Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
5 metro areas in Connecticut publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 37,780 jobs. The three largest employers of registered nurses are Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (13,850 jobs), New Haven (10,050 jobs), Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury (8,370 jobs), which hold 85.4% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $101,330 to $105,660 a year, against $102,740 for the whole state and $97,550 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $97,550 a year for registered nurses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $68,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $137,470). Employment is projected to change by +5.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Registered nurses in Connecticut: the highest median pay is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area ($105,660 a year); the most jobs are in the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area (13,850). Statewide the median is $102,740 with 40,110 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 8,370 | $105,660 | $83,030 | $141,330 | 0.95 | 21% | 106.9 |
| New Haven, CT | 10,050 | $104,490 | $81,770 | $144,980 | 1.64 | 18% | 104.6 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 3,050 | $101,690 | $81,600 | $134,890 | 0.87 | n/a | n/a |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 13,850 | $101,470 | $80,440 | $125,080 | 1.06 | 17% | 102.7 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 2,460 | $101,330 | $76,830 | $125,590 | 0.90 | n/a | n/a |
National page: Registered nurses →Cities of Connecticut
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area, with a median of $105,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area, with 13,850 jobs.