It’s easy to be a Nurse.

Median salary (2025)

$97,550/yr

Range $68,940 – $137,470

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141): median $97,550, mean $101,420, 10th percentile $68,940, 25th $80,330, 75th $112,350, 90th percentile $137,470, across 3,379,720 employed — the largest healthcare occupation in the United States. Employment relative standard error 0.3%. Read directly from the OEWS national data file (national_M2025_dl.xlsx), not from a secondary summary.

Time to qualify

2–4 years

Two to four years: about 2–3 years for an associate degree in nursing (ADN) including prerequisites, 4 years for a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). Accelerated BSN programs take roughly 12–18 months for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field.

Cost to qualify

$10,000 – $150,000

A community-college ADN typically costs $10,000–$25,000 in total tuition and fees (average public two-year in-district tuition and fees were $4,150 for 2025–26, per the College Board). A four-year BSN runs about $48,000 in tuition and fees at an in-state public university ($11,950 per year) and can exceed $150,000 at private colleges, where the 2025–26 average is $45,000 a year. Add the $200 NCLEX-RN registration fee (NCSBN/Pearson VUE) plus state board application, fingerprinting, and background-check fees of roughly $100–$350, and program extras such as uniforms, equipment, and clinical fees. Candidates testing outside the US pay an additional $150 international scheduling fee, and changing your nursing regulatory body or exam type costs $50 each.

Job outlook (2024-2034)

+5% growth

About 189,100 openings per year

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–34 (Table 1.2, Occupational projections and worker characteristics), Registered nurses (29-1141): employment 3,391,000 in 2024 rising to 3,557,100 in 2034, a numeric change of 166,100 and 4.9% growth, which the Occupational Outlook Handbook rounds to 5%. Occupational openings average 189,100 a year over the decade, most of them replacement rather than growth. 0.5% of registered nurses are self-employed. Read directly from the BLS Employment Projections occupation matrix.

All figures apply to United States. Salaries, licensing, and timelines differ by country — where other editions exist, switch between them at the top of the page.

How to become a Nurse — step by step

1. 1

   Choose your pathway: ADN, BSN, or accelerated BSN 1-3 months

   Compare a 2–3 year community-college ADN (cheapest route to the same RN license), a 4-year university BSN (preferred or required by many large hospitals), and a 12–18 month accelerated BSN if you already hold a bachelor's degree. Check which local hospitals require a BSN before deciding.

2. 2

   Complete prerequisites and apply to an accredited program 6-12 months

   Finish prerequisite courses such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and chemistry with strong grades, and take the TEAS or HESI entrance exam if required. Apply only to state-approved programs accredited by ACEN or CCNE, and check each program's published first-time NCLEX pass rate before enrolling — NCSBN publishes them by jurisdiction and degree type every year.

3. 3

   Complete your nursing program and clinical rotations 2-4 years

   Pass coursework in pharmacology, pathophysiology, and nursing practice while completing supervised clinical rotations in hospitals and community settings. Clinical performance matters: preceptors and clinical sites are a primary source of first-job offers.

4. 4

   Apply for licensure and Authorization to Test 4-8 weeks

   Apply to your state board of nursing, complete fingerprinting and the background check, and register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson VUE for $200. The board issues an Authorization to Test (ATT), which lets you schedule the exam.

5. 5

   Pass the NCLEX-RN 1 day, plus 4-8 weeks of focused prep

   The Next Generation NCLEX-RN is computer-adaptive, with 85 to 150 items and a five-hour limit; in 2025 the average candidate answered 103 items in 2 hours 14 minutes. 86.7% of first-time, US-educated candidates passed in 2025, down from 91.2% in 2024. Prepare accordingly — this is the single gate between your degree and the job.

6. 6

   Land your first job, ideally through a nurse residency 1-3 months

   Apply for new-graduate positions, prioritizing structured nurse residency programs over the largest sign-on bonus. Residencies provide 6–12 months of mentored practice and significantly reduce first-year turnover and burnout.

7. 7

   Maintain your license and keep building credentials Ongoing

   Renew your RN license every two to three years depending on the state, completing any required continuing education. Many ADN nurses complete an online RN-to-BSN program within a few years, and specialty certifications open doors to ICU, ER, and leadership roles.

