Registered Nurses salary in Buffalo, NY
Median pay for registered nurses in Buffalo, NY: $87,200/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $68,440 – $113,350 · about 13,190 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$6,390 (+8%).
What it's really worth in Buffalo
With Buffalo's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $87,200 has the buying power of about $91,866 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,638 · median home $288,316 · median rent $1,444/mo.
How Buffalo ranks for this job
On raw pay, Buffalo, NY is 51st of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Buffalo's cost of living is applied, it ranks 47th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Buffalo sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Buffalo
A median home in Buffalo, NY costs $288,316 — 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 $1,444/mo works out at 20% 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 Buffalo.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Buffalo | Rent vs Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +115% | 1.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +108% | 2.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +106% | 2.5× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +81% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in NY
| Metro | Median pay | vs Buffalo | Rent vs Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $108,540 | +24% | 2.4× |
| Rochester, NY | $87,010 | +0% | 1.1× |
| Albany, NY | $85,120 | −2% | 1.2× |
| Binghamton, NY | $84,680 | −3% | 0.9× |
Staying in NY keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Buffalo
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Kaleida Health · Healthcare
- Catholic Health · Healthcare
- University at Buffalo · Education
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center · Healthcare
Other jobs in Buffalo
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.