Registered Nurses salary in Grand Rapids, MI
Median pay for registered nurses in Grand Rapids, MI: $81,050/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $69,770 – $98,870 · about 13,900 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$240 (+0%).
What it's really worth in Grand Rapids
With Grand Rapids's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $81,050 has the buying power of about $85,338 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $76,898 · median home $359,923 · median rent $1,623/mo.
How Grand Rapids ranks for this job
On raw pay, Grand Rapids, MI is 88th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Grand Rapids's cost of living is applied, it ranks 110th.
The headline number flatters Grand Rapids. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Grand Rapids
A median home in Grand Rapids, MI costs $359,923 — about 4.4× 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 $1,623/mo works out at 24% 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 Grand Rapids.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Grand Rapids | Rent vs Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +131% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +124% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +121% | 2.2× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +95% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in MI
| Metro | Median pay | vs Grand Rapids | Rent vs Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | $87,800 | +8% | 1.3× |
| Flint, MI | $84,450 | +4% | 0.7× |
| Detroit, MI | $83,900 | +4% | 0.9× |
| Lansing, MI | $81,540 | +1% | 0.8× |
Staying in MI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Grand Rapids
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Corewell Health · Healthcare
- Stryker Corporation · Healthcare
- Grand Valley State University · Education
Other jobs in Grand Rapids
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.