Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in New Jersey make a median of $106,500 a year, or about $51.2 an hour. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $107,208 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 31.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Jersey. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $107K get you in New Jersey?
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Registered nurses pay in New Jersey tracks closely to the national median, $107K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $2,067/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) 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, New Jersey
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in New Jersey
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland | $103K | -3% | 1,590 |
| Trenton-Princeton | $100K | -6% | 5,180 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $99K | -7% | 3,400 |
Compare to other states
Track registered nurses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 31.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,984/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 New Jersey?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $107K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for registered nurses?
New Jersey pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $107K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in New Jersey?
The median is $106,500 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,060, and experienced registered nurses can clear $135,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,554/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 31.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a registered nurses salary go in New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (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 $107,208 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.