National Salary Info » Registered Nurses

Highest Paying Industries for Registered Nurses

The top 100 highest paying industries for registered nurses (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $92,630, colleges, universities, and professional schools - local government owned is the highest paying industry for registered nurses. It is followed by wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers industry (average annual salary $83,910). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of registered nurses in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Registered Nurses

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Local government owned	$92,630	$80,320	2,320
2	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$83,910	$56,630	n/a
3	Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds	$83,140	$52,970	50
4	Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles	$81,010	$50,900	60
5	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$79,140	$54,680	4,620
6	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$78,830	$64,990	360
7	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$77,730	$58,400	71,880
8	Federal government, including USPS	$77,660	$58,400	72,000
9	Oil and Gas Extraction	$76,080	$55,640	50
10	Mining	$73,930	$53,920	60
11	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$73,360	$53,320	160
12	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$71,990	$50,030	11,090
13	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$71,670	$51,260	330
14	Scientific Research and Development Services	$71,590	$48,470	2,370
15	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$71,480	$51,070	350
16	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$71,440	$50,940	58,200
17	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$71,420	$60,530	80
18	Rail Transportation	$71,410	$53,630	90
19	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$70,970	$50,670	52,830
20	Wholesale Trade	$70,800	$51,820	1,090
21	Depository Credit Intermediation	$70,650	$63,220	40
22	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$70,550	$48,620	147,410
23	Federal, State, and Local Government	$70,550	$48,620	147,410
24	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$70,490	$53,630	1,020
25	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$70,450	$52,430	30
26	Temporary Help Services	$70,420	$44,520	39,400
27	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	$70,210	$54,230	520
28	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$70,160	$48,030	22,000
29	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$70,140	$49,080	56,260
30	Employment Services	$70,120	$44,270	49,360
31	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$69,860	$47,260	2,010
32	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$69,760	$50,100	150
33	Administrative and Support Services	$69,700	$44,210	53,630
34	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$69,700	$44,220	53,660
35	Spectator Sports	$69,600	$37,520	n/a
36	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$69,530	$52,780	30
37	Insurance Carriers	$69,510	$51,150	20,450
38	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$69,510	$48,490	40
39	Hospitals - State government owned	$69,440	$49,040	76,590
40	Chemical Manufacturing	$69,410	$49,930	290
41	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$69,250	$42,300	5,420
42	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$69,170	$50,910	25,810
43	Finance and Insurance	$69,170	$50,870	26,100
44	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$69,000	$48,400	1,334,320
45	Hospitals - Privately owned	$69,000	$48,480	1,405,850
46	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$68,990	$52,990	110
47	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$68,980	$46,890	5,910
48	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$68,960	$50,670	16,880
49	Utilities	$68,750	$53,020	70
50	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$68,740	$46,260	10,420
51	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$68,500	$51,040	450
52	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$68,490	$47,920	1,653,490
53	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$68,480	$47,800	1,560,200
54	Outpatient Care Centers	$68,400	$47,640	107,300
55	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$68,370	$52,760	60
56	Legal Services	$68,300	$44,270	570
57	Repair and Maintenance	$68,110	$54,700	390
58	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$68,070	$52,090	130
59	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$68,040	$49,770	60
60	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$67,930	$50,160	n/a
61	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$67,830	$50,090	5,370
62	Office Administrative Services	$67,810	$45,530	2,790
63	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$67,630	$41,850	390
64	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$67,620	$48,170	40
65	Other Insurance Related Activities	$67,440	$49,770	4,850
66	Direct Selling Establishments	$67,290	$48,290	n/a
67	Personal Care Services	$67,160	$29,980	730
68	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$67,090	$41,710	450
69	Personal and Laundry Services	$66,880	$30,560	760
70	State government, including schools and hospitals	$66,580	$46,810	129,140
71	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$66,540	$41,950	200
72	Health Care and Social Assistance	$66,500	$46,150	2,355,380
73	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$66,310	$48,610	14,250
74	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$66,110	$44,510	457,920
75	Transportation and Warehousing	$66,000	$50,000	490
76	Paper Manufacturing	$65,960	$51,480	70
77	Educational Services - State government owned	$65,760	$47,830	14,730
78	Ambulance Services	$65,660	$41,450	3,820
79	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$65,640	$47,960	40
80	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$65,480	$40,010	2,480
81	Nonstore Retailers	$65,300	$43,880	140
82	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$64,620	$49,910	180
83	Facilities Support Services	$64,470	$47,870	670
84	Machinery Manufacturing	$64,410	$50,020	150
85	Hospitals - Local government owned	$64,280	$44,440	171,060
86	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$64,230	$44,410	169,630
87	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$64,100	$29,660	70
88	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$63,860	$29,200	140
89	Home Health Care Services	$63,810	$44,990	168,970
90	Scheduled Air Transportation	$63,670	$50,280	n/a
91	Postal Service (federal government)	$63,620	$60,430	120
92	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$63,590	$45,370	3,740
93	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$63,570	$46,790	35,090
94	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$63,510	$46,890	15,710
95	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$63,480	$39,220	530
96	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$63,460	$48,950	30
97	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$63,380	$46,660	18,690
98	Religious Organizations	$63,330	$40,230	530
99	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$63,290	$40,300	6,250
100	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$63,220	$43,560	1,920