Highest-Paying Nursing Jobs in 2027: Salaries, Degrees, and Top-Paying States
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The highest-paying nursing job is nurse anesthetist (CRNA), with a median of $236,590 a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), followed by nurse midwives at $134,040 and nurse practitioners at $132,300. The highest-paid nurses share two things: a graduate degree and national certification. Registered nurses earn a median of $97,550, and the gap between that figure and the top of the list is the clearest case for going back to school.
Where you work matters too. Setting and state can move RN pay by tens of thousands of dollars a year, and California RNs earn a median of $140,270. Every figure on this page comes from the same BLS release, so the jobs compare on equal terms.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
A clinical nurse specialist is an advanced practice nurse who leads care in one area, such as oncology or critical care, and the role requires a graduate degree and certification. BLS counts clinical nurse specialists inside its registered nurse category, so it publishes no separate wage.
Critical Care (ICU) Nurse
ICU nurses care for the sickest hospital patients, and it is the experience nurse anesthesia programs require before admission, which makes it the usual first step toward the top of this list. Most ICU jobs sit in hospitals, the second-highest-paying RN setting. Our look at the pros and cons of critical care nursing covers the schedule and the stress.
Nursing Informatics
Informatics nurses blend clinical work with data, electronic health records, and systems design, and the work can sit in hospitals, software vendors, or government agencies. An MSN specialization is one route in, including the South University program above, and a national certification exam follows the degree.
Travel Nursing
Travel nurses take short contracts, often 13 weeks, through staffing agencies, with pay quoted by the week and set by each contract. No government source publishes travel nurse pay, so this page gives no figure. Our guide to how much travel nurses make uses agency and job-board data, with the caveats that come with it.
Pay by Location
Location moves RN pay more than almost anything else. California RNs earn a median of $140,270, against $97,550 nationally, and four other states pay more than $109,000 at the median.
State | Median annual pay | Median hourly pay | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
California | $140,270 | $67.44 | $213,320 |
Hawaii | $136,320 | $65.54 | $147,830 |
Oregon | $129,010 | $62.02 | $155,010 |
Washington | $124,200 | $59.71 | $161,910 |
Alaska | $109,480 | $52.64 | $149,070 |
RN pay in the five highest-paying states, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
The rest of the top 10 are New York ($109,440), New Jersey ($106,500), Massachusetts ($104,550), Nevada ($103,670), and Connecticut ($102,740). Metro areas push higher still: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays RNs the highest median in the country at $216,740, followed by Vallejo ($203,290) and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ($186,610), and the top seven metro areas are all in California.
High-paying areas also carry higher living costs, so compare offers with rent and taxes in mind. Our registered nurse salary by state guide lists all 50 states and the hourly, monthly, and starting figures behind them.
High-Paying Nursing Jobs by Degree Level
Nursing jobs that pay well exist at every degree level, but the biggest jumps come with graduate degrees. The nursing career ladder runs from CNA and LPN through RN, MSN, and doctoral roles, and each rung changes the ceiling.
With an ADN or BSN
An RN license opens the $97,550 median and the higher-paying settings, government and hospitals. A bachelor's degree is also the typical entry education BLS lists for health services managers, which makes the BSN the usual route to nurse administrator and director roles. Many hospitals prefer BSN-prepared nurses for leadership tracks, so if you hold an ADN, compare BSN programs near you before you commit to a graduate degree.
With an MSN
The master's degree sits behind nurse practitioner and nurse midwife roles, clinical nurse specialists, nurse leaders, and informatics. It also opens teaching. Nursing instructors earn a median of $80,250, and their jobs are projected to grow 17% from 96,100 to 112,600 between 2025 and 2035. BLS lists a doctorate as typical for postsecondary teachers, with a master's enough at some community colleges. Among the highest paying nursing master's degrees, the NP track leads on both pay and openings.
With a Doctorate
Nurse anesthesia programs now award doctoral degrees, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice is the highest practice degree for APRNs and nurse leaders. A DNP does not change the BLS median for a role, but it is the entry ticket for the highest-paid one. The programs section above lists a partnered DNP option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an RN make $200,000 a year?
Yes, in the highest-paying areas. RNs in the San Jose metro area earned a median of $216,740 in May 2025, and Vallejo's median was $203,290. Nationally, the top 10% of RNs earned more than $137,470, so $200,000 usually takes a Bay Area job or an advanced practice role such as nurse anesthetist ($236,590 median).
Can a nurse make $300,000 or $500,000 a year?
Yes to $300,000, for a small group. In May 2025, the top 10% of nurse anesthetists earned more than $300,000 in 32 states, and more than $400,000 in Florida ($416,000) and South Carolina ($401,600). No nursing occupation reaches $500,000 at the 90th percentile in any state, so BLS data does not support it.
Do nurse practitioners make more than registered nurses?
Yes. Nurse practitioners earned a median of $132,300 in May 2025, compared with $97,550 for registered nurses, a gap of about $34,750 a year. The difference reflects the graduate degree, national certification, and APRN license that NPs need, along with the authority to diagnose, treat, and in many states prescribe.
What is the highest-paying nursing job without a master's degree?
Nurse leadership. BLS counts nurse managers and directors among medical and health services managers, who earned a median of $123,860 in May 2025 with a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education. Among bedside roles, RNs in government jobs earned a median of $110,780, the highest RN setting BLS reports.
Which high-paying nursing jobs are growing fastest?
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, which BLS projects to grow 36% from 2025 to 2035 with about 32,200 openings a year. Medical and health services managers follow at 24%, nursing instructors at 17%, and registered nurses at 6%, though the RN base is so large that it still adds about 180,800 openings a year.
How long does it take to get a high-paying nursing job?
An RN license comes first, which takes two to four years depending on the degree. Nurse practitioner and nurse midwife roles add a graduate program, and AANA puts nurse anesthetist preparation at 8 to 8.5 years of education and experience. Our guide to how long RN training takes breaks down each starting path.
Choosing a High-Paying Nursing Path
The highest paying nursing careers reward graduate education and national certification, but setting and state matter almost as much. A San Jose RN job pays more at the median than a nurse practitioner role in any state, so pick the path that fits how long you can study and where you want to live.
If the top of the list is the goal, the sequence is fixed: RN license, critical care experience, then a doctoral nurse anesthesia program. If you want a shorter climb, an MSN opens nurse practitioner, midwife, leadership, and informatics roles within a few years. Dreambound lists graduate nursing programs by format and location, so you can compare the options before you apply.
Related Reading
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- How to Increase Your Operating Room Nurse Salary: Certifications, Skills and Career Moves
- Licensed Practical Nurse Salary by State: Where LPNs Earn the Most
