A Step Down RN'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 RN Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Step Down RN'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): $89,926
Early Career (1-2 years): $90,166
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $93,350
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $97,744
Expert (over 8 years): $98,058
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Step Down RN
$89,926
Intermediate Level Step Down RN
$90,166
Senior Level Step Down RN
$93,350
Specialist Level Step Down RN
$97,744
Expert Level Step Down RN
$98,058
$89,9260 yr
$90,166< 2 yrs
$93,3502-4 yrs
$97,7445-8 yrs
$98,058> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Step Down RN 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 RNs.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $103,357.
California: $102,965.
Massachusetts: $101,593.
District of Columbia$103,357
California$102,965
Massachusetts$101,593
Washington$101,219
New Jersey$101,182
Alaska$101,051
Connecticut$99,763
New York$99,240
Hawaii$97,569
Rhode Island$96,785
Maryland$96,253
Minnesota$95,525
Colorado$95,245
Illinois$95,152
Oregon$94,797
Delaware$94,536
New Hampshire$94,371
Virginia$94,003
Pennsylvania$92,930
Nevada$92,388
North Dakota$92,211
Michigan$91,931
Wisconsin$91,828
Vermont$91,623
Texas$91,054
Maine$91,016
Arizona$90,960
Ohio$90,895
Georgia$90,036
Indiana$89,607
Wyoming$89,523
Utah$89,392
Iowa$89,336
Kansas$88,888
Louisiana$88,757
North Carolina$88,711
Missouri$88,692
Florida$88,328
Montana$88,132
Nebraska$87,945
Kentucky$87,842
South Carolina$87,469
Tennessee$87,236
Idaho$87,142
New Mexico$86,461
Oklahoma$86,311
Alabama$85,761
South Dakota$84,836
Arkansas$84,332
West Virginia$84,062
Mississippi$83,250
Top Paying Cities for Step Down RNs
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: $117,742
San Francisco: $116,453
Oakland: $113,999
San Jose, CA$117,742
San Francisco, CA$116,453
Oakland, CA$113,999
New York, NY$107,482
Paramus, NJ$106,175
Queens Village, NY$106,171
Passaic, NJ$106,082
Bergenfield, NJ$106,074
Stamford, CT$105,868
Huntington, NY$105,830
Newark, NJ$105,140
Bridgeport, CT$104,943
Vallejo, CA$104,757
New Brunswick, NJ$104,720
Petaluma, CA$104,664
Middlesex, NJ$104,487
Somerset, NJ$104,421
Santa Cruz, CA$104,300
Boston, MA$103,731
Monterey, CA$103,403
Seattle, WA$103,189
Santa Rosa, CA$103,170
Los Angeles, CA$103,142
Juneau, AK$102,900
Washington, DC$102,797
Orange, CA$102,465
Santa Ana, CA$102,218
Long Beach, CA$102,125
Anaheim, CA$102,106
Anchorage, AK$102,060
Santa Maria, CA$101,780
Everett, WA$101,761
Danbury, CT$101,432
Bremerton, WA$101,303
Tacoma, WA$100,967
New Suffolk, NY$100,965
Sacramento, CA$100,939
Santa Barbara, CA$100,837
Trenton, NJ$100,734
San Diego, CA$100,734
Brockton, MA$100,631
Fairbanks, AK$100,403
Lompoc, CA$100,165
Lowell, MA$100,089
Ventura, CA$100,071
Nashua, NH$100,053
Stockton, CA$100,043
Modesto, CA$99,362
Poughkeepsie, NY$99,156
Olympia, WA$98,979
Kennewick, WA$98,979
New Haven, CT$98,942
Lawrence, MA$98,606
Hartford, CT$98,512
Riverside, CA$98,494
New Bedford, MA$98,400
Richland, WA$98,400
Bakersfield, CA$98,270
San Bernardino, CA$98,232
New Britain, CT$98,223
Atlantic City, NJ$98,223
New London, CT$98,186
Norwich, CT$98,158
Portsmouth, NH$98,139
Boulder, CO$97,941
Portland, OR$97,812
Worcester, MA$97,803
Minneapolis, MN$97,513
Philadelphia, PA$97,383
Honolulu, HI$97,075
Saint Paul, MN$97,030
Vineland, NJ$97,009
Providence, RI$96,739
Chicago, IL$96,468
Bellingham, WA$96,356
Springfield, MA$96,281
Baltimore, MD$96,253
Chico, CA$96,020
Pittsfield, MA$95,768
Manchester, NH$95,590
Spokane, WA$95,180
Denver, CO$95,170
Albany, NY$94,732
Troy, NY$94,694
Nassau, NY$94,594
Schenectady, NY$94,498
Wilmington, DE$94,424
Burlington, VT$94,293
Salem, OR$94,255
Portland, ME$93,966
