Registered Nurses Salary in Washington
Registered Nurses in Washington earn a median $124,200 a year, +27% against the national median of $97,550; they and rank 4th of 51 states by median. Registered Nurses earn 97% more than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Among neighbouring states, Oregon pays more (up to $129,010 in Oregon) and Idaho pays less (down to $92,460 in Idaho). Washington employs 69,260 registered nurses, 19.5 per 1,000 jobs, the 18th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.90 is close to the national share.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $43.09 | $49.57 | $59.71 | $64.54 | $77.84 | $58.43 | 69,260 | 19.51 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $89,630 | $103,100 | $124,200 | $134,240 | $161,910 | $121,540 | ||||
| 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
- 4th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 18th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.90
- Jobs per 1,000
- 19.51
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $62.65 | $130,310 | $97,180 | $155,650 | 24,220 | 20.05 | 0.92 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61.66 | $128,260 | $99,020 | $163,890 | 39,900 | 19.12 | 0.88 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $60.11 | $125,020 | $83,300 | $151,610 | 2,250 | 17.28 | 0.79 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $56.24 | $116,970 | $85,230 | $147,870 | 810 | 31.23 | 1.44 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $53.98 | $112,280 | $89,630 | $139,350 | 1,330 | 25.91 | 1.19 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $53.73 | $111,750 | $82,560 | $148,130 | 6,850 | 26.78 | 1.23 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $51.55 | $107,220 | $84,240 | $157,870 | 1,410 | 15.02 | 0.69 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $51.31 | $106,730 | $85,030 | $135,510 | 1,190 | 22.61 | 1.04 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $51.16 | $106,410 | $83,900 | $155,410 | 2,560 | 19.80 | 0.91 |
| Yakima, WA | $49.50 | $102,950 | $80,740 | $156,830 | 1,610 | 16.62 | 0.76 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $42.14 | $87,650 | $69,420 | $127,180 | 730 | 25.59 | 1.18 |
| Bellingham, WA | * | * | * | * | 1,850 | 20.19 | 0.93 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | * | * | * | * | 720 | 17.62 | 0.81 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $51.66 | $107,450 | $85,910 | $155,820 | 2,420 | 18.60 | 0.86 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $50.38 | $104,780 | $83,130 | $137,180 | 1,590 | 14.62 | 0.67 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Registered Nurses (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- 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.