Behind every life-saving hospital monitor beats the heart of a remarkable workforce: the 3.175 million registered nurses who form the backbone of American healthcare, a group that is overwhelmingly female, increasingly diverse, and navigating a landscape of critical shortages and rising demands.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were approximately 3.175 million registered nurses actively practicing in the United States
- About 84% of registered nurses in the US workforce are female as of 2023
- The median age of employed registered nurses in the US was 46 years old in 2020
- Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations
- About 193,100 openings for registered nurses are projected each year on average over the decade from 2022 to 2032
- In May 2023, there were 3,175,390 registered nurses employed in the US
- The median annual wage for RNs was $86,070 in May 2023
- RNs in California earn the highest mean hourly wage of $59.46 in 2023
- In outpatient care centers, RNs earn a mean annual wage of $98,870 in 2023
- 45.7% of RNs have an associate degree as entry preparation in 2022
- 56.4% of RNs hold a baccalaureate degree in 2022
- 13.1% of RNs have a master's degree as highest credential in 2022
- 55% of RNs work 12-hour shifts in hospitals
- Average RN works 38.7 hours per week in 2023
- 52% of RNs experience burnout in 2023 surveys
American registered nurses are diverse but aging and in critically short supply nationwide.
Compensation
- The median annual wage for RNs was $86,070 in May 2023
- RNs in California earn the highest mean hourly wage of $59.46 in 2023
- In outpatient care centers, RNs earn a mean annual wage of $98,870 in 2023
- General medical and surgical hospitals pay RNs a mean of $91,640 annually in 2023
- Home health services RN mean wage is $85,050 per year in 2023
- RNs in government jobs earn $95,170 mean annually in 2023
- The lowest 10% of RNs earn less than $59,450 annually in 2023
- Top 10% of RNs earn more than $132,680 per year in 2023
- Nursing instructors earn a mean of $84,180 annually in 2023
- RNs with BSN earn 10% more than those with associate degrees on average in 2022
- Average RN salary increased 4.2% from 2022 to 2023 due to shortages
- Travel RNs earn $100,000-$120,000 annually on average in 2023
- Benefits package for RNs averages 30% of total compensation in 2022
- Overtime pay boosts RN earnings by 15% in hospitals in 2023
- RNs in New York earn mean $101,030 annually in 2023
- Massachusetts RN mean wage is $99,240 per year in 2023
- Shift differentials add $5-$10 per hour for night shifts in 2023
- Sign-on bonuses for RNs averaged $20,000 in 2023 hospitals
- 65% of RNs receive health insurance as a benefit in 2022
- Retirement benefits cover 55% of RNs with employer contributions in 2023
- RNs working second jobs earn additional $15,000 annually on average in 2022
- Specialty RNs like OR nurses earn 20% above general RN average in 2023
- Loan forgiveness programs benefit 25% of new RNs annually in 2023
- Average hourly wage for RNs is $41.40 in 2023
- ICU RNs earn $95,000-$110,000 annually in 2023
- 78% of RNs report satisfaction with compensation levels in 2022 surveys
- Cost-of-living adjusted RN salaries highest in San Francisco at $140,000 in 2023
Compensation Interpretation
Contrary to the Florence Nightingale archetype of saintly poverty, today's registered nurses can command a serious paycheck, with California sun and San Francisco cost-of-living adjustments potentially baking their income to a golden $140,000, yet the profession still relies on the sacrificial spices of overtime, night shift differentials, and second jobs to make the financial broth palatable for everyone from the lowest tenth percentile to the top earners in outpatient care.
