[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap describes the difference between men’s and women’s earnings. Although women continue to make up the largest segment of the nursing field, men earn higher salaries overall.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The nursing pay gap has narrowed in recent years, but income disparities remain — especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). This guide explores the pay gap for registered nurses (RNs), provides ways for nurses to negotiate for higher salaries, and suggests ways to support equal pay in nursing.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Unequal Wages in Nursing Is Nothing New[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap refers to the [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.icrw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-about-the-Equal-Pay-Act.pdf” target=”_blank”]ratio of female-to-male annual earnings[/hen-ui-link] for full-time workers. Despite the passage of the 1963 Equal Pay Act to protect against wage discrimination based on sex or gender, progress toward closing the gender gap has slowed.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that women in 2020 earned only 82.3% of men’s annual earnings, compared to 57% in 1973.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]According to the [hen-ui-link href=”https://blog.dol.gov/2021/03/19/5-facts-about-the-state-of-the-gender-pay-gap” target=”_blank”]U.S. Department of Labor[/hen-ui-link], women earn less than men in almost every occupation. Educational attainment does not significantly narrow the gender gap.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Women with advanced degrees earn less than white males with only a bachelor’s degree.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Black and Latina women with bachelor’s degrees earn 65% of what their white male counterparts earn.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Women of color with advanced degrees fare only slightly better, making 70% of what white males with the same degrees earn.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]While RNs make up one of the [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-Information/fact-sheets/nursing-fact-sheet” target=”_blank”]most employed and best-paid segments[/hen-ui-link] of the nation’s workforce, the gender gap reveals large pay disparities between female and male RNs. Women comprise more than 87% of the RN workforce but generally earn [hen-ui-link href=”https://wp.nurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Salary_Survey-2020_v13_B2C.pdf” target=”_blank”]about $7,300 less a year[/hen-ui-link] than men.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]How Much More Do Male Nurses Make?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Women working in the [hen-ui-link href=”/articles/reasons-to-choose-a-career-in-nursing//”]nursing profession[/hen-ui-link] continue to face pay disparities compared to men in similar positions, regardless of:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Education level[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Age[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Certification[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Experience[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The 2020 [hen-ui-link href=”https://wp.nurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Salary_Survey-2020_v13_B2C.pdf” target=”_blank”]Nurse Salary Research Report[/hen-ui-link] surveyed 7,431 nursing professionals from all 50 states, including RNs, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs).[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]While the average yearly earnings for all respondents was $75,290, [hen-ui-link href=”https://nursejournal.org/resources/financial-aid/nursing-scholarships-for-men/”]men in nursing[/hen-ui-link] made an annual salary of $80,000, compared to only $72,700 for women. Female RNs make 90 cents for every dollar earned by men in the same roles — nearly $7,300 less a year.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gap persists even as women move up the ladder into administrative roles. Women [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/nursing/nurses-not-immune-gender-wage-gap” target=”_blank”]chief nursing officers[/hen-ui-link] make $127,050, while men in these same supervisory positions earn an average of $132,700. The pay differentials have grown even wider between male and female APRNs, with men earning $16,000 more annually.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]LPN/LVNs, who typically do not hold a bachelor’s degree, earn lower wages overall but show no gender differences in pay rates.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-table][hen-ui-table-caption]Salary Differences of Men and Women Nurses by Position[/hen-ui-table-caption][hen-ui-table-header][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Position[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Women[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Men[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Women’s Percentage of Men’s Earnings[/hen-ui-table-head][/hen-ui-table-row][/hen-ui-table-header][hen-ui-table-body][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Advanced Practice Registered Nurse[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Position”]$104,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Women”]$120,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Men”]86.7%[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Registered Nurse[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Position”]$72,700[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Women”]$80,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Men”]90.9%[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Position”]$45,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Women”]$45,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Men”]100%[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][/hen-ui-table-body][/hen-ui-table][hen-ui-flex gap=”xl” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-flex gap=”xs” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ color=”subtext”]Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Annual Salary by Gender and Nursing Specialty[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]While the gender pay gap has narrowed for many occupations across the United States, earnings for women nurses continue to lag behind men performing the same roles.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap persists even after factoring in elements affecting salary differences, such as age, education, and experience. Recent research also indicates significant pay differentials between men and women in many clinical specialties.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The specialties with the largest disparities include:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Home healthcare[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Emergency/trauma[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Pediatrics[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Nurses will find the smallest pay gap in:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Maternal-child health/obstetrics[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Medical-surgical[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Acute care/critical care[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Psychiatric/mental health/substance abuse[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]As the following information demonstrates, salaries for men surpassed those paid to women in almost all the 10 most common clinical specialties.