Step Down Registered Nurse Salary in the United States
How much does a Step Down Registered Nurse make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Step Down Registered Nurse in the United States is $92,370 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, a Step Down Registered Nurse's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $112,544
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $84,351 to $102,930
Key Factors That Influence Step Down Registered Nurse Salaries
A Step Down Registered Nurse's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Step Down Registered Nurse Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Step Down Registered Nurse's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $88,981
Early Career (1-2 years): $89,219
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $92,370
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $96,718
Expert (over 8 years): $97,029
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Step Down Registered Nurse
$88,981
Intermediate Level Step Down Registered Nurse
$89,219
Senior Level Step Down Registered Nurse
$92,370
Specialist Level Step Down Registered Nurse
$96,718
Expert Level Step Down Registered Nurse
$97,029
$88,9810 yr
$89,219< 2 yrs
$92,3702-4 yrs
$96,7185-8 yrs
$97,029> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Step Down Registered Nurse Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Step Down Registered Nurses.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $102,272.
California: $101,884.
Massachusetts: $100,526.
District of Columbia$102,272
California$101,884
Massachusetts$100,526
Washington$100,157
New Jersey$100,120
Alaska$99,990
Connecticut$98,716
New York$98,198
Hawaii$96,545
Rhode Island$95,769
Maryland$95,243
Minnesota$94,522
Colorado$94,245
Illinois$94,153
Oregon$93,802
Delaware$93,543
New Hampshire$93,380
Virginia$93,016
Pennsylvania$91,954
Nevada$91,418
North Dakota$91,243
Michigan$90,966
Wisconsin$90,864
Vermont$90,661
Texas$90,098
Maine$90,061
Arizona$90,005
Ohio$89,941
Georgia$89,091
Indiana$88,666
Wyoming$88,583
Utah$88,453
Iowa$88,398
Kansas$87,955
Louisiana$87,825
North Carolina$87,779
Missouri$87,761
Florida$87,400
Montana$87,206
Nebraska$87,022
Kentucky$86,920
South Carolina$86,551
Tennessee$86,320
Idaho$86,227
New Mexico$85,553
Oklahoma$85,405
Alabama$84,860
South Dakota$83,946
Arkansas$83,447
West Virginia$83,179
Mississippi$82,375
Top Paying Cities for Step Down Registered Nurses
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $116,506
San Francisco: $115,231
Oakland: $112,802
San Jose, CA$116,506
San Francisco, CA$115,231
Oakland, CA$112,802
New York, NY$106,354
Paramus, NJ$105,061
Queens Village, NY$105,056
Passaic, NJ$104,968
Bergenfield, NJ$104,960
Stamford, CT$104,757
Huntington, NY$104,719
Newark, NJ$104,036
Bridgeport, CT$103,841
Vallejo, CA$103,658
New Brunswick, NJ$103,621
Petaluma, CA$103,565
Middlesex, NJ$103,390
Somerset, NJ$103,325
Santa Cruz, CA$103,205
Boston, MA$102,641
Monterey, CA$102,317
Seattle, WA$102,106
Santa Rosa, CA$102,087
Los Angeles, CA$102,060
Juneau, AK$101,819
Washington, DC$101,718
Orange, CA$101,389
Santa Ana, CA$101,145
Long Beach, CA$101,053
Anaheim, CA$101,034
Anchorage, AK$100,988
Santa Maria, CA$100,711
Everett, WA$100,692
Danbury, CT$100,367
Bremerton, WA$100,240
Tacoma, WA$99,907
New Suffolk, NY$99,905
Sacramento, CA$99,880
Santa Barbara, CA$99,778
Trenton, NJ$99,676
San Diego, CA$99,676
Brockton, MA$99,575
Fairbanks, AK$99,348
Lompoc, CA$99,113
Lowell, MA$99,038
Ventura, CA$99,021
Nashua, NH$99,002
Stockton, CA$98,993
Modesto, CA$98,319
Poughkeepsie, NY$98,115
Olympia, WA$97,940
Kennewick, WA$97,940
New Haven, CT$97,903
Lawrence, MA$97,570
Hartford, CT$97,478
Riverside, CA$97,459
New Bedford, MA$97,367
Richland, WA$97,367
Bakersfield, CA$97,238
San Bernardino, CA$97,201
New Britain, CT$97,192
Atlantic City, NJ$97,192
New London, CT$97,155
Norwich, CT$97,127
Portsmouth, NH$97,108
Boulder, CO$96,913
Portland, OR$96,785
Worcester, MA$96,776
Minneapolis, MN$96,490
Philadelphia, PA$96,360
Honolulu, HI$96,055
Saint Paul, MN$96,011
Vineland, NJ$95,991
Providence, RI$95,723
Chicago, IL$95,455
Bellingham, WA$95,344
Springfield, MA$95,270
Baltimore, MD$95,243
Chico, CA$95,012
Pittsfield, MA$94,762
Manchester, NH$94,587
Spokane, WA$94,180