Demographics
- In 2022, there were approximately 3.175 million registered nurses actively practicing in the United States
- About 84% of registered nurses in the US workforce are female as of 2023
- The median age of employed registered nurses in the US was 46 years old in 2020
- Racial and ethnic minorities make up 19.5% of the registered nurse workforce in the US in 2022
- In 2023, 9.1% of registered nurses identified as Hispanic or Latino
- Asian registered nurses comprised 9.7% of the US RN workforce in 2022
- Black or African American nurses represent 6.2% of registered nurses in the US as of 2023
- The largest proportion of RNs, 56%, hold a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) as their highest educational attainment in 2022
- Urban areas employ 80% of all registered nurses in the US in 2023
- In 2022, 13% of registered nurses were men, marking a 1% increase from 2020
- RNs aged 30-39 make up 28% of the workforce in 2023
- White non-Hispanic nurses constitute 76.5% of the RN population in the US in 2022
- Multiracial RNs increased to 2.3% of the workforce by 2023
- RNs with advanced practice credentials represent 12.5% of all nurses in 2022
- In rural areas, 87% of RNs are female compared to 83% in urban areas in 2023
- The percentage of RNs under 30 years old is 10.2% as of 2022
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander RNs are 0.5% of the workforce in 2023
- American Indian or Alaska Native nurses comprise 1.1% of RNs in 2022
- In 2023, 62% of RNs have over 10 years of experience
- Foreign-educated RNs account for 16% of the US nursing workforce in 2022
- RNs working full-time represent 78% of the employed nursing workforce in 2023
- In 2022, 22% of RNs reported working in more than one job
- The average years of nursing experience among RNs is 14.6 years in 2023
- RNs aged 50 and older comprise 34% of the workforce in 2022
- In 2023, 7.4% of RNs are veterans
- LGBTQ+ identification among RNs is approximately 5.8% in 2022 surveys
- RNs with disabilities represent 4.2% of the workforce in 2023
- Married RNs make up 68% of the demographic in 2022
- RNs holding a master's degree or higher are 18% in 2023
Demographics Interpretation
While overwhelmingly female, experienced, and highly educated, America's 3.1 million registered nurses are a seasoned, majority-BSN workforce that's slowly—but perceptibly—growing more diverse in nearly every demographic dimension.
Education
- 45.7% of RNs have an associate degree as entry preparation in 2022
- 56.4% of RNs hold a baccalaureate degree in 2022
- 13.1% of RNs have a master's degree as highest credential in 2022
- 2.7% of RNs hold a doctoral degree in nursing in 2022
- 88% of RNs are licensed in the state where they practice in 2023
- NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate for US-educated candidates was 86.1% in 2023
- Over 190,000 new RNs passed NCLEX annually average 2018-2022
- 80% of nursing schools require BSN for entry in 2023
- Continuing education is required by 39 states for RN license renewal in 2023
- Average RN spends 20 hours on CE annually in 2022
- DNP programs graduated 7,500 nurses in 2022
- PhD nursing programs produce 1,000 new doctorates yearly in 2023
- ADN programs enroll 45% of pre-licensure nursing students in 2022
- BSN programs account for 50% of nursing student enrollment in 2023
- Entry-level MSN programs growing 20% since 2018
- 75% of employers prefer BSN-prepared RNs in 2023 surveys
- National average NCLEX pass rate for ADN is 84.5% in 2023
- BSN programs have 87.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate in 2023
- Simulation used in 95% of nursing education programs in 2022
- Faculty vacancy in nursing schools at 9.8% in 2023
- Online nursing education enrollment up 25% post-COVID in 2023
- 62% of RNs pursue further education within 5 years of licensure in 2022
- Certification held by 46% of RNs in specialty areas in 2023
- BLS projects need for 18,600 new nursing faculty by 2025
- Interprofessional education integrated in 70% of programs in 2023
- RNs report average 40 hours of orientation training in new roles in 2022
- 76% of hospitals provide tuition reimbursement for RNs in 2023
- Magnet hospitals require BSN for 80% of staff by 2023
- RNs in critical care units have 94% certification rate in 2022
Education Interpretation
The nursing profession is diligently pursuing higher education en masse, as evidenced by over half of RNs now holding bachelor's degrees, yet it still grapples with a persistent faculty shortage and a curious reliance on associate degrees for nearly half its entry-level recruits.
