Registered Nurses salary in Little Rock, AR
Median pay for registered nurses in Little Rock, AR: $79,300/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $55,620 – $100,770 · about 10,860 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$1,510 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Little Rock
With Little Rock's cost of living at 90 (US=100), that $79,300 has the buying power of about $88,593 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,664 · median home $231,039 · median rent $1,246/mo.
How Little Rock ranks for this job
On raw pay, Little Rock, AR is 122nd of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Little Rock's cost of living is applied, it ranks 66th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Little Rock is one of the places where registered nurses gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Little Rock
A median home in Little Rock, AR costs $231,039 — about 2.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,246/mo works out at 19% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Little Rock.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Little Rock | Rent vs Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +136% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +129% | 2.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +126% | 2.9× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +99% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in AR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Little Rock | Rent vs Little Rock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | $71,990 | −9% | 1.3× |
| Fort Smith, AR | $67,760 | −15% | 0.8× |
Staying in AR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Little Rock
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences · Healthcare
- CHI – St. Vincent · Healthcare
- Arkansas Children's Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in Little Rock
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.