Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Maryland make a median of $99,790 a year, or about $47.98 an hour. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.76), that's roughly $101,043 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,795/month, or 28.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maryland. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $100K get you in Maryland?
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Maryland
Registered nurses pay in Maryland tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,795/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.76) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maryland
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Maryland
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $100K | -0% | 30,930 |
| Salisbury | $95K | -5% | 1,620 |
| Lexington Park | $95K | -5% | 930 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $93K | -7% | 2,240 |
Compare to other states
Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maryland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maryland?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 29.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,795/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Maryland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,607/month. At HUD’s $1,795/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Maryland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Maryland compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Maryland pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $101K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Maryland?
The median is $99,790 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,780, and experienced registered nurses can clear $124,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Maryland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,169/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,795/month, which eats 29.1% 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 Maryland?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity of 98.76 (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 $101,043 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.