Employment
- Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations
- About 193,100 openings for registered nurses are projected each year on average over the decade from 2022 to 2032
- In May 2023, there were 3,175,390 registered nurses employed in the US
- 58% of registered nurses work in general medical and surgical hospitals in 2023
- Ambulatory healthcare services employ 18% of RNs as of 2023
- Nursing and residential care facilities account for 11% of RN employment in 2023
- Government agencies employ 8% of registered nurses in 2022
- Educational services employ 5% of RNs in 2023
- The largest employers of RNs are states like California with 325,620 employed in 2023
- California has the highest employment level of RNs at 10.2% of national total in 2023
- Texas employs 219,200 RNs, second highest in 2023
- Florida has 204,620 RNs employed in 2023
- New York employs 190,770 RNs as of 2023
- 75% of RNs work in metropolitan areas in 2022
- Rural areas have a shortage of 20,000 RNs projected by 2030
- Hospital settings employ 60.2% of all RNs in 2023
- Community health centers employ 4.5% of RNs in 2022
- Home health care RN employment grew 15% from 2018-2023
- RN turnover rate averaged 27.1% in hospitals in 2022
- Vacancy rates for RNs in hospitals reached 17% in 2023
- 41% of hospitals reported critical RN staffing shortages in 2023
- Projected RN shortage of 200,000-450,000 by 2025
- RN employment in outpatient care centers increased 12% from 2020-2023
- 32% of RNs work per diem or as needed in 2022
- Travel nursing positions filled 10% of RN vacancies in 2023
- RNs in skilled nursing facilities number 350,000 in 2023
- Employment growth in RNs is driven by aging population, adding 275,000 jobs by 2032
- 87% of RNs work in state-designated health professional shortage areas minimally
Employment Interpretation
The numbers paint a picture of a vital profession in high demand, yet one caught in a paradoxical squeeze where rapid growth and tens of thousands of new openings each year are perpetually outpaced by alarming shortages, high turnover, and a desperate need for care that stretches from bustling metropolitan hospitals to underserved rural communities.
Work Conditions
- 55% of RNs work 12-hour shifts in hospitals
- Average RN works 38.7 hours per week in 2023
- 52% of RNs experience burnout in 2023 surveys
- Violence against RNs reported in 44% of workplace incidents in 2022
- Nurse-to-patient ratio averages 1:5 in medical-surgical units in 2023
- 68% of RNs report inadequate staffing as major issue in 2023
- RNs handle average 6.2 patients per shift in hospitals 2022
- Injury rate for RNs is 6.8 per 100 full-time workers in 2022
- 92% of RNs vaccinated against COVID-19 by end of 2022
- Mandatory overtime affects 20% of RNs monthly in 2023
- RN satisfaction with work-life balance is 57% in 2023
- 65% of RNs use EHR systems daily, reporting high administrative burden
- Night shift RNs report 25% higher error rates in 2022 studies
- 41% of RNs consider leaving profession due to stress in 2023
- RNs average 1.2 medication errors per 100 shifts in 2022
- PPE shortages impacted 70% of RNs during peak COVID in 2021-2022
- Telehealth utilization by RNs increased 38-fold from 2019-2023
- 78% of RNs report moral distress from patient care decisions in 2023
- Average RN career length is 20 years before leaving bedside in 2022
- RNs experience 2.5 workplace injuries per year on average in hospitals
- 89% of RNs feel safe from violence post-implementation of protocols in 2023
- RNs spend 35% of shift on documentation in 2023
- Weekend staffing ratios lead to 15% higher mortality in studies 2022
- 62% of RNs have flexible scheduling options in 2023
- RNs in unions report 12% higher job satisfaction in 2022
- Patient falls reduced 20% with optimal RN staffing in 2023 studies
- 73% of RNs intend to stay in current job for next year in 2023
Work Conditions Interpretation
Despite their heroic 92% vaccination rate and 38-fold telehealth leap, the modern nurse’s reality is a precarious high-wire act where over half are burning out while juggling six patients, dodging violence, and drowning in documentation, all on a 12-hour shift that leaves them just 57% satisfied with their work-life balance.
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