The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Houston is 85,879 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 7,157 $ gross per month and 41.29 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 58,500 $ to 125,000 $. The analysis is based on 46 salary reports from workers and employers in Houston. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/29/2025 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 115,000 $ | 115,000 $ | 9,583 $ | 55.29 $ | I serve as director-level nursing leadership for a specialty inpatient service. I work full-time with managerial duties including strategic planning and staffing oversight. |
| 01/17/2025 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 118,000 $ | 118,000 $ | 9,833 $ | 56.73 $ | I work as a nurse manager in a high-volume emergency department. I have managerial responsibilities and work full-time coordinating staffing and performance metrics. |
| 11/08/2024 | Registered Nurse | 42.0 h | 112,000 $ | 106,667 $ | 8,889 $ | 51.28 $ | I am a nurse manager for a busy step-down unit. My role is managerial and I work extended 42-hour weeks regularly to cover administrative and clinical oversight. |
| 09/13/2024 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 108,000 $ | 108,000 $ | 9,000 $ | 51.92 $ | I am a clinical coordinator for a specialty inpatient unit. I work full-time and split time between direct care and administrative coordination of the team. |
| 06/01/2024 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 99,000 $ | 99,000 $ | 8,250 $ | 47.60 $ | I took a lead clinician role in a specialty clinic; I work full-time and coordinate care pathways for complex patients while still doing direct patient care. |
| 02/02/2024 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 125,000 $ | 125,000 $ | 10,417 $ | 60.10 $ | I accepted a nurse manager position overseeing a specialty unit at a large hospital. I work full-time in management and have responsibilities for staffing, budgeting, and performance reviews. |
| 12/03/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 103,500 $ | 103,500 $ | 8,625 $ | 49.76 $ | I work as a senior trauma RN at a Level I center. My full-time role involves high-acuity patient care and informal leadership during resuscitations. |
| 09/30/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 87,000 $ | 87,000 $ | 7,250 $ | 41.83 $ | I'm a senior ICU RN at a Level I trauma center with 12 years of experience. I work full-time and frequently take extra shifts; I also lead informal quality improvement projects. |
| 07/06/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 101,000 $ | 101,000 $ | 8,417 $ | 48.56 $ | I am a senior float RN covering specialty units across a large hospital system. I work full-time and my pay reflects both experience and frequent short-notice coverage. |
| 04/12/2023 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 99,500 $ | 99,500 $ | 8,292 $ | 47.84 $ | I am a clinical nurse specialist in a high-acuity unit and work full-time providing advanced clinical support and staff consultations. My role included extra leadership duties but not formal hiring/firing authority. |
| 12/18/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 101,500 $ | 101,500 $ | 8,458 $ | 48.80 $ | I work as a senior cardiac step-down RN at a major urban hospital. I have specialty certifications and my pay reflects both experience and high acuity responsibilities. |
| 08/26/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 86,000 $ | 86,000 $ | 7,167 $ | 41.35 $ | I work full-time as an oncology RN at a large cancer center. I coordinate chemo administration and patient education and have seven years' oncology experience. |
| 05/11/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 98,000 $ | 98,000 $ | 8,167 $ | 47.12 $ | I took a senior nurse educator role at a large hospital system. I work full-time developing staff education programs and mentor new hires; this role required significant clinical experience. |
| 03/09/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 83,000 $ | 83,000 $ | 6,917 $ | 39.90 $ | I am a senior pediatric RN at a children's hospital and work full-time nights. I also help with unit-based education and orientation of new staff. |
| 02/27/2022 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 92,000 $ | 92,000 $ | 7,667 $ | 44.23 $ | I was a travel RN contracted to a tertiary hospital in 2022, working full-time in the ICU with shift differentials and bundled stipends included. |
| 12/07/2021 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I am an experienced operating room RN working full-time at a high-volume hospital. My compensation reflects years of OR experience and specialized skills. |
| 10/05/2021 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 94,000 $ | 94,000 $ | 7,833 $ | 45.19 $ | I am a travel RN contracted to the hospital for three months during a staffing shortage. I work full-time in the ER and received travel pay plus stipends. |
| 07/28/2021 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I am a cardiac cath lab RN working full-time at a large hospital. My role is technically demanding and I have additional certifications that helped with compensation. |
| 06/04/2021 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 82,000 $ | 82,000 $ | 6,833 $ | 39.42 $ | I'm a senior ER RN at a large urban hospital with ten years of experience. I work full-time days and assist with precepting but am not in management. |
