Registered Nurses pay range in Salem
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $101,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $157,970 or more. The middle half of registered nurses in Salem earn between $109,870 and $132,930.
- $101K10th
- $110K25th
- $132KMedian
- $133K75th
- $158K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $125,750 | $10,479 | $60.46 |
| Median | $131,750 | $10,979 | $63.34 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $109,870 | $9,156 | $52.82 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $132,930 | $11,078 | $63.91 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Registered Nurses salary after taxes in Salem
On the average salary of $125,750, a single filer in Salem takes home about $87,366 a year, or $7,280 a month and $3,360 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Salem a good place for registered nurses? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Salem area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $125,750 buys what about $121,323 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Salem ($55,310). A typical home costs $454,689, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Registered Nurses salary in other Oregon cities
Salem ranks 2nd of 7 Oregon metro areas for this job; Bend pays the most ($126,700).
Highest-paying cities for registered nurses
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($194,950).
- San Jose, CA$194,950
- Vallejo, CA$182,820
- San Francisco, CA$176,900
- Santa Rosa, CA$170,000
- Sacramento, CA$164,200
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Registered Nurses salary in Salem: questions
How much do registered nurses make an hour in Salem?
$60.46 an hour on average, and $63.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level registered nurses salary in Salem?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $101,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $109,870, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the registered nurses take-home pay in Salem?
About $87,366 a year ($7,280 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $125,750. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do registered nurses earn more in Salem than elsewhere?
The average here is 22% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($102,761).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1141; area Salem, OR (41420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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