How much does an RN make in Connecticut?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $101,590 for RNs in Connecticut as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $85,080 and the 75th-percentile is $112,100.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Connecticut?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 104.2 for Connecticut), the real-wage equivalent is $97,494 — what the $101,590 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $81,650 to $107,581.

How many RNs does Connecticut employ?

BLS OES counts 39,020 RNs employed in Connecticut in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Is Connecticut a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?

No — Connecticut's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Connecticut?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Connecticut.

Is Connecticut an NLC compact state for RN licensure?

No — Connecticut is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Connecticut need to apply for a Connecticut-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.

How does specialty (ICU, OR, NICU, ER, L&D) affect RN pay in Connecticut?

BLS reports a single 'Registered Nurses' SOC code (29-1141), so the figures on this page are not specialty-segmented. In practice, ICU, NICU, and OR roles in Connecticut typically pay 8-15% above the all-RN median; L&D and ER vary by hospital system. Travel-RN contracts can substantially exceed staff rates during demand spikes.

Connecticut Registered Nurse Salary: BLS $102K Median, Real $97K (2026)

TL;DR

Headline RN pay in Connecticut is $101,590. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $97,494.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
Wage envelope: $78,660 (P10) to $132,840 (P90), with quartiles at $85,080 and $112,100.
Connecticut is not in the NLC compact; RNs need a state-specific license here, no multistate shortcut.
Nominal: #11/51 · Real: #10/51 — ranking shifts by 1 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Connecticut

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$78,660	$75,489
P25 (lower quartile)	$85,080	$81,650
P50 (median)	$101,590	$97,494
P75 (upper quartile)	$112,100	$107,581
P90 (top tier)	$132,840	$127,484
Mean	$103,670	$99,490
Employment	39,020 RNs in Connecticut

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Connecticut index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	104.2
Goods	98.6
Services	153.2
Rents	116.6

Connecticut's overall RPP (104.2) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Connecticut (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (RN)	$101,590	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$13,597	13.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,845	2–6.99% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$7,772	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$75,376	74.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$72,337	÷ (104.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Connecticut state-tax burden means for RN take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $75,376 (74.2% of gross). After the 104.2 RPP, real take-home is $72,337.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $93,600 for RNs with mean pay of $98,430 and total employment of 3,282,010. Connecticut sits at #11 on nominal pay and #10 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Connecticut climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — Connecticut (NLC)

Connecticut is not currently a NLC member. RNs moving to Connecticut must apply for a Connecticut-issued license through endorsement; a multistate license from a Compact state alone is not sufficient. Endorsement timelines and fees are set by the Connecticut Board of Nursing.

Legislative status (2026-05): HB 6877 introduced 2023; remains in Public Health committee.

Source: NCSBN compact implementation tracker — re-synced quarterly. See NLC reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an RN make in Connecticut?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $101,590 for RNs in Connecticut as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $85,080 and the 75th-percentile is $112,100.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) RN salary in Connecticut?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 104.2 for Connecticut), the real-wage equivalent is $97,494 — what the $101,590 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $81,650 to $107,581.
How many RNs does Connecticut employ?: BLS OES counts 39,020 RNs employed in Connecticut in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Is Connecticut a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for RNs?: No — Connecticut's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Connecticut?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Connecticut.
Is Connecticut an NLC compact state for RN licensure?: No — Connecticut is not an NLC compact member as of the most recent NCSBN list. RNs moving to Connecticut need to apply for a Connecticut-issued license through endorsement; an NLC multistate license alone is not sufficient.
How does specialty (ICU, OR, NICU, ER, L&D) affect RN pay in Connecticut?: BLS reports a single 'Registered Nurses' SOC code (29-1141), so the figures on this page are not specialty-segmented. In practice, ICU, NICU, and OR roles in Connecticut typically pay 8-15% above the all-RN median; L&D and ER vary by hospital system. Travel-RN contracts can substantially exceed staff rates during demand spikes.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1141, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Connecticut RN pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.