Registered Nurse Salary in Massachusetts
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Last Updated: November 8, 2023
On this page, you will find our report on Registered Nurse salary in Massachusetts (MA), which includes rankings of the state on various parameters, the highest paying cities for RNs in Massachusetts, how cost of living impacts earnings and other relevant details. If you are looking for nursing job opportunities in the state, you can go straight to our Remote Nursing Jobs in Massachusetts page to find the latest open positions for RNs.
In Massachusetts, Registered Nurses earn an average of $104,150 per year, ranking the state #4 nationwide, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In comparison, the national average RN salary is $89,010 annually. This means the Massachusetts average is 17% higher when compared to the national average.
Massachusetts, where colonial history, Ivy League universities, and East Coast energy blend, is home to 94,100 Registered Nurses. In terms of RN employment levels, Massachusetts has an employment per thousand jobs count of 26 thereby ranking it #4 among all the states.
Massachusetts Rankings
- With an average hourly wage for RNs of $50.1/hour, it ranks at #4 nationwide.
- Massachusetts ranks #7 for the annual average median salary for Registered Nurses.
- Massachusetts ranks #10 for the total number of Registered Nurses employed in the US.
- Massachusetts ranks #13 for the projected demand for new Registered Nurses by 2030.
- With a population of 6,981,974, the state ranks #16 among all states in the country.
Massachusetts RN Salary Adjusted for Cost of Living
According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s (MERIC) 2023 Second Quarter data, Massachusetts has a cost of living index of 143.1 – #49 in the nation. The key drivers of Massachusetts’s steep cost of living are housing, healthcare, and transportation expenses.
After factoring in the cost of living, the real adjusted annual salary for RNs is $72,781 according to our estimates, making it rank #5 nationwide. This adjusted wage gives a more accurate representation of the real salary, or purchasing power, and standard of living RNs can expect in Massachusetts versus other states.
In addition to that, here are the different cost of living indexes (COL) for Massachusetts:
- Grocery index – 108.7
- Housing index – 202.3
- Utility index – 123.4
- Transportation index – 114.3
- Health index – 117.9
It is important to remember that the cost of living index can vary significantly depending on the specific location within Massachusetts, with metro locations typically having a higher index than rural areas.
RN Salaries vs Other Nursing Roles in Massachusetts
Education, certifications and experience play an important role in impacting a nurse’s salary as does job demand. Another factor could be multi-state licensure as that can open up more opportunities for higher paying jobs and career advancement. Here’s a comparison of RN Salary vs other main nursing roles in Massachusetts:
| Occupation | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $104,150 |
| Physician Assistants | $131,920 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $204,690 |
| Nurse Midwives | $143,870 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $138,700 |
| Dental Hygienists | $89,350 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $68,170 |
Top Paying Cities For RNs in Massachusetts
The major metropolitan areas in Massachusetts tend to offer the highest salaries for Registered Nurses in the state. According to the BLS, the top paying metro regions for RNs in Massachusetts are the following:
| Area | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $106,980 | $51.4 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | $98,550 | $47.4 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $96,180 | $46.2 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | $96,110 | $46.2 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $94,750 | $45.6 |
| New Bedford, MA | $90,840 | $43.7 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $88,170 | $42.4 |
RN Median Salary Range in Massachusetts
The annual median salary for an RN in Massachusetts is $98,520 compared to the annual median salary in the US of $81,220. California’s annual median RN wage is 21% higher than the national median. The median salary provides a standardized midpoint snapshot of RN wages in California versus nationally.
| Annual Median Salary | Hourly Median Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $154,160 | $74 |
| 75th Percentile | $129,610 | $62 |
| Median | $98,520 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,010 | $38 |
Job Outlook for RNs in Massachusetts
Registered nursing is a promising and rapidly growing career path in Massachusetts. According to projections from the latest data from BLS, there were 87,860 RN jobs in Massachusetts in 2020.
By 2030, total RN employment across the state is expected to reach 83,710 reflecting projected growth of 12% over the decade. This translates to 5,900 expected annual job openings for RNs through 2030 in California.
Companies Hirings RNs in Massachusetts
Many companies in Massachusetts are recruiting RNs to cater to the state’s diverse population of nearly 6,981,974. Specialized skills such as telehealth are highly sought after, reflecting the changing healthcare landscape.
Per the nationwide findings of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 41% of employers require nurses to have a bachelor’s degree (BSN), and 77% strongly prefer it. In general, registered nurses are more in demand in private practices, public health agencies, primary care clinics and nursing homes, according to AACN.
According to our data, the companies hiring RNs in Massachusetts are:
- Molina Healthcare
- Humana
- UnitedHealthcare / Optum
- Cityblock Health
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Curana Health
- The Standard
- Vesta Healthcare
- Concert Health
- Cigna Healthcare
- CareBridge
- Brightside
- Elevance Health
- Cartwheel
Summary
To summarize, Registered Nurses (RNs) in Massachusetts earn an average annual salary of $104,150, which is 17% higher when compared with the national average. The job outlook for RNs in the state is promising, with a projected growth rate of 12% over the coming years. And, it is important to consider the cost of living index in the state, which stands at 143.1, and ranks #49 among all states in the US. This can impact the overall financial wellbeing of an RN.
FAQs
How much does an RN make in Massachusetts?
According to the BLS, the average annual salary for Massachusetts RNs in 2022 was $104,150, which is 17.01% higher than the national average income for Registered Nurses.
What is hourly wage of an RN in Massachusetts?
According to the BLS, the average hourly wage for Massachusetts RNs in 2022 was $50.1, which is #4 nationwide for Registered Nurses.
What is the job outlook for a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts?
According to the latest data, the projected growth over 2020-2030 is 12% and the projected annual job openings in the same period are 5,900.
What is the nursing job outlook in the US?
Registered Nurse jobs are projected to grow by 6% annually from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all other occupations. Approximately 193,100 openings for Registered Nurses are projected each year, on average, over this decade.
Please note that the average salary in Massachusetts doesn’t include tax data, which can vary by and within metropolitan areas.