Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Registered Nurse salary in New Jersey
The average Registered Nurse salary in New Jersey is $114,000 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $103,000 to $132,000. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For New Jersey pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:Social PerceptivenessSpeakingService OrientationCritical ThinkingCoordinationActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Registered Nurse pay by experience level
Entry level$71,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$83,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$101,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$116,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$142,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.9%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
189,100
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Registered Nurse salary by industry
Hospitals
2,020,230 workers
$108,000
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1,902,960 workers
$108,000
Hospitals, Privately Owned
1,730,350 workers
$107,500
Ambulatory Health Care Services
648,820 workers
$101,000
Offices of Physicians
232,420 workers
$94,000
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
198,830 workers
$91,500
Home Health Care Services
198,180 workers
$97,000
Hospitals, Local Government Owned
181,690 workers
$104,500
Outpatient Care Centers
173,380 workers
$116,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
169,640 workers
$120,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 3.5 million people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
87.3%
White
70.6%
Black or African American
16%
Asian
10.6%
Hispanic or Latino
10%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $75,330 to $97,550.
+29.5% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$71,500
Early career25th percentile
$83,000
Median50th percentile
$101,000
Experienced75th percentile
$116,500
Top earners90th percentile
$142,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Social PerceptivenessSpeakingService OrientationCritical ThinkingCoordinationActive Listening
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$105,000
2027$108,500
2028$112,500
2029$116,500
2030$120,500
2031$124,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
New Jersey salary questions
How much does a Registered Nurse make in New Jersey?
The average base salary for a Registered Nurse in New Jersey is $114,000 per year, or about $54.81 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Registered Nurse salary in New Jersey?
The median is $110,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $114,000.
What is the typical Registered Nurse salary range in New Jersey?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in New Jersey is $103,000 to $132,000 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Registered Nurse pay in New Jersey compare with the national average?
The New Jersey average of $114,000 is $9,000 (8.6%) above the national average of $105,000. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these New Jersey salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Registered Nurse pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