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h4″]Salary Differences for Men and Women RNs by Specialty[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Annual Salary by Race in Nursing[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(21)00027-2/fulltext” target=”_blank”]2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey[/hen-ui-link] provides data on race and gender. Nearly 81% of RNs reported their race as white. Asian RNs make up 7.2% of the workforce, the largest non-white group in this nursing role, followed by Black/African American and Hispanic and Latino/a RNs.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Among LPN/LVNs, white individuals make up over 65% of the workforce, followed by Black/African Americans, who comprise 17.2%, and Hispanic and Latino/a nurses, who account for 10%. Women make up the overwhelming majority of nurses in all racial categories.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]While the gender pay gap continues to affect nursing professionals, especially BIPOC nurses, recent data indicates variations in earnings and hours worked among races.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The following information compares median salaries and overtime for racial groups with data from the recent [hen-ui-link href=”/registered-nursing/rn-salary//”]Nurse Salary[/hen-ui-link] Research Report. RNs who identified as white reported working fewer hours than other racial groups. BIPOC nurses report earning higher median salaries and working longer hours, possibly resulting from higher rates of overtime.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-table][hen-ui-table-caption]Median Salary and Overtime Hours Worked for RNs by Race[/hen-ui-table-caption][hen-ui-table-header][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Race[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Average Overtime per Week[/hen-ui-table-head][/hen-ui-table-row][/hen-ui-table-header][hen-ui-table-body][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Native American[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]0.5%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$72,500[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]4 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Asian[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]7.2%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$85,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]7 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Black or African American[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]6.7%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$78,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]7 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]5.6%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$80,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]6 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]0.4%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$84,320[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]5 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-row][hen-ui-table-head scope=”col”]White[/hen-ui-table-head][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Race”]80.6%[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Percentage of Nursing Workforce (Men and Women)”]$72,000[/hen-ui-table-cell][hen-ui-table-cell data-title=”Primary Median Salary (Men and Women)”]5 hours[/hen-ui-table-cell][/hen-ui-table-row][/hen-ui-table-body][/hen-ui-table][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Nursing[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap for Black and Latina women has [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/race-and-the-pay-gap/” target=”_blank”]closed more slowly[/hen-ui-link] than for white and Asian women compared to white males.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The earnings ratio for Black women has only risen from 59% to 63% in the past 30 years. At this rate, the gender pay gap for Black women will not disappear for 350 years.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Latinas fared even worse, with their earnings ratio rising only 53% to 55% in the same period. If this pace continues without strategies for change, the pay gap for Latinas will not close for 432 years.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Negotiating Salary and Pursuing Nursing Certification[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap in [hen-ui-link href=”https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/”]nursing reflects longstanding national trends across all occupations[/hen-ui-link], resulting from structural and economic discriminations beyond an employee’s control. However, women nurses can use a few strategies to help increase their earnings.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]According to the [hen-ui-link href=”https://wp.nurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Salary_Survey-2020_v13_B2C.pdf” target=”_blank”]Nurse Survey Research Report[/hen-ui-link], RNs, APRNs, and LPN/LVNs who negotiate their salaries with prospective employers before taking a position may improve their chances of earning a higher salary. However, in general, women nurses are less likely than their male counterparts to negotiate salary.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]For RNs, 46% of men compared to 34% of women negotiated their salaries most of the time or always. The percentage of women APRNs and LPN/LVNs who have engaged in salary negotiation also falls slightly below men in these roles.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The gender pay gap narrows with advanced training and certification, but data suggests that fewer women than men in nursing have considered furthering their education and receiving certification. Only 49% of female respondents plan to pursue higher education and certification to boost their earnings, compared to 56% of male respondents.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Support Equal Pay in Nursing[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Closing the gender pay gap in nursing poses a major challenge. Nurses, employers, and legislators can take the next step toward leveling the salary playing field through these additional measures:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You can help lobby for local and federal legislation that strengthens equal pay laws and policies that expand childcare availability. Contact public officials and monitor their voting records.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You can become active participants in professional associations and unions that represent the interests of nurses and their policy and lobbying initiatives.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You can advocate in the workplace for wage transparency with nursing colleagues, human resources managers, and administrators, pushing the organization to address inequities based on gender and race.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]You can encourage women in nursing to take leadership roles at their workplaces, professional associations, and union chapters by working with male and BIPOC allies to address pay equity for all nurses.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list]