Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Ponce, PR make a median of $38,570 a year, or about $18.54 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $38,570 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $538/month, or 20.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $39K get you in Ponce?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ponce’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Ponce
Pay for registered nurses in Ponce runs about 60% below the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $538/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Ponce 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 Ponce, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas | $42K | $42K |
| Mayaguez | $39K | $39K |
| Arecibo | $37K | $37K |
| Aguadilla | $38K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ponce, PR
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K 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 Ponce numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ponce?
Yes — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 19.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $538/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Ponce?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,180/month. At HUD’s $538/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Ponce?
Local pay runs 60% below the national median — $39K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does Ponce compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Ponce pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -60%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Ponce, PR?
The median is $38,570 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,340, and experienced registered nurses can clear $57,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Ponce?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,753/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $538/month, which eats 19.5% 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 Ponce?
Ponce has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $38,570 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.