Yakima, WA$93,873
Rochester, MN$93,583
Reno, NV$93,537
Fresno, CA$93,537
Milwaukee, WI$93,453
Detroit, MI$93,359
Ann Arbor, MI$93,343
Allentown, PA$93,331
Colorado Springs, CO$93,173
Syracuse, NY$93,126
Carson City, NV$93,126
Houston, TX$92,995
Eugene, OR$92,949
Gary, IN$92,837
Springfield, OR$92,762
Bismarck, ND$92,743
Galveston, TX$92,678
Medford, OR$92,538
Fort Collins, CO$92,501
Concord, NH$92,454
Austin, TX$92,426
Mesa, AZ$92,230
Reading, PA$92,220
Phoenix, AZ$92,211
Dallas, TX$92,183
Saint Cloud, MN$92,094
Madison, WI$91,968
Utica, NY$91,716
Rochester, NY$91,567
Des Moines, IA$91,558
Raleigh, NC$91,548
Atlanta, GA$91,408
Battle Creek, MI$91,380
Salt Lake City, UT$91,352
Lancaster, PA$91,212
Harrisburg, PA$91,082
Kansas City, MO$90,988
Champaign, IL$90,970
Kansas City, KS$90,970
Fort Worth, TX$90,960
Columbus, OH$90,944
Boca Raton, FL$90,923
Pittsburgh, PA$90,886
Richmond, VA$90,848
Indianapolis, IN$90,830
Cleveland, OH$90,820
Las Vegas, NV$90,708
Cincinnati, OH$90,708
Petersburg, VA$90,568
Huntsville, AL$90,428
Lansing, MI$90,366
Lebanon, PA$90,353
Pueblo, CO$90,344
Appleton, WI$90,316
Buffalo, NY$90,279
Dayton, OH$90,251
Racine, WI$90,232
Charlotte, NC$90,223
Saint Louis, MO$90,195
York, PA$90,139
Elkhart, IN$90,139
Gastonia, NC$90,121
Billings, MT$90,099
Beaumont, TX$90,073
Lorain, OH$90,055
Benton Harbor, MI$90,036
Toledo, OH$90,017
Binghamton, NY$89,971
Rock Hill, SC$89,961
Rockford, IL$89,915
Springfield, IL$89,877
Elyria, OH$89,868
Fargo, ND$89,868
Flagstaff, AZ$89,803
Fort Lauderdale, FL$89,747
Duluth, MN$89,691
Miami, FL$89,691
Cheyenne, WY$89,625
Grand Forks, ND$89,625
Bangor, ME$89,420
Cedar Rapids, IA$89,317
Durham, NC$89,278
Louisville, KY$89,271
Grand Rapids, MI$89,252
Hialeah, FL$89,243
Casper, WY$89,112
Scranton, PA$89,000
New Orleans, LA$88,972
Virginia Beach, VA$88,963
Akron, OH$88,916
Peoria, IL$88,795
Sarasota, FL$88,776
Nashville, TN$88,711
Omaha, NE$88,711
Green Bay, WI$88,711
Baton Rouge, LA$88,664
Charleston, SC$88,645
Jamestown, NY$88,598
Davenport, IA$88,598
Tucson, AZ$88,552
Saint Petersburg, FL$88,496
Tampa, FL$88,477
Evansville, IN$88,421
Port Arthur, TX$88,421
Bradenton, FL$88,384
Santa Fe, NM$88,216
Orlando, FL$88,048
Clearwater, FL$88,020
Canton, OH$87,824
La Crosse, WI$87,824
Albuquerque, NM$87,768
Newport News, VA$87,758
High Point, NC$87,730
Ogden, UT$87,693
Corpus Christi, TX$87,618
Norfolk, VA$87,562
Laramie, WY$87,562
Rock Island, IL$87,506
Saginaw, MI$87,488
Jacksonville, FL$87,478
Salisbury, NC$87,460
Boise, ID$87,441
Moline, IL$87,394
Fort Myers, FL$87,366
Memphis, TN$87,348
Tulsa, OK$87,301
Waterloo, IA$87,245
Spartanburg, SC$87,152
Lincoln, NE$87,105
Fort Wayne, IN$87,086
Provo, UT$87,077
Cedar Falls, IA$86,965
San Antonio, TX$86,928
Greensboro, NC$86,890
South Bend, IN$86,881
Savannah, GA$86,778
Muskegon, MI$86,741
Birmingham, AL$86,731
Winston Salem, NC$86,686
Lake Charles, LA$86,461
Anderson, IN$86,442
Lexington, KY$86,414
Augusta, GA$86,386
Greenville, SC$86,386
Lima, OH$86,311
Wichita, KS$86,302
Tuscaloosa, AL$86,302
Columbia, SC$86,218
Springfield, OH$86,199
Asheville, NC$86,050
Bloomington, IN$85,985
Knoxville, TN$85,649
Shreveport, LA$85,639
Wilmington, NC$85,518
Roanoke, VA$85,518
Topeka, KS$85,350
Frankfort, KY$85,340
Oklahoma City, OK$85,275
Chillicothe, OH$85,238
Longview, TX$85,229
Melbourne, FL$85,219
Sioux Falls, SD$85,070
Mobile, AL$85,061
Terre Haute, IN$85,023
Altoona, PA$84,967
Amarillo, TX$84,902
Killeen, TX$84,874
Fayetteville, AR$84,799
Chattanooga, TN$84,771
Sioux City, IA$84,687
Idaho Falls, ID$84,668
Lynchburg, VA$84,594
Gainesville, FL$84,472
Portsmouth, OH$84,426
Little Rock, AR$84,407
Lafayette, LA$84,370
Youngstown, OH$84,370
Daytona Beach, FL$84,314
Clarksville, TN$84,304
Pensacola, FL$84,295
Temple, TX$84,289
Hopkinsville, KY$84,015
Erie, PA$83,996
Florence, SC$83,959
Charleston, WV$83,810
