Registered Nurses salary in Baton Rouge, LA
Median pay for registered nurses in Baton Rouge, LA: $75,670/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $58,280 – $95,690 · about 6,930 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($80,810) by −$5,140 (-6%).
What it's really worth in Baton Rouge
With Baton Rouge's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $75,670 has the buying power of about $82,941 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,979 · median home $248,176 · median rent $1,393/mo.
How Baton Rouge ranks for this job
On raw pay, Baton Rouge, LA is 157th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Baton Rouge's cost of living is applied, it ranks 140th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Baton Rouge sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Baton Rouge
A median home in Baton Rouge, LA costs $248,176 — about 3.3× 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 $1,393/mo works out at 22% 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 Baton Rouge.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baton Rouge | Rent vs Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +147% | 1.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +140% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +137% | 2.6× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +109% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in LA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Baton Rouge | Rent vs Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | $81,400 | +8% | 1.2× |
| Shreveport, LA | $80,090 | +6% | 1× |
| Lafayette, LA | $70,610 | −7% | 1× |
Staying in LA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Baton Rouge
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center · Healthcare
- Louisiana State Government · Government
- Baton Rouge City Parish · Government
Other jobs in Baton Rouge
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.