Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY make a mean (average) of $96,070 a year, or about $46.19 an hour. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. BLS does not publish the median for this occupation because wages exceed the reportable ceiling. The figure shown is the mean (average). Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $109,556 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,405/month, or 23.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K (mean) get you in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Registered nurses pay in Watertown-Fort Drum 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 $1,405/month, 23.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for registered nurses in metros near Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $120K | $106K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $99K | $103K |
| Rochester | $87K | $89K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $100K | $100K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $125K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 23.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,083/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $96K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $110K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
BLS reports a mean (average) wage of $96,070 a year for this occupation in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY. The median is not published because wages exceed the BLS reportable ceiling. Entry-level workers start around $68,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,938/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 23.7% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 $109,556 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.