay for registered nurses in Indiana runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,144/month, 21.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Indiana can be a reasonable trade-off for registered nursess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Indiana
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $94K | +12% | 3,370 |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $88K | +6% | 1,650 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $84K | +1% | 25,800 |
| Evansville | $84K | +0% | 3,890 |
| Kokomo | $83K | -0% | 740 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $82K | -1% | 790 |
| Terre Haute | $82K | -2% | 1,600 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $81K | -3% | 2,080 |
| Bloomington | $80K | -4% | 1,630 |
| Fort Wayne | $80K | -5% | 6,450 |
| Muncie | $80K | -5% | 1,220 |
| Columbus | $77K | -8% | 640 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 21.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,005/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Indiana?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $84K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Indiana pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Indiana?
The median is $83,500 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,750, and experienced registered nurses can clear $105,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,382/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 21.3% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $90,949 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.