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Registered Nurse Salary in Ohio + Job Outlook – 2023

Ohio is home to some of the country’s most advanced university hospitals and friendliest cities, so if you are thinking of becoming an RN, Ohio is a great place to work. The average registered nurse salary in Ohio is $71,640, and the job outlook is above average, as well. Learning more about the salary you can expect, what your job might look like over the next five years, and the factors that can affect the amount of money you make will help you make better overall career decisions as an RN in OH.


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How Many Registered Nurses are Currently Employed in OH?

129,270

What is the Salary of an RN in Ohio?

Starting Salary

The starting RN pay in Ohio is $59,540, or $28.63 an hour. This is the amount you can expect to earn in your first year after completing your nursing program and obtaining your licensure.

Average Salary

The RN average salary in OH across all the RNs in the state is $71,640, which is equal to $34.44 an hour or $5,970 a month. This does not consider experience and accounts for everyone regardless of where in the state they work.

Estimated Total Annual Compensation (Salary + Benefits)

Compensation is another important factor to think about when it comes to your RN salary in Ohio. Aside from the average annual pay, you will also earn a $30,172 value in benefits like paid leave, retirement, and insurance, among other things.

Percentile Wage Estimates of all RN Workers in OH & Factors That Play a Role

About half of all the RNs in OH earn a salary that falls between $61,340 and $78,990 a year. These fluctuations are caused by many influential factors, including your work experience, the city in which you work, your role and position within your place of employment, your education, and more.

To put this into perspective, about 10% of the RNs in OH earn less than $59,540, and this number represents recent graduates and newly licensed nurses as well as those working in physicians’ offices in less populous areas. Another 10% of the state’s RNs earn more than $94,690 – the highest registered nurse income in OH – and they have the most experience, have a great deal of responsibility, and work in hospitals or outpatient care facilities.

Salary Trend (2017-2021)

Between 2017 and 2021, RN salaries in Ohio grew by about 0.97%. This wage growth is most likely due to increases in the cost of living across the state and the state’s attempt to resolve the nursing shortage by offering higher salaries. More competitive salaries help bring in experienced RNs, which in turn boosts patient outcomes significantly and helps healthcare facilities thrive.

Salary Projection (2022-2026)

Between the years of 2022 and 2026, RN salaries are expected to continue to grow in Ohio. By 2026, they will have grown 13.00%, which is in line with the previous five years’ growth. The same factors will be primarily responsible, as will standard increases in the state’s overall cost of living. By 2026, it is estimated that RNs in OH will earn an average annual salary of $80,950 as compared to the $72,940 a year they earned in 2022.

Ohio BSN Degree Holders vs ADN Degree Holders – Who Earns More?

If you have an ADN degree, you can expect to earn a salary of about $69,300. On the other hand, if you pursue your BSN degree and complete it, you can increase your salary by $6,110 a year to $75,410 a year, on average.

Ohio RN vs National RN

The average salary for RNs in OH of $71,640 is 13.43% less than the national average RN salary, which is $82,750. In general, it is much less expensive to live in Ohio as compared to many other states across the nation, which means that while the pay is lower, it is still in line with the state’s cost of living.

RN Salary vs All Occupations in OH

RN Salary vs All Nursing Occupations in OH

RN Employment & Pay in Different Healthcare Facilities of OH

Part of planning your RN employment in Ohio means deciding where to work. If salary is your main concern, you will earn the most working in hospitals ($73,610) and outpatient care centers ($80,570). However, if your concern is primarily job opportunities, hospitals win out again with more than 74,330 RN positions across the state.

Registered Nurse Salary in 10 Major Cities of Ohio

1) Columbus

Columbus, OH boasts a population of 879,000 people, making it the largest city in the state. There are numerous hospitals and surgical centers here employing a large number of RNs, and these include OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Mount Carmel East, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, and numerous others. Some RNs also work in long-term care facilities like the Mayfair Village Nursing Care Center and McNaughten Pointe. The 24,630 RNs who work in the Columbus metro area earn an average annual salary of $73,270.

2) Cleveland

Cleveland is arguably one of the most popular cities in America, and it’s home to about 385,000 people. Over 28,000 RNs work here, and they earn an average of $74,900 a year. Hospitals like Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, and Grace Hospital are the largest employers of RNs. You might also find employment in outpatient care centers and clinics like the main campus of Cleveland Clinic.

3) Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is one of the biggest employers of RNs in the local area. There are over 23,000 RNs who work in the metro area, and they serve not only the 301,000 residents of the city, but also people from other parts of the country who come for medical help at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Other popular employers in the city include The Christ Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, and Mercy Health West Hospital, along with countless other facilities. You can earn a salary of $72,400 here.

