Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Salem, OR make a median of $131,750 a year, or about $63.34 an hour. The range runs from $101K at the entry level to $158K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $127,110 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,560/month, or 20.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $132K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for registered nurses, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $98K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,560/month, 20.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Salem offers a genuinely strong financial position for registered nursess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $130K | $124K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $114K | $112K |
| Bend | $135K | $130K |
| Medford | $127K | $125K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $101K. Mid-career wages sit at $132K. Top earners bring in $158K or more, a $57K 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 Salem numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
Yes — at the median salary of $132K, rent takes 20.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $101K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,071/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Salem?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $132K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Salem pays $132K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $127K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Salem, OR?
The median is $131,750 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $101,180, and experienced registered nurses can clear $157,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $132K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,480/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 20.9% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median registered nurses salary is worth about $127,110 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.