| 01/23/2021 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 96,000 $ | 96,000 $ | 8,000 $ | 46.15 $ | I was hired as a travel RN during the height of the pandemic on a 40-hour contract in a tertiary care ICU. My assignment included hazard pay and shift differentials. |
| 11/15/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 71,000 $ | 71,000 $ | 5,917 $ | 34.13 $ | I work full-time in the ICU at a large teaching hospital. I have seven years of experience and the pandemic increased my unit's acuity and overtime opportunities. |
| 09/01/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I'm a float pool RN at a large healthcare system working full-time. I cover med-surg, telemetry, and occasionally float to ICU when needed; I've been here eight years. |
| 05/18/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 76,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I work full-time as a post-anesthesia care unit RN at a surgery center. I have six years of experience and occasionally precept new staff. |
| 02/14/2020 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 76,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I'm an experienced labor and delivery RN at a regional hospital. I work full-time nights and have frequently been a preceptor for new nurses on the unit. |
| 12/15/2019 | Registered Nurse | 34.0 h | 59,500 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I work part-time in telehealth nursing, averaging 34 hours a week from a small remote team. I handle triage calls and patient education. |
| 10/10/2019 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 64,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I work full-time in a behavioral health unit at a regional hospital. I have four years of experience and manage de-escalation and medication administration. |
| 08/21/2019 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 69,000 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I'm a clinic RN in a busy community health clinic. I have been here six years and work full-time triaging patients and administering vaccines and injections. |
| 06/17/2019 | Registered Nurse | 38.0 h | 67,000 $ | 70,526 $ | 5,877 $ | 33.91 $ | I work as a dialysis RN at an outpatient center on a 38-hour schedule. I have specialized training in dialysis care and handle several complex patients per shift. |
| 03/28/2019 | Registered Nurse | 38.0 h | 66,800 $ | 70,316 $ | 5,860 $ | 33.81 $ | I'm a charge RN on evenings at a mid-sized hospital. I supervise the shift when assigned and have about six years of experience. |
| 02/05/2019 | Registered Nurse | 28.0 h | 53,000 $ | 75,714 $ | 6,310 $ | 36.40 $ | I am a part-time occupational health RN for a small manufacturing client, averaging 28 hours per week and handling worker screenings and minor injury care. |
| 01/22/2019 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 61,000 $ | 61,000 $ | 5,083 $ | 29.33 $ | I work full-time on a telemetry unit at a community hospital. I have about four years of nursing experience and my responsibilities include monitoring and patient education. |
| 12/29/2018 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 72,000 $ | 80,000 $ | 6,667 $ | 38.46 $ | I'm a mid-level ambulatory surgery RN working 36 hours per week at a small surgical center. I perform circulating duties and post-op recovery monitoring. |
| 10/09/2018 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 73,000 $ | 81,111 $ | 6,759 $ | 39.00 $ | I'm a perioperative RN at a private surgical center working 36 hours per week. I have five years of experience and run circulating/periop duties but no supervisory title. |
| 07/19/2018 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 64,500 $ | 64,500 $ | 5,375 $ | 31.01 $ | I work full-time in an outpatient surgical clinic. I have about four years of RN experience and handle pre-op and post-op care but do not manage other nurses. |
| 06/22/2018 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I am a full-time psychiatric RN at a private behavioral health facility. I work day shifts and oversee medication administration and group therapy support. |
| 03/07/2018 | Registered Nurse | 20.0 h | 48,000 $ | 96,000 $ | 8,000 $ | 46.15 $ | I'm a part-time pediatric clinic RN working 20 hours per week while finishing my Master's. My duties include immunizations and well-child checks. |
| 01/11/2018 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 66,000 $ | 73,333 $ | 6,111 $ | 35.26 $ | I work 36 hours per week as an OB postpartum RN at a community hospital. I handle newborn care education and patient discharge teaching. |
| 11/06/2017 | Registered Nurse | 32.0 h | 52,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I work part-time as a rehab RN for a small outpatient facility. My 32-hour week is split across four days and I focus on wound care and patient education. |
| 09/04/2017 | Registered Nurse | 34.0 h | 59,000 $ | 69,412 $ | 5,784 $ | 33.37 $ | I work part-time as a med-surg RN on a 34-hour schedule at a small hospital while going to grad school. My role is primarily bedside care. |
| 05/14/2017 | Registered Nurse | 30.0 h | 54,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I am a part-time hospice RN working 30 hours weekly for a small nonprofit. My schedule varies and I travel between patients' homes. |
| 04/03/2017 | Registered Nurse | 36.0 h | 62,000 $ | 68,889 $ | 5,741 $ | 33.12 $ | I'm a floor RN in a suburban hospital; I work a 36-hour week fixed schedule. This is my second staff nurse job and I do not have charge responsibilities. |