4) Toledo

Toledo has a population of 276,491, and there are 7,630 registered nurses working in the metro area to provide them with healthcare. On average, they earn an annual salary of $69,980, and they mainly work in the area’s hospitals. These include ProMedica Toledo Hospital, Mercy Health Children’s Hospital, Mercy Health St. Anne Hospital, and the University of Toledo Medical Center, among others. Some of the most popular long-term care facilities in Toledo include The Laurels of Toledo and Toledo Healthcare.

5) Akron

There are several excellent medical facilities serving Akron’s population of 198,000 including Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Summa Health System Akron Campus, Akron Children’s Hospital, and Akron General Medical Center, among others. Pebble Creek, Hickory Ridge Nursing & Rehab, and Highland Square Nursing & Rehab are also popular places to work here, as are the numerous outpatient clinics and urgent care centers. The roughly 8,430 registered nurses in the city earn an average annual salary of $71,340.

6) Dayton

Dayton’s population of 140,371 is quite small when compared to other locations, but the quality of healthcare its residents receive is top-notch. There are 10,540 RNs employed in the city, and they earn an average annual salary of $72,150. Some of the most popular places for RNs to work in Dayton include Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Kindred Hospital Dayton, Grandview Medical Center, Access Hospital Dayton, and the Haven Behavioral Hospital of Dayton, among others.

7) Canton

Canton’s small population of 70,909 people relies on a couple hospitals and medical plazas to keep them healthy. There are about 3,000 or so RNs in the city, and they earn an average annual salary of $68,300. Some of the preferred places for RN employment in Canton include Mercy Medical Center and Aultman Hospital, which are by far the two largest RN employers in the city. Otherwise, The Canton VA and numerous outpatient centers provide employment opportunities, as do nursing homes like Bethany Nursing Home and The Laurels of Canton.

8) Youngstown

There are just over 4,400 RNs in the Youngstown region providing care to a population of roughly 64,000 people. Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth, Akron Children’s Hospital Youngstown, and the St. Elizabeth Family Health Center are very popular employers for RNs across the area. Nearby Boardman is home to Vibra Hospital of Mahoning Valley, and RNs can also find employment at Austintown Healthcare Center and Windsor House, which are long-term care facilities. The average annual salary for Youngstown RNs is $64,890.

9) Springfield

Springfield, Ohio is home to the Mercy Health Regional Medical Center, which provides most of the medical care to the city’s 59,000 residents. The Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital and the Springfield Regional Outpatient Center also provide important services. There are only 940 RNs in the city, and those who don’t work in these hospitals work in private doctors’ offices and facilities such as Villa Springfield and Eaglewood Village. On average, they earn an annual salary of $68,650.

10) Elyria

Elyria is the smallest city on the list, but because it is just outside Cleveland, it gets a great deal of traffic – including to its hospitals and medical centers. These include the University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, the North Ohio Heart Center, the UH Elyria Medical Center ER, and the Cleveland Clinic, as well as others. The Life Care Center of Elyria and the Elyria Retirement Community are also popular places for RN employment. On average, RNs working in Elyria earn $74,900, which is the one of the highest salary for a small community in the entire state of Ohio.

Which Ohio Cities are Paying Registered Nurses the Most?

The city where you choose to work will play a role in your overall salary, so it is important to choose your city of employment carefully. The highest-paying city in Ohio is Cleveland-Elyria, which pays its RNs an average of $73,130 a year. Though Lima is not highly populated, it is a rather affluent community offering numerous benefits for its residents – including top-notch healthcare. As a result, RNs working here are expected to be the best of the best, and their salaries reflect this.

Cincinnati RNs earn $71,980 a year, followed by Lima’s (a suburb of Cleveland) at $71,770. The more people in an area, and the more prestigious and well-known the healthcare in the area, the more likely employers will look for highly experienced RNs with at least baccalaureate educations. The average pay in these areas reflects that experience and education, as well.

Employment Trend (2017-2021)

RN Job Outlook in Ohio (2022-2026)

Over the course of the next five years, you can expect the employment of RNs in OH to grow by about 8.39% - in line with the national average for all occupations. Though this growth is a bit slower when compared to other states, it is important to remember that neither the cost of living nor the overall population in Ohio tend to shift as quickly as in other parts of the country, which keeps growth slow, but steady. In other words, you will have access to numerous job opportunities, especially in busier metro areas like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Akron.

Projected Annual RN Job Openings (New + Replacement) in Ohio

Which Ohio Metro Areas are Hiring the Highest Number of RNs?

Cleveland, which is the largest city in Ohio, also employs the highest number of RNs at 28,510. Next in line is Columbus, which is home to the University of Cincinnati and the associated College of Medicine. Groundbreaking research takes place here, which means many RNs (24,630) help to keep things moving forward. Smaller Ohio cities such as Mansfield and Springfield employ very few RNs comparatively at just 1,020 and 940, respectively.