What Is the RN Associate Degree Salary?

How much does an RN with an associate degree make per year?

An RN with an associate degree cannot be assigned a distinct national annual salary from the BLS data; the best national reference is the RN occupation-wide median of $97,550 in May 2024. That median is the midpoint: half of reported RN wages were higher and half lower. The BLS mean was $101,420 for the same period, a different measure that can be pulled upward by higher wages.

The spread matters more than a single headline figure. In May 2024, the BLS reported RN annual wages from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th percentile. These figures cover RNs across education levels, employers, and locations; they do not predict what a particular ADN graduate will earn.

Location can move the benchmark substantially. The BLS May 2024 state estimates put California’s mean RN wage at $150,280, while estimates for Alabama and South Dakota were about $77,000. These are occupation-wide state averages, not ADN-specific pay rates. For a local comparison, open the BLS May 2024 state and area wage estimates and compare the relevant state or metropolitan area.

What is the hourly pay for an ADN nurse?

There is no national BLS hourly rate specifically for ADN nurses; the May 2024 RN median was $46.90 per hour across the occupation. The hourly and annual medians are paired BLS estimates, so treat them as a reference point rather than a guaranteed conversion for an individual job.

Work setting changes the comparison. The BLS identifies hospitals, ambulatory care, nursing and residential care, and government among RN work settings. A base-rate comparison is most useful when you compare similar locations and settings; otherwise, differences in employer mix can obscure what the degree itself does or does not explain.

Use the benchmark as a quick screen, then read postings for the actual role. Note whether a listing specifies an hourly range, required experience, clinical setting, and additional pay for nights or weekends. The BLS says its OEWS wage estimates are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and weekend and holiday premium pay, so a posted base rate may not represent total earnings for a nurse who regularly works those hours.

What can a new graduate RN with an associate degree expect to earn?

The available national sources do not give a separate starting salary for new ADN graduates. The BLS states that licensed graduates of associate, bachelor’s, and diploma nursing programs generally qualify for entry-level staff nurse positions, while some employers—particularly hospitals—may require a bachelor’s degree. The national median includes more than new graduates, so it should not be read as an entry-level offer.

A practical estimate starts with the local market, not a national promise. Compare entry-level RN postings in the location and work setting you want, and check whether the employer accepts an associate degree for that role. Then compare stated base rates and ask how overtime or premium shifts are handled. If a job requires a BSN, it is not a like-for-like ADN opportunity even if the title is also staff nurse.

Experience can also change where a nurse sits in the broad wage distribution, but the research sources provided do not specify a standard salary increase by year of experience or specialty. The BLS’s May 2024 range—from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th percentile—shows why one national figure cannot stand in for every career stage and job. It does not isolate experience as the cause of that spread.

Does an associate degree RN earn less than a BSN nurse?

Some studies report higher average earnings for BSN-prepared nurses, but the evidence does not show that the degree alone caused the difference. A study by Auerbach, Buerhaus, and Staiger using American Community Survey data from 2003–2013 found higher earnings for BSN-prepared RNs in each year examined, with a difference of roughly $10,000 across hospital and other settings; the authors cautioned that job setting and worker characteristics could contribute.

A Utah study offers a more recent but geographically limited comparison. The Utah System of Higher Education reported that, by the fifth year after graduation, median wages were $50,520 for ADN graduates who had not returned to school and $56,545 for BSN graduates. Those figures describe graduates of Utah public postsecondary institutions, not a national pay gap. The comparison also reflects initial nursing award and later schooling status, not a controlled test of degree as the only difference.

For an individual decision, keep three questions separate: what the local RN market pays, whether the employer accepts an ADN for the job, and whether that employer sets a pay differential by degree. BLS wage data answer the first at an occupation-wide level, but not the third. Compare postings for equivalent roles and verify degree requirements and compensation terms with the employer.