Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Morgantown, WV make a median of $80,130 a year, or about $38.52 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $136K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.32), which stretches that salary to about $85,866 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,099/month, or 21.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Morgantown?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Morgantown’s Regional Price Parity (93.32). 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 Morgantown
Pay for registered nurses in Morgantown runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,099/month, 21.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.32 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Morgantown can be a reasonable trade-off for registered nursess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Morgantown, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $81K | $92K |
| Charleston | $80K | $90K |
| Wheeling | $78K | $89K |
| Beckley | $79K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Morgantown, WV
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $136K or more, a $75K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Morgantown?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 21.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,099/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Morgantown?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,669/month. At HUD’s $1,099/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Morgantown?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $80K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Morgantown compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Morgantown pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Morgantown, WV?
The median is $80,130 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,150, and experienced registered nurses can clear $135,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Morgantown?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,129/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,099/month, which eats 21.4% 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 Morgantown?
Morgantown has a Regional Price Parity of 93.32 (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 $85,866 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.