| 02/24/2017 | Registered Nurse | 18.0 h | 47,000 $ | 104,444 $ | 8,704 $ | 50.21 $ | I am a part-time clinic RN at a small women's health practice, working roughly 18 hours per week while I balance family responsibilities. |
| 12/02/2016 | Registered Nurse | 24.0 h | 54,000 $ | 90,000 $ | 7,500 $ | 43.27 $ | I do part-time home health nursing for a small agency. I have three years of experience and my 24-hour week reflects client scheduling; I handle my own supplies and charting. |
| 11/20/2016 | Registered Nurse | 20.0 h | 47,000 $ | 94,000 $ | 7,833 $ | 45.19 $ | I work part-time as a community outreach RN at a nonprofit clinic, averaging 20 hours weekly. My duties include screening and basic health education. |
| 09/12/2016 | Registered Nurse | 40.0 h | 58,500 $ | 58,500 $ | 4,875 $ | 28.13 $ | I am an entry-level med-surg RN at a small community hospital. I started here fresh out of nursing school and have been working full-time on nights for three years with no supervisory duties. |
| 07/30/2016 | Registered Nurse | 16.0 h | 45,000 $ | 112,500 $ | 9,375 $ | 54.09 $ | I work as a per-diem school nurse for a private school, averaging 16 hours per week. This is part-time work while I build experience in pediatrics. |
Houston’s healthcare sector is anchored by the Texas Medical Center, widely regarded as the world’s largest medical complex. That concentration of academic hospitals, specialty institutes, and outpatient networks helps create steady demand for Registered Nurses in Houston, Texas. Population growth across the metro, an aging demographic, and the region’s role as a referral hub for complex care all contribute to ongoing hiring needs. RNs in Houston often find opportunities ranging from high-acuity hospital roles to ambulatory, rehabilitation, home health, and public health positions.
Texas is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, which can make it easier for out-of-state RNs to transition into the Houston market. Many large systems prefer or require a BSN or a BSN-in-progress for hospital-based roles, and specialty certifications (such as ACLS, PALS, CCRN, OCN, or CPN) generally improve competitiveness. Several local hospitals carry Magnet Recognition Program status, supporting professional development and evidence-based practice, and numerous facilities run nurse residency programs for new graduates.
The region’s labor market typically shows consistent RN openings in medical-surgical, telemetry, perioperative services, emergency, and intensive care. Oncology, cardiovascular, pediatrics, and transplant services are particularly prominent due to the depth of specialty care within the Texas Medical Center. Level I trauma centers in the area, along with busy EDs across the suburbs, can increase demand for nurses comfortable with rapid patient turnover and complex cases.
Hiring volumes can fluctuate by unit and season, but large systems often recruit year-round and run multiple residency cohorts annually. As outpatient and same-day procedures expand, clinics and ambulatory surgery centers in areas like The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Katy, Clear Lake, and Pearland also hire RNs for pre-op, PACU, infusion, and procedural roles. Home health, hospice, dialysis clinics, rehabilitation hospitals, and long-term acute care facilities continue to provide alternatives to traditional inpatient work. Houston’s ongoing research investments—such as the TMC Helix Park development—also support demand for research nurses and clinical trials coordinators.
Registered Nurses in Houston, Texas can pursue roles across many well-known institutions and systems, including:
RNs in Houston typically have multiple pathways to grow. Hospital-based roles span ED, ICU, step-down, perioperative services (OR/PACU), cath lab/EP, labor and delivery, NICU, and specialized units (oncology, transplant, cardiovascular). Flight and critical care transport nursing are available through programs such as Life Flight. Ambulatory roles include infusion therapy, interventional radiology, endoscopy, and disease-specific clinics.
For those interested in research and academia, the Texas Medical Center’s universities and institutes frequently employ research nurses and clinical coordinators. Public health nursing with the City of Houston Health Department or Harris County Public Health offers community-focused work in disease prevention, immunization, and outreach. School districts, including Houston ISD and nearby suburban systems, hire RNs for campus-based health services.
Advancement often includes charge RN, preceptor, clinical ladder roles, nurse educator, case management, care transitions, quality, infection prevention, and informatics. Many employers support continuing education and may prefer or encourage national specialty certifications. Given Houston’s diverse patient population, bilingual skills—particularly Spanish—can be an asset in both hospital and outpatient settings.
Overall, the outlook for a Registered Nurse in Houston, Texas remains strong. The combination of large academic centers, community hospitals, and expanding outpatient care creates a broad spectrum of roles for both new graduates and experienced nurses seeking specialization or leadership.
The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Houston is 85,879 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 7,157 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Registered Nurse and the city overview for Houston. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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