Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in New York make a median of $109,440 a year, or about $52.62 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $157K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $111,435 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,917/month, or 28.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $109K get you in New York?
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What this looks like in New York
New York sits well above the national pay line for registered nurses, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $98K. Rent runs $1,917/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $109K. Top earners bring in $157K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in New York
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $120K | +9% | 197,740 |
| Glens Falls | $104K | -5% | 1,030 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $103K | -6% | 5,760 |
| Binghamton | $102K | -7% | 2,570 |
| Kingston | $101K | -8% | 1,000 |
| Ithaca | $100K | -8% | 940 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $100K | -9% | 10,230 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $99K | -9% | 13,830 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum | $96K | -12% | 900 |
| Utica-Rome | $94K | -14% | 2,600 |
| Syracuse | $87K | -21% | 8,180 |
| Rochester | $87K | -21% | 12,340 |
| Elmira | $83K | -24% | 730 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
Yes — at the median salary of $109K, rent takes 28.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,786/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 York?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $109K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does New York compare to the national average for registered nurses?
New York pays $109K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $111K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in New York?
The median is $109,440 a year, that works out to about $53 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,760, and experienced registered nurses can clear $157,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $109K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,655/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 28.8% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $111,435 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.