Average Registered Nurse Salary in New York

New York is one of the highest-paying states in the country for registered nurses. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data consistently places New York among the top states for average RN wages — well above the national average — and the figures on this page reflect the most recent BLS release, reviewed for the 2025–2026 period. The state is driven by the New York City metropolitan area, one of the best-paid markets for nurses anywhere in the United States.

Several forces lift New York RN pay. The cost of living in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester is among the highest in the nation, and base wages rise to match it. The state is home to large, well-funded health systems — NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Montefiore, and Northwell Health (the largest private employer in the state) — that compete hard for nurses. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is one of the most active nursing unions in the country; its high-profile 2023 hospital strikes won enforceable nurse-to-patient staffing ratios at major NYC systems, and a 2021 state law now requires hospitals to set clinical staffing plans and mandates minimum staffing in ICU and critical-care units. Both raise demand for nurses and strengthen their bargaining position.

Pay is highest downstate — New York City, Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk), and the lower Hudson Valley (Westchester) rank among the best-paid metros for RNs in the country. Upstate markets such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany pay less in dollar terms but offer a far lower cost of living. All registered nurses must hold an active license from the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions; note that New York has not joined the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a license from another state does not authorize practice here. New York also has its "BSN in 10" law, which requires RNs to earn a bachelor’s degree within ten years of initial licensure. Specialty certifications (ICU, ER, OR, labor and delivery), overtime, and night or weekend shift differentials can add substantially to the base salaries shown below.