Registered Nurses Salary in Pennsylvania
At $96,430 a year, the median for registered nurses in Pennsylvania is close to the national median of $97,550 (−1%); Pennsylvania ranks 20th of 51 states by median. Registered Nurses earn 94% more than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware pay more (up to $109,440 in New York) and Ohio and West Virginia pay less (down to $80,130 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 146,520 registered nurses, 24.2 per 1,000 jobs, the 5th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.11 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $34.04 | $38.75 | $46.36 | $50.35 | $56.69 | $45.20 | 146,520 | 24.16 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $70,800 | $80,610 | $96,430 | $104,730 | $117,900 | $94,020 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $33.14 | $38.62 | $46.90 | $54.02 | $66.09 | $48.76 | 3,379,720 | – | – |
| Annual | $68,940 | $80,330 | $97,550 | $112,350 | $137,470 | $101,420 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 5th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.11
- Jobs per 1,000
- 24.16
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania publish a row for registered nurses, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $48.77 | $101,440 | $78,280 | $118,070 | 10,860 | 28.79 | 1.32 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $48.64 | $101,180 | $79,160 | $121,900 | 73,790 | 25.46 | 1.17 |
| Reading, PA | $47.34 | $98,470 | $73,040 | $129,720 | 3,430 | 19.66 | 0.90 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $46.52 | $96,770 | $76,760 | $116,450 | 9,210 | 27.49 | 1.26 |
| Lebanon, PA | $46.28 | $96,270 | $76,990 | $124,570 | 1,300 | 24.17 | 1.11 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $46.25 | $96,210 | $80,310 | $111,380 | 3,680 | 20.07 | 0.92 |
| Williamsport, PA | $45.34 | $94,300 | $68,200 | $110,090 | 1,230 | 24.83 | 1.14 |
| Lancaster, PA | $43.09 | $89,620 | $76,940 | $105,490 | 5,640 | 22.34 | 1.03 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $42.43 | $88,260 | $71,730 | $100,370 | 480 | 15.00 | 0.69 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $41.00 | $85,270 | $64,970 | $112,790 | 1,030 | 17.17 | 0.79 |
| Johnstown, PA | $40.57 | $84,390 | $63,420 | $98,650 | 1,190 | 24.98 | 1.15 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $39.73 | $82,650 | $63,620 | $103,180 | 5,400 | 21.11 | 0.97 |
| Altoona, PA | $39.62 | $82,410 | $63,880 | $102,360 | 1,390 | 23.62 | 1.09 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $39.60 | $82,370 | $67,910 | $111,790 | 29,360 | 26.35 | 1.21 |
| State College, PA | $39.17 | $81,480 | $66,810 | $100,380 | 1,310 | 19.01 | 0.87 |
| Erie, PA | $38.46 | $80,000 | $65,820 | $102,040 | 3,060 | 25.43 | 1.17 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $42.67 | $88,760 | $67,120 | $105,800 | 2,640 | 20.39 | 0.94 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $40.55 | $84,340 | $70,480 | $99,710 | 5,040 | 26.88 | 1.24 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $38.71 | $80,510 | $59,610 | $98,010 | 3,130 | 21.00 | 0.97 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $38.43 | $79,930 | $61,630 | $97,410 | 2,390 | 17.02 | 0.78 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $46.36 | $96,430 | 146,520 | 1.11 |
| Delaware | $47.85 | $99,520 | 14,290 | 1.36 |
| Maryland | $47.98 | $99,790 | 52,910 | 0.88 |
| New Jersey | $51.20 | $106,500 | 92,680 | 0.99 |
| New York | $52.62 | $109,440 | 205,810 | 0.98 |
| Ohio | $39.67 | $82,510 | 143,730 | 1.19 |
| West Virginia | $38.52 | $80,130 | 23,430 | 1.54 |
See the national page for Registered Nurses (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Pennsylvania estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.