Great Falls, MT$83,763
Macon, GA$83,632
Tallahassee, FL$83,623
Fayetteville, NC$83,604
Waco, TX$83,586
Helena, MT$83,520
Pine Bluff, AR$83,485
Vincennes, IN$83,371
Lubbock, TX$83,334
Alamogordo, NM$83,278
Twin Falls, ID$83,194
Rapid City, SD$83,166
Jackson, MS$82,997
Huntington, WV$82,991
Greenville, MS$82,988
Parkersburg, WV$82,893
Montgomery, AL$82,876
Wichita Falls, TX$82,783
Springfield, MO$82,783
Biloxi, MS$82,736
Monroe, LA$82,643
Johnstown, PA$82,577
Sumter, SC$82,540
Columbus, GA$82,531
Pascagoula, MS$82,353
Abilene, TX$82,353
Kingsport, TN$82,111
Albany, GA$82,111
Gulfport, MS$82,083
Alexandria, LA$81,775
Fort Smith, AR$81,541
El Paso, TX$81,289
Las Cruces, NM$80,869
Harlingen, TX$80,632
Pocatello, ID$80,617
Florence, AL$80,496
Brownsville, TX$80,477
Mcallen, TX$80,281
Dothan, AL$80,150
Columbus, MS$79,596
Altus, OK$79,161
Lawton, OK$78,983
Pierre, SD$78,647
What Skills Can Increase a Step Down RN's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Acute Care (Mentioned in 5.49% 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.
Nursing Practice (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): Nursing practice may be work experience that is direct and/or indirect patient care in clinical practice, nursing administration, education, research, or consultation in the specialty represented by the credential.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Planning
5.95%
Acute Care
5.49%
Nursing Practice
2.93%
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 RN's salary.
Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Telecommunications
$102,685
10%
Staff Development
$99,885
7%
Written Communication
$98,951
6%
Risk Management
$98,951
6%
Verbal Communication
$98,018
5%
Oral Communication
$98,018
5%
Get Latest Data
Step Down RN Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Step Down RN roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Step Down RN positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Step Down RN as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Step Down RN
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$112,020
$54.0
20%
How Education impacts a Step Down RN's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Step Down RNs 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 RN with a Associate's Degree is between
$82,257
and $86,847).
Step Down RN Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Step Down RN
No Diploma0.4%
High School1.6%
Associates32.0%
Bachelors59.4%
Masters6.5%
Doctorate0.2%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.4%
High School
1.6%
Associates
32.0%
Bachelors
59.4%
Masters
6.5%
Doctorate
0.2%
view as graph
Step Down RN Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Step Down RN'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.
Salaries for a Step Down RN can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $213,460 in 2023
to around $207,618 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Step Down RN salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Step Down RN Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$213,460
2024
$215,752
2025
$207,618
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$213,460
2024
$215,752
2025
$207,618
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Step Down RN
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Step Down RN
Here are companies hiring for Step Down RN 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
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FAQ about Step Down RN
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Step Down RN?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Step Down RN roles,
with salaries approximately 20% 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.
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