Denver, CO$94,171
Albany, NY$93,737
Troy, NY$93,700
Nassau, NY$93,601
Schenectady, NY$93,506
Wilmington, DE$93,432
Burlington, VT$93,303
Salem, OR$93,266
Portland, ME$92,980
Yakima, WA$92,887
Rochester, MN$92,601
Reno, NV$92,555
Fresno, CA$92,555
Milwaukee, WI$92,472
Detroit, MI$92,379
Ann Arbor, MI$92,363
Allentown, PA$92,351
Colorado Springs, CO$92,194
Syracuse, NY$92,148
Carson City, NV$92,148
Houston, TX$92,019
Eugene, OR$91,973
Gary, IN$91,862
Springfield, OR$91,788
Bismarck, ND$91,769
Galveston, TX$91,705
Medford, OR$91,566
Fort Collins, CO$91,529
Concord, NH$91,483
Austin, TX$91,455
Mesa, AZ$91,261
Reading, PA$91,252
Phoenix, AZ$91,243
Dallas, TX$91,215
Saint Cloud, MN$91,127
Madison, WI$91,003
Utica, NY$90,753
Rochester, NY$90,606
Des Moines, IA$90,596
Raleigh, NC$90,587
Atlanta, GA$90,449
Battle Creek, MI$90,421
Salt Lake City, UT$90,393
Lancaster, PA$90,255
Harrisburg, PA$90,125
Kansas City, MO$90,033
Champaign, IL$90,014
Kansas City, KS$90,014
Fort Worth, TX$90,005
Columbus, OH$89,990
Boca Raton, FL$89,968
Pittsburgh, PA$89,931
Richmond, VA$89,894
Indianapolis, IN$89,876
Cleveland, OH$89,867
Las Vegas, NV$89,756
Cincinnati, OH$89,756
Petersburg, VA$89,617
Huntsville, AL$89,479
Lansing, MI$89,417
Lebanon, PA$89,405
Pueblo, CO$89,396
Appleton, WI$89,368
Buffalo, NY$89,331
Dayton, OH$89,303
Racine, WI$89,285
Charlotte, NC$89,276
Saint Louis, MO$89,248
York, PA$89,192
Elkhart, IN$89,192
Gastonia, NC$89,175
Billings, MT$89,153
Beaumont, TX$89,128
Lorain, OH$89,109
Benton Harbor, MI$89,091
Toledo, OH$89,072
Binghamton, NY$89,026
Rock Hill, SC$89,017
Rockford, IL$88,971
Springfield, IL$88,934
Elyria, OH$88,925
Fargo, ND$88,925
Flagstaff, AZ$88,860
Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,804
Duluth, MN$88,749
Miami, FL$88,749
Cheyenne, WY$88,684
Grand Forks, ND$88,684
Bangor, ME$88,481
Cedar Rapids, IA$88,380
Durham, NC$88,341
Louisville, KY$88,333
Grand Rapids, MI$88,315
Hialeah, FL$88,306
Casper, WY$88,176
Scranton, PA$88,065
New Orleans, LA$88,038
Virginia Beach, VA$88,029
Akron, OH$87,982
Peoria, IL$87,862
Sarasota, FL$87,844
Nashville, TN$87,779
Omaha, NE$87,779
Green Bay, WI$87,779
Baton Rouge, LA$87,733
Charleston, SC$87,714
Jamestown, NY$87,668
Davenport, IA$87,668
Tucson, AZ$87,622
Saint Petersburg, FL$87,567
Tampa, FL$87,548
Evansville, IN$87,493
Port Arthur, TX$87,493
Bradenton, FL$87,456
Santa Fe, NM$87,290
Orlando, FL$87,123
Clearwater, FL$87,096
Canton, OH$86,902
La Crosse, WI$86,902
Albuquerque, NM$86,846
Newport News, VA$86,837
High Point, NC$86,809
Ogden, UT$86,772
Corpus Christi, TX$86,698
Norfolk, VA$86,643
Laramie, WY$86,643
Rock Island, IL$86,588
Saginaw, MI$86,569
Jacksonville, FL$86,560
Salisbury, NC$86,541
Boise, ID$86,523
Moline, IL$86,477
Fort Myers, FL$86,449
Memphis, TN$86,431
Tulsa, OK$86,384
Waterloo, IA$86,329
Spartanburg, SC$86,237
Lincoln, NE$86,190
Fort Wayne, IN$86,172
Provo, UT$86,163
Cedar Falls, IA$86,052
San Antonio, TX$86,015
Greensboro, NC$85,978
South Bend, IN$85,969
Savannah, GA$85,867
Muskegon, MI$85,830
Birmingham, AL$85,821
Winston Salem, NC$85,776
Lake Charles, LA$85,553
Anderson, IN$85,535
Lexington, KY$85,507
Augusta, GA$85,479
Greenville, SC$85,479
Lima, OH$85,405
Wichita, KS$85,396
Tuscaloosa, AL$85,396
Columbia, SC$85,313
Springfield, OH$85,294
Asheville, NC$85,147
Bloomington, IN$85,082
Knoxville, TN$84,749
Shreveport, LA$84,740
Wilmington, NC$84,620
Roanoke, VA$84,620
Topeka, KS$84,454
Frankfort, KY$84,444
Oklahoma City, OK$84,380
Chillicothe, OH$84,343
Longview, TX$84,334
Melbourne, FL$84,324
Sioux Falls, SD$84,177
Mobile, AL$84,167
Terre Haute, IN$84,131
Altoona, PA$84,075
Amarillo, TX$84,010
Killeen, TX$83,983
Fayetteville, AR$83,909
Chattanooga, TN$83,881
Sioux City, IA$83,798
Idaho Falls, ID$83,779
Lynchburg, VA$83,706
Gainesville, FL$83,586
Portsmouth, OH$83,539
Little Rock, AR$83,521
Lafayette, LA$83,484
Youngstown, OH$83,484
Daytona Beach, FL$83,428
Clarksville, TN$83,419
Pensacola, FL$83,410
Temple, TX$83,404
Hopkinsville, KY$83,133
Erie, PA$83,114
Florence, SC$83,077
Charleston, WV$82,930
Great Falls, MT$82,884
Macon, GA$82,754
Tallahassee, FL$82,745
Fayetteville, NC$82,726
Waco, TX$82,708
Helena, MT$82,643
Pine Bluff, AR$82,608
Vincennes, IN$82,496
Lubbock, TX$82,459
Alamogordo, NM$82,403
Twin Falls, ID$82,320
Rapid City, SD$82,292
Jackson, MS$82,126
