In a November commentary we reviewed Registered Nurse Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas. Without a doubt, U.S. metro areas with the largest populations employ far more registered nurses than do smaller metropolitan markets. That said, RNs employed in smaller markets often times enjoy better compensation levels than do their bigger market peers. This fact is readily seen May 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reveals that only four of the 20 largest metro markets in the nation were among the 20 best metropolitan areas for registered nurse pay:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 16,650 | $140,740 | ||
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) | 38,580 | $138,000 | ||
| 3 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,410 | $134,000 | ||
| 4 | Salinas, CA | 2,740 | $133,580 | ||
| 5 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 3,720 | $131,970 | ||
| 6 | Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade | 19,860 | $126,560 | ||
| 7 | Yuba City, CA | 920 | $119,260 | ||
| 8 | Modesto, CA | 4,880 | $112,790 | ||
| 9 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | 4,470 | $110,220 | ||
| 10 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 3,180 | $108,940 | ||
| 11 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | N/A | $107,020 | ||
| 12 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 8,840 | $106,550 | ||
| 13 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#) | 111,780 | $106,190 | ||
| 14 | Redding, CA | 1,500 | $106,010 | ||
| 15 | Fresno, CA | 7,640 | $105,880 | ||
| 16 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario(#) | 29,780 | $105,570 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Carlsbad (#) | 25,260 | $104,860 | ||
| 18 | Napa, CA | 1,890 | $104,660 | ||
| 19 | Santa Rosa, CA | 3,230 | $103,670 | ||
| 20 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,810 | $102,560 | ||
| National | 2,982,280 | $77,460 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 13, 2020