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Registered nurse salary in Pennsylvania (2026)
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The average registered nurse salary in Pennsylvania is $94,020 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $96,430 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Pennsylvania employs 146,520 registered nurses, and the $2,410 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior registered nurses in Pennsylvania typically earn around $70,800, while senior specialists typically reach or exceed the $117,900 level. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a registered nurse hire in Pennsylvania, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 146,520 employed registered nurses across Pennsylvania.
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Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $70,800 |
25th Percentile | $80,610 |
75th Percentile | $104,730 |
90th Percentile | $117,900 |
Employers hiring a mid-career registered nurse in Pennsylvania should expect to anchor offers between $80,610 and $104,730 to stay competitive across the bulk of the market. Roles requiring specialized experience or leadership responsibilities will push compensation toward or beyond the $117,900 threshold that senior specialists in Pennsylvania typically reach.
City | Average Annual Salary |
Philadelphia | $101,400 |
Allentown | $96,590 |
Harrisburg | $93,660 |
Pittsburgh | $88,880 |
Scranton | $87,560 |
Employers hiring in Philadelphia should budget meaningfully higher than those hiring in western or northeastern Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia metro averages $101,400 compared to $87,560 in the Scranton area, a difference of $13,840 that can materially affect your compensation budget depending on where the role is based. Offers calibrated to the statewide average may fall short in Philadelphia but land above market in Scranton or Pittsburgh.
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Pennsylvania | $94,020 | $96,430 |
New York | $113,440 | $109,440 |
New Jersey | $110,100 | $106,500 |
Maryland | $99,010 | $99,790 |
Virginia | $93,850 | $93,600 |
Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 |
Pennsylvania sits in a cost-effective middle position relative to its neighbors, making it a more budget-friendly market than New York or New Jersey for registered nurse hiring. The statewide mean of $94,020 runs $19,420 below New York and $16,080 below New Jersey, while tracking closely with Virginia at $93,850. Employers competing for nurses who could cross state lines into New Jersey or New York should be aware that those markets pay substantially more and may factor into candidate expectations.
Frequently asked questions about registered nurse salary in Pennsylvania
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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