Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Texas make a median of $95,970 a year, or about $46.14 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $128K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $104,897 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,415/month, or 22% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $96K get you in Texas?
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What this looks like in Texas
Registered nurses pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $96K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,415/month, 22.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $128K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Texas
26 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $101K | +6% | 76,680 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $100K | +4% | 65,910 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $98K | +2% | 18,920 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $94K | -2% | 23,660 |
| Killeen-Temple | $93K | -3% | 5,340 |
| Waco | $93K | -3% | 2,570 |
| Amarillo | $87K | -10% | 3,030 |
| El Paso | $86K | -10% | 7,320 |
| Sherman-Denison | $84K | -13% | 1,580 |
| Victoria | $84K | -13% | 1,080 |
| Wichita Falls | $83K | -13% | 1,470 |
| College Station-Bryan | $83K | -13% | 2,950 |
| Corpus Christi | $83K | -14% | 4,800 |
| Midland | $82K | -14% | 1,210 |
| Lubbock | $81K | -15% | 5,070 |
| Odessa | $81K | -15% | 1,140 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $81K | -15% | 3,100 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $81K | -16% | 2,930 |
| Texarkana | $81K | -16% | 1,760 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $81K | -16% | 5,400 |
| Tyler | $80K | -16% | 4,430 |
| Longview | $80K | -16% | 2,480 |
| Abilene | $80K | -16% | 1,680 |
| San Angelo | $80K | -17% | 1,710 |
| Laredo | $77K | -20% | 1,760 |
| Eagle Pass | $74K | -23% | 340 |
Showing 1–10 of 26 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 22.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,027/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $96K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Texas pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $105K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Texas?
The median is $95,970 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,120, and experienced registered nurses can clear $127,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,325/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 22.4% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $104,897 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.