Statewide Iowa — On average, Iowa registered nurses are near the bottom of the national pay scale, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to that federal agency, the average registered nurse in Iowa is paid $62,570 annually, with Iowa ranking #47 on the list. That compares to California RNs who make, on average, $121,000 a year, and are the highest paid nurses in the nation.
The lowest paid registered nurses in America are those in Alabama, where the average annual salary is $60,230.
Salaries in the states surrounding Iowa include: South Dakota, which ranks 49th at $60,960 per year. Kansas ranks #44, with an average salary 0f $64,200. Missouri is #41, with an average annual salary of $65,900. Nebraska ranks #35 in RN salaries, with an average of $69,480. North Dakota comes in at #33, with the average registered nurse there earning $69,630 per year. Illinois is at #20, with an annual salary of $74,560. Wisconsin ranks #19, with the average RN earning $74,760. Meanwhile, Minnesota ranks highest of the state’s surrounding Iowa, at #13, with an average registererd nurse in the Gopher State earning $80,960.
