Registered Nurse Salaries & Employers: Who Pays RNs?

Primary Employers of Registered Nurses

RNs work across the healthcare continuum. Compensation varies by setting, region, experience, and education.

Major Employer Categories

1. Hospitals (General & Specialty): Largest employer; acute care, ED, ICU, OR, med-surg, etc.
2. Ambulatory/Outpatient Clinics: Primary care, specialty clinics, dialysis, infusion centers.
3. Long-Term Care & Post-Acute: Skilled nursing facilities, rehab centers, assisted living.
4. Home Health & Hospice: In-home skilled nursing, palliative/end-of-life care.
5. Government & Military: VA, IHS, DoD, correctional health, public health departments.
6. Public/Community Health: Health departments, immunization clinics, disease surveillance.
7. Ambulatory Surgical Centers: Pre-op, intra-op, PACU nursing.
8. Schools & Universities: K–12 school nurses, college health centers.
9. Occupational Health: Corporate clinics, employee wellness, injury management.
10. Private Practice & NP-Led Clinics: Collaborative or independent (state-dependent).
11. Telehealth & Case Management: Remote monitoring, triage, utilization review.
12. Travel/Registry Agencies: Short-term contracts, often premium pay.

Other Compensation Models

• Per diem/pool positions (higher hourly, no benefits).
• Self-employed consulting, legal nurse consulting, education.

Salary data: BLS May 2022 median RN wage $81,220/year ($39.05/hr). Top-paying states: CA, HI, OR, MA, AK.