The "Medscape Nurse Salary Report 2015," released Wednesday, revealed full-time registered nurses earn on average $79,000. That said, RNs in four regions of the U.S. make considerably more than that.
The Medscape survey includes responses from more than 8,250 nurses, including practical and vocational nurses, registered nurses and advanced practice nurses.
Here is a list of average full-time RN compensation by region, starting with where RNs make the most.
1. West (California and Hawaii) — $105,000
2. Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) — $87,000
3. Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming) — $81,000
4. Southwest (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah) — $81,000
5. Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) — $77,000
6. South Central (Arkansas, Kansas and Texas) — $77,000
7. Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) — $76,000
8. Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee) — $74,000
9. North Central (Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota) — $69,000
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