How much does a registered nurse make?

The median pay is $46.90 per hour — roughly $97,500 a year, with the real range running from about $33.14/hr (10th percentile) to $66.09/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a registered nurse?

The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

What does a registered nurse actually do all day?

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.

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Registered Nurses

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.

What it pays
Registered Nurses earn a median of $46.90/hr — about $97,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $33.14/hr; the top 10% earn $66.09/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.5% of registered nurses are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, analytical and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a registered nurse make?: The median pay is $46.90 per hour — roughly $97,500 a year, with the real range running from about $33.14/hr (10th percentile) to $66.09/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a registered nurse?: The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
What does a registered nurse actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.