SOC 29-1141 · Healthcare practitioners and technical
Registered Nurses prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $167,669 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA down to $74,194 in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, a spread of $93,475 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
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.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $140,650 | $167,669 | $194,688 | $221,707 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,218 | $150,426 | $176,654 | $202,862 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $110,198 | $137,072 | $163,925 | $190,798 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $111,675 | $128,274 | $144,893 | $161,491 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $103,189 | $121,680 | $140,192 | $158,683 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $96,782 | $111,509 | $126,235 | $140,962 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $97,136 | $111,114 | $125,091 | $139,069 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $92,165 | $105,810 | $119,475 | $133,120 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $85,696 | $96,034 | $106,371 | $116,709 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $85,301 | $94,453 | $103,605 | $112,757 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,851 | $92,165 | $104,458 | $116,771 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $81,494 | $91,395 | $101,296 | $111,197 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $79,726 | $90,272 | $100,818 | $111,363 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $77,730 | $88,358 | $98,987 | $109,616 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $74,610 | $87,776 | $100,963 | $114,130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $74,776 | $87,734 | $100,693 | $113,651 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $75,150 | $87,651 | $100,173 | $112,674 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $75,442 | $87,547 | $99,632 | $111,738 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $77,854 | $86,902 | $95,950 | $104,998 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,712 | $86,757 | $97,822 | $108,867 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $76,731 | $86,050 | $95,368 | $104,686 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $74,277 | $85,883 | $97,510 | $109,117 |
| Rochester, NY | $77,043 | $84,614 | $92,165 | $99,736 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $73,590 | $84,240 | $94,869 | $105,518 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $73,757 | $83,554 | $93,371 | $103,168 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $73,944 | $83,533 | $93,142 | $102,731 |
| Cleveland, OH | $75,026 | $83,262 | $91,499 | $99,736 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $73,216 | $82,909 | $92,602 | $102,294 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $72,946 | $82,597 | $92,248 | $101,899 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $72,758 | $82,285 | $91,790 | $101,317 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $70,866 | $82,264 | $93,642 | $105,040 |
| Richmond, VA | $72,342 | $82,118 | $91,915 | $101,691 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $72,717 | $81,141 | $89,544 | $97,968 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $72,072 | $80,954 | $89,856 | $98,738 |
| Columbus, OH | $71,864 | $80,288 | $88,691 | $97,115 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $70,637 | $79,851 | $89,086 | $98,301 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $70,803 | $79,789 | $88,795 | $97,781 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $69,784 | $78,541 | $87,298 | $96,054 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $65,166 | $74,194 | $83,200 | $92,227 |
39 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 377 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level II. The median wage actually offered was $81,120 a year, from 395 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 108 | 28.6% |
| Level II | 184 | 48.8% |
| Level III | 81 | 21.5% |
| Level IV | 4 | 1.1% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Registered Nurses with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.