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.
6 metro areas in New Jersey publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 292,560 jobs. The three largest employers of registered nurses are New York-Newark-Jersey City (197,740 jobs), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (73,790 jobs), Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (10,860 jobs), which hold 96.5% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $99,320 to $119,720 a year, against $106,500 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 New Jersey: the highest median pay is in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area ($119,720 a year); the most jobs are in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area (197,740). Statewide the median is $106,500 with 92,680 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197,740 | $119,720 | $87,180 | $159,240 | 0.96 | 18% | 112.6 |
| Vineland, NJ | 1,590 | $103,380 | $82,910 | $123,590 | 1.18 | 15% | 96.0 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 10,860 | $101,440 | $78,280 | $118,070 | 1.32 | 16% | 100.0 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 73,790 | $101,180 | $79,160 | $121,900 | 1.17 | 18% | 102.6 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 5,180 | $99,990 | $82,110 | $125,900 | 0.99 | 19% | 103.2 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 3,400 | $99,320 | $82,270 | $121,830 | 0.93 | 17% | 98.9 |
National page: Registered nurses →Cities of New Jersey
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with a median of $119,720 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area, with 197,740 jobs.