Huntington, WV$82,120
Greenville, MS$82,117
Parkersburg, WV$82,023
Montgomery, AL$82,006
Wichita Falls, TX$81,914
Springfield, MO$81,914
Biloxi, MS$81,867
Monroe, LA$81,775
Johnstown, PA$81,710
Sumter, SC$81,673
Columbus, GA$81,664
Pascagoula, MS$81,489
Abilene, TX$81,489
Kingsport, TN$81,249
Albany, GA$81,249
Gulfport, MS$81,221
Alexandria, LA$80,916
Fort Smith, AR$80,685
El Paso, TX$80,436
Las Cruces, NM$80,020
Harlingen, TX$79,785
Pocatello, ID$79,771
Florence, AL$79,651
Brownsville, TX$79,632
Mcallen, TX$79,438
Dothan, AL$79,309
Columbus, MS$78,760
Altus, OK$78,330
Lawton, OK$78,154
Pierre, SD$77,822
What Skills Can Increase a Step Down Registered Nurse's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 5.02% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Acute Care (Mentioned in 3.01% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
Home Care (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Leadership
5.02%
Acute Care
3.01%
Home Care
2.02%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Step Down Registered Nurse's salary.
Effective Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Delegation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Family Education: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Effective Communication
$98,836
7%
Delegation
$96,065
4%
Family Education
$96,065
4%
Accountability
$96,065
4%
Quality Improvement
$96,065
4%
Confidentiality
$95,141
3%
Get Latest Data
Step Down Registered Nurse Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Step Down Registered Nurse roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Step Down Registered Nurse positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Step Down Registered Nurse as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Step Down Registered Nurse
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$101,607
$49.0
10%
How Education impacts a Step Down Registered Nurse's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Step Down Registered Nurses enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Step Down Registered Nurse with a Associate's Degree is between
$81,005
and $87,195).
Step Down Registered Nurse Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Step Down Registered Nurse
No Diploma1.3%
High School1.3%
Associates32.5%
Bachelors59.3%
Masters6.3%
Doctorate0.7%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.3%
High School
1.3%
Associates
32.5%
Bachelors
59.3%
Masters
6.3%
Doctorate
0.7%
view as graph
Step Down Registered Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Step Down Registered Nurse's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$84,351
Average$92,370/year
$102,930
$7,029
Average$7,697/month
$8,578
$1,622
Average$1,776/week
$1,979
$41
Average$44/hour
$49
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$102,930
$8,578
$1,979
$49
Average
$92,370
$7,697
$1,776
$44
25th Percentile
$84,351
$7,029
$1,622
$41
Salaries of jobs related to Step Down Registered Nurse
Salaries for a Step Down Registered Nurse can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $206,656 in 2023
to around $201,001 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Step Down Registered Nurse salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Step Down Registered Nurse Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$206,656
2024
$208,875
2025
$201,001
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$206,656
2024
$208,875
2025
$201,001
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Step Down Registered Nurse
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Step Down Registered Nurse
Here are companies hiring for Step Down Registered Nurse and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
Find Your Next Step Down Registered Nurse Job
Ready to take the next step in your career?
Browse thousands of current Step Down Registered Nurse job openings on our job board.
Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
For Employers
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
FAQ about Step Down Registered Nurse
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Step Down Registered Nurse?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Step Down Registered Nurse roles,
with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.