Career
Registered nurses
Care for patients. Coordinate treatment. Be the constant at the bedside.
$97,550
Median pay
+5.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
180,800
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Record patients' medical information and vital signs.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $97,550 a year and 180,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NursingSee the degree →
- Registered Nursing/Registered NurseCIP 51.3801
- Nursing AdministrationCIP 51.3802
- Adult Health Nurse/NursingCIP 51.3803
- Family Practice Nurse/NursingCIP 51.3805
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/NursingCIP 51.3806
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Acute Care Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300 · +41.0%
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 · +3.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.