Registered Nurse salary
From 2,308 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 29-1141: Registered Nurses
- Also filed as: Nurse
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 48% of Registered Nurse filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Avant Healthcare Professionals. 166 filings (7% of the total), median $73,403.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 5 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $66,102 in DuBois, PA to $97,406 in New York, NY.
- Median up 15% since FY2020. From $70,262 in FY2020 to $80,631 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Registered Nurse H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 2,308 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Registered Nurse jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 29-1141, Registered Nurses). The median base salary is $80,288, 35% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $70,366 and $88,041. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 48% of filings. Chicago, IL has the most filings (189), and Avant Healthcare Professionals is the employer that files the most (166).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Registered Nurse
University of Rochester95 filings · 4%$90,605
Dubois Regional Medical Center86 filings · 4%$67,371
OhioHealth59 filings · 3%$71,926
Conexus MedStaff55 filings · 2%$79,872
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore54 filings · 2%$93,808
Resilience Healthcare Chicago Graduate Education Foundation52 filings · 2%$83,200
Jackson Park Hospital Foundation49 filings · 2%$76,877
Lifeline Nursing Solutions43 filings · 2%$82,576
Employers with the most Registered Nurse filings. Bar: share of all Registered Nurse filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 28% of filings
Mid-level · 48% of filings
Senior · 21% of filings
Expert · 3% of filings
Level medians mix different jobs, so a higher level can show a lower median. Within one job, pay rises with level.
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $76,877 | 616 |
| Level II · Qualified | $82,909 | 1,053 |
| Level III · Experienced | $77,085 | 469 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $111,405 | 57 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Registered Nurse pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 48 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Registered Nurse does
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
Typical tasks
- Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
- Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Registered Nurses (29-1141.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Registered Nurses), the median annual wage was $97,550 in May 2025, with 3,379,720 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $80,288, 18% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,648 | $68,940 |
| 25th percentile | $70,366 | $80,330 |
| Median | $80,288 | $97,550 |
| 75th percentile | $88,041 | $112,350 |
| 90th percentile | $98,758 | $137,470 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $66,648 |
| 25th | $70,366 |
| 50th (median) | $80,288 |
| 75th | $88,041 |
| 90th | $98,758 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $70,262 | $61,360 | $75,733 | 79 |
| FY2021 | $69,451 | $57,793 | $79,731 | 98 |
| FY2022 | $75,525 | $62,696 | $83,200 | 134 |
| FY2023 | $73,674 | $66,560 | $87,568 | 291 |
| FY2024 | $74,901 | $67,433 | $84,656 | 861 |
| FY2025 | $80,153 | $70,758 | $87,350 | 1,478 |
| FY2026 | $80,631 | $69,300 | $88,941 | 830 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Registered Nurse make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Registered Nurse jobs is $80,288 (2,308 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $70,366 and $88,041.
What does an entry-level Registered Nurse earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $76,877. Level I accounts for 28% of Registered Nurse filings.
Which city pays H-1B Registered Nurses the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, New York, NY has the highest median base salary for Registered Nurse jobs: $97,406 (149 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Registered Nurses?
Avant Healthcare Professionals (166), Louisiana Children's Medical Center (125) and University of Rochester (95) filed the most Registered Nurse LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Registered Nurses earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($80,288) is 18% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($97,550, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.