Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Kansas City, MO-KS make a median of $83,040 a year, or about $39.92 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.54), which stretches that salary to about $89,734 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,358/month, or 25.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $83K get you in Kansas City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kansas City’s Regional Price Parity (92.54). 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 Kansas City
Pay for registered nurses in Kansas City runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $98K. Rent runs $1,358/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Kansas City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $83K | $87K |
| Springfield | $79K | $90K |
| Columbia | $84K | $94K |
| Joplin | $75K | $87K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas City, MO-KS
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $37K 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 Kansas City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas City?
Yes — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 25.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,358/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Kansas City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,018/month. At HUD’s $1,358/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Kansas City?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $83K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas City compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Kansas City pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Kansas City, MO-KS?
The median is $83,040 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,970, and experienced registered nurses can clear $103,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Kansas City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,303/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,358/month, which eats 25.6% 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 Kansas City?
Kansas City has a Regional Price Parity of 92.54 (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 $89,734 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.