Registered Nurses salary in Rochester, NY
Median pay for registered nurses in Rochester, NY: $87,010/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $67,900 – $110,810 · about 10,880 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$6,200 (+8%).
What it's really worth in Rochester
With Rochester's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $87,010 has the buying power of about $88,435 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $71,349 · median home $285,034 · median rent $1,597/mo.
How Rochester ranks for this job
On raw pay, Rochester, NY is 53rd of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Rochester's cost of living is applied, it ranks 69th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Rochester sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Rochester
A median home in Rochester, NY costs $285,034 — 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 $1,597/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 Rochester.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Rochester | Rent vs Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +115% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +108% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +106% | 2.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +81% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in NY
| Metro | Median pay | vs Rochester | Rent vs Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $108,540 | +25% | 2.2× |
| Buffalo, NY | $87,200 | +0% | 0.9× |
| Albany, NY | $85,120 | −2% | 1.1× |
| Binghamton, NY | $84,680 | −3% | 0.8× |
Staying in NY keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Rochester
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Rochester · Education
- Rochester Regional Health · Healthcare
- Rochester Institute of Technology · Education
Other jobs in Rochester
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.