Requirements to be a Nurse

• Nursing degree or diploma from an approved programeducationRequired

  An associate degree in nursing (ADN), a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), or a hospital diploma from a state-approved program accredited by ACEN or CCNE. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education, but an ADN qualifies graduates for RN licensure in every state. In 2025 the two main routes performed almost identically on the licensing exam: 87.6% of first-time baccalaureate candidates passed against 86.1% of associate-degree candidates.

• State RN license (NCLEX-RN)licenseRequired

  Every US state requires passing the NCLEX-RN and licensure through its board of nursing, which typically includes a criminal background check and fingerprinting. Most states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so one multistate license covers practice in other compact states.

• Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) certificationcertificationRequired

  Nursing programs require BLS/CPR certification before clinical placements begin — most specify the American Heart Association course, though some accept equivalents — and virtually all employers require current BLS as a condition of hire.

• Supervised clinical rotationsexperienceRequired

  All approved nursing programs include supervised clinical hours across specialties such as medical-surgical, pediatrics, and obstetrics; required hours vary by state and program. No paid work experience is required before licensure.

• Clinical judgment and communication skillsskillRequired

  The Next Generation NCLEX explicitly tests clinical judgment. Daily practice demands accurate patient assessment, medication safety, precise charting, and clear communication with patients, families, and physicians.

• Specialty certification (CCRN, CEN, etc.)certificationOptional

  Specialty credentials such as CCRN (critical care) or CEN (emergency nursing) typically require one to two years of bedside experience. They improve pay and mobility but are not needed for entry-level practice.

A day in the life of a Nurse

Most hospital registered nurses work three 12-hour shifts a week, starting around 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. with a handoff report from the outgoing nurse. A typical medical-surgical assignment is four to six patients: head-to-toe assessments, timed medication passes, wound care, IV management, and near-constant charting in the electronic health record. Call lights, new admissions, and discharges interrupt every planned hour, and lunch is often 15 minutes or skipped. Nurses spend most of the shift standing, walking, and lifting or repositioning patients. Hard moments — a deteriorating patient, a death, an angry family — sit alongside genuine saves and gratitude. Clinic, school, and outpatient RNs trade that intensity for regular weekday hours and, usually, lower pay than hospital and government roles.

Is it worth it to be a Nurse?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Enrolling in an unaccredited or low-quality program without checking its ACEN/CCNE accreditation and its published first-time NCLEX pass rate — NCSBN publishes results by jurisdiction and degree type annually, and graduates of weak programs fail at far higher rates while their credits rarely transfer.
• Paying private for-profit tuition of $40,000–$80,000 for an ADN when a community college delivers the identical RN license for a fraction of the cost (average public two-year in-district tuition and fees are $4,150 a year).
• Underestimating prerequisites: competitive programs effectively require A/B grades in anatomy and physiology and microbiology, and community-college nursing programs often have one-to-two-year waitlists that applicants fail to plan around.
• Treating the NCLEX-RN as a formality. The first-time pass rate for US-educated candidates dropped from 91.2% in 2024 to 86.7% in 2025, and a failed attempt means a mandated wait before retesting, another $200 fee, and a retaker pass rate of only 52.7%.
• Choosing a first job for the biggest sign-on bonus instead of a structured nurse residency, which is a leading driver of new-graduate burnout and first-year turnover.
• Stopping at the ADN in metro markets where major hospital systems and Magnet hospitals require or strongly prefer a BSN, then discovering promotion and unit-transfer options are blocked.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Every figure on this page traces to one of these primary sources.

1. 12025 NCLEX Examination Statistics (Table 1 pass rates by candidate type; Table 3 summary statistics) — National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) · accessed August 19, 2026
2. 2Employment Projections 2024–34: occupation matrix, Table 1.2 (occupational projections and worker characteristics) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · accessed August 19, 2026
3. 3NCLEX Fees & Payment ($200 registration fee) — National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) · accessed August 19, 2026
4. 4Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Registered Nurses (29-1141) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · accessed August 19, 2026
5. 5Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · accessed August 19, 2026
6. 6OEWS May 2025 national and state data files (national_M2025_dl.xlsx, state_M2025_dl.xlsx) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · accessed August 19, 2026
7. 7Registered Nurses (29-1141.00) Summary Report — O*NET OnLine · accessed August 19, 2026
8. 8Trends in College Pricing 2025 — Highlights (2025–26 average tuition and fees) — College Board · accessed August 19, 2026