Nursing Salary in USA 2026 — Pay & Jobs for Indian Graduate Nurses
Nursing salary in USA 2026 — RN, NP, CRNA pay by state and role, OPT work rights, and H-1B sponsorship for Indian nursing graduates.
Updated: 2026-04-01
Quick Answer
RNs in the USA earn $65,000–$100,000/year as new graduates — California and New York pay the highest. Advanced Practice Nurses earn $110,000–$220,000. Nursing is one of the easiest US professions for H-1B and EB-3 green card sponsorship.
Key Highlights
- New Graduate RN (BSN): $65,000–$80,000 nationally; $85,000–$100,000 in California, New York, Hawaii
- Travel Nurse: $100,000–$150,000/year — contract assignments at shortage hospitals; very high post-COVID demand
- Nurse Practitioner (NP): $110,000–$130,000 nationally; $140,000+ in high-demand states
- CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist): $180,000–$220,000/year — highest-paid nursing role; DNP required
Nursing Salary in USA — By Role and State (2026)
Compensation for nursing graduates:
- New Graduate RN (BSN): $65,000–$80,000 nationally; $85,000–$100,000 in California, New York, Hawaii
- Travel Nurse: $100,000–$150,000/year — contract assignments at shortage hospitals; very high post-COVID demand
- Nurse Practitioner (NP): $110,000–$130,000 nationally; $140,000+ in high-demand states
- CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist): $180,000–$220,000/year — highest-paid nursing role; DNP required
OPT, H-1B and EB-3 Green Card for Indian Nurses
Work authorization and immigration pathway:
- OPT: 12 months after BSN/MSN graduation; work as RN with valid NCLEX-RN license
- H-1B for nurses: RN (SOC 29-1141) is H-1B eligible; hospitals are consistent H-1B sponsors
- Cap-exempt H-1B: Non-profit hospitals and university medical centres — no H-1B lottery
- EB-3 Green Card: Nurses qualify; faster timeline than most EB categories for Indian applicants
- US nursing shortage: 200,000+ RN vacancies — Indian nurses are actively recruited by US hospital systems
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