Registered Nurse
Also known as: Nurse, RN
Provide hands-on patient care, administer treatments, and serve as the backbone of healthcare delivery.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for registered nurses.
About 1 in 67 reaches this level
About 4.3M RNs in the US; ~67K are CRNAs earning a mean of $223K. CRNA is the highest-paying clinical nursing role; Chief Nursing Officers can earn more but represent an administrative path. 1.5% reflects the fraction who complete CRNA training.
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a bachelor's degree. Here are the top colleges for it:
AI Risk Assessment
AI now reads vitals, flags patient deterioration, pre-populates charts, and handles triage protocols — giving nurses up to 20% more time for direct care. Fewer nurses are needed per patient when AI handles monitoring and administrative tasks. But the U.S. faces a projected 8% shortage of RNs by 2028 with roughly 189,000 openings per year, and the bedside work — IV insertions, wound care, patient communication — remains fundamentally physical and human.
Sources
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
Related Careers
Is Registered Nurse right for you?
Take our free 20-minute assessment to find out if registered nurse matches your personality, interests, and strengths.
Take the Free Assessment