Nursing salaries vary more than most people expect – the gap between entry-level CNA pay and a top-earning CRNA can exceed $300,000 per year. Understanding where each role sits on the pay scale, and why, helps you plan a career path with realistic expectations. This tool pulls together Bureau of Labor Statistics data for every major nursing credential in a single sortable table.
Use the search box to filter by role name, click any column header to sort, or scroll the table to compare education requirements and job growth side by side. All salary figures are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.
How much do nurses make?
The answer depends almost entirely on which nursing credential you hold. At the entry end, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) earn a median of $42,260 per year – a livable starting income that reflects the four-to-twelve-week training required. At the top, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) earn a median of $236,590, with the top 10% earning more than $339,500, reflecting the doctoral education, specialized training, and high-stakes clinical responsibility the role demands.
Between those extremes sits a full spectrum: LPNs at $64,400, RNs at $97,550, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in the $130,000s: Nurse Practitioners earn a median of $132,300 and Certified Nurse Midwives $134,040 (May 2025 BLS data). Understanding why those differences exist is as useful as knowing the numbers themselves.
What drives salary differences between nursing roles
Education and training length
Every step up the nursing education ladder carries a salary premium. CNA programs run four to twelve weeks; CRNA programs require a doctoral degree plus a mandatory year of ICU experience as a registered nurse. The return on that education investment is substantial but front-loaded – the years in school cost time and money before the salary gains begin. Comparing median salaries without accounting for education costs can overstate the financial advantage of advanced roles.
Scope of practice and autonomy
Nurses are paid in proportion to their clinical accountability. An LPN works under RN or physician supervision with a defined, narrower scope. An RN holds an independent license, assesses patients, plans care, and delegates. An NP or CNS can diagnose, prescribe, and manage complex patient panels with varying degrees of physician oversight depending on the state. Scope of practice laws differ by state, which is one reason geographic variation in APRN pay is so significant.
Specialization and setting
Within each credential level, specialty and work setting matter considerably. An ICU RN in a major metropolitan hospital earns more than a med-surg RN in a rural community hospital. A family NP in a primary care practice earns differently from a psychiatric NP in an inpatient behavioral health unit. The BLS medians in this table reflect national averages across all settings – your realistic target depends on where you practice and in what specialty.
Geography
California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska are the five highest-paying states for RNs, and California also leads for NPs. Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Iowa sit near the bottom for RN pay. In May 2025 the RN state median ranged from $77,080 in Alabama to $140,270 in California, a gap of about 82%. For NPs it ran from $105,750 in Alabama to $168,520 in California, about 59%. Cost of living offsets some of this difference, but not all of it.
Job growth across nursing roles
The BLS projects strong growth across all nursing occupations through 2035, driven primarily by the aging population and the resulting increase in chronic disease management. Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists are projected to grow 36% combined from 2025 to 2035, led by NPs at 41%, among the fastest of any occupation in the US economy. Registered nurses are projected to grow 6%, with roughly 180,800 openings per year. CNA and LPN growth is more modest (about 3% each) but both roles still see tens of thousands of annual job openings driven by turnover and retirements.
How to advance your nursing salary
The most direct path to a higher nursing salary is credential advancement. Many nurses follow a stepwise path: CNA experience while completing an LPN program, LPN-to-RN bridge, then RN-to-BSN completion, then an MSN for specialization or APRN status. Each step adds education cost and time but compounds the long-term earning ceiling.
Within a credential level, specialty certification, overtime capacity, travel nursing contracts, and union membership all affect actual take-home pay meaningfully. Some RNs in high-demand settings or travel contracts earn more than entry-level NPs in lower-paying markets. The comparison table above shows medians – the ceiling and floor within each role are wider than most people expect.
Related guides and tools