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Registered nurse salary in Minnesota (2026)
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The average registered nurse salary in Minnesota is $103,420 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $101,510 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Minnesota employs 70,110 registered nurses, and the $1,910 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior registered nurses in Minnesota typically earn around $79,960, while senior specialists typically reach or exceed $132,430. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a registered nurse hire in Minnesota, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $101,510 |
Average Annual Salary | $103,420 |
vs. National Average | 2.0% above the national mean of $101,420 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 70,110 employed registered nurses across Minnesota.
Employers hiring entry-level registered nurses in Minnesota should budget from $79,960, while offers for experienced specialists will need to reach $114,760 to $132,430 to stay competitive. The wide spread across these percentiles signals that specialization, setting, and years of experience drive meaningful pay differences within this workforce.
Registered nurse salary by city in Minnesota
City | Average Annual Salary |
Rochester | $106,510 |
Minneapolis | $106,480 |
St. Cloud | $101,980 |
Mankato | $100,560 |
Duluth | $96,640 |
Location meaningfully affects what you will need to offer a registered nurse in Minnesota, so budget accordingly based on where the role sits. Rochester and Minneapolis lead at $106,510 and $106,480 respectively, while Duluth comes in at $96,640, a difference of nearly $10,000 per year. Employers hiring in smaller markets like Duluth may find more budget flexibility, but should still benchmark against the statewide median of $101,510 when evaluating candidate expectations.
How Minnesota compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Minnesota | $103,420 | $101,510 |
Wisconsin | $94,690 | $95,530 |
Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 |
Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 |
Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 |
Iowa | $80,540 | $78,630 |
Employers in Minnesota should expect to budget more for registered nurse compensation than most neighboring states. Minnesota's mean of $103,420 sits above Wisconsin at $94,690, Illinois at $94,360, Michigan at $94,300, Ohio at $87,730, and Iowa at $80,540. Candidates relocating from lower-wage states may have lower salary anchors, but local market rates in Minnesota should drive your offer, not the candidate's prior compensation.
Frequently asked questions about registered nurse salary in Minnesota
Registered Nurse salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses).
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