Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Muncie, IN make a median of $79,500 a year, or about $38.22 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.15), which stretches that salary to about $90,187 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,043/month, or 19.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Muncie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Muncie’s Regional Price Parity (88.15). 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 Muncie
Pay for registered nurses in Muncie runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,043/month, 20.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.15 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Muncie 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 Muncie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $84K | $88K |
| Fort Wayne | $80K | $86K |
| Evansville | $84K | $92K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $94K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Muncie, IN
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $36K 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 Muncie numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Muncie?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 20.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,043/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Muncie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,757/month. At HUD’s $1,043/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Muncie?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $80K here vs. $98K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Muncie compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Muncie pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Muncie, IN?
The median is $79,500 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,610, and experienced registered nurses can clear $98,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Muncie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,157/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,043/month, which eats 20.2% 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 Muncie?
Muncie has a Regional Price Parity of 88.15 (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 $90,187 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.