Money / Salaries
Nurse and EMS salaries by state
The median registered nurse earns $46.90 an hour and the median paramedic $29.13 (BLS, May 2025). Pick a role to see every state.
Survey wages across all employers, before tax. What you are offered depends on the employer, shift and experience. Informational only.
By role
| Role | U.S. median | Full-time year | Highest state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $46.90/hr | $97,552 | California, $67.44 |
| LPN / LVN | $30.96/hr | $64,397 | Washington, $39.98 |
| CNA (nursing assistant) | $20.32/hr | $42,266 | Oregon, $23.96 |
| Nurse practitioner | $63.61/hr | $132,309 | California, $81.02 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $113.75/hr | $236,600 | Alaska, $164.04 |
| Paramedic | $29.13/hr | $60,590 | Washington, $50.15 |
| EMT | $21.38/hr | $44,470 | Hawaii, $31.93 |
BLS turns hourly pay into a year at 2,080 hours. These are wages from employer surveys, not job postings. For what jobs are posting right now, see the weekly top-paying jobs and posted pay by state; to rank your own rate, use the pay check.
Sources for this page
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Released May 15, 2026; the newest release as of this check. Checked November 10, 2026.
- BLS Handbook of Methods, OEWS annual wage calculation Checked November 10, 2026.