All About The Nursing Profession
Registered nurses typically do the following:
- Assess patients’ conditions
- Record patients’ medical histories and symptoms
- Observe patients and record the observations
- Administer patients’ medicines and treatments
- Set up plans for patients’ care or contribute information to existing plans
- Consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare professionals
- Operate and monitor medical equipment
- Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results
- Teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries
- Explain what to do at home after treatment
Some of the many subcategories for the nursing profession include: cardiovascular, critical care, addiction, genetics, nephrology, neonatal, rehabilitation, public health, and clinical nurse specialists.
Pay and Employment
Median Pay (2021): $77,600 per year ($37.31 per hour)
Bachelor’s degree is a typical requirement
Number of jobs (2020): 3,080,100
Job Growth (2020-2030): 9% (about as fast as the average for all jobs)
Resulting employment change from 2020 through 2030: +276,800
The largest employers are hospitals (61%) followed by ambulatory healthcare services (18%), nursing and residential care facilities (6%), government (5%), and finally educational services (3%)
Job Satisfaction
(78.72%) Personality: My personality was a good fit for the job.
(70.45%) Work Environment: The work environment suited me.
(77.08%) Interest: I found the work interesting.
(70.45%) Skill Utilization: I felt like I utilized my full skills and potential.
(72.73%) Meaning: My work gave my life purpose and meaning.
(69.77%) Salary: I was compensated fairly for my work.

Top Paying Metropolitan areas for Registered Nurses
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($155,230)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($151,640)
- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($146,360)
- Santa Rosa, CA ($141,440)
- Napa, CA ($139,680)
- Santa Cruz, CA ($139,580)
- Sacramento, CA ($135,490)
- Salinas, CA ($130,520)
- Modesto, CA ($127,730)
- 10. Hanford-Corcoran, CA ($124,790)
Top Paying Nonmetropolitan areas for Registered Nurses
- North Valley-Northern Mountains region of CA ($115,160)
- North Coast Region of CA ($110,760)
- Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode region of CA ($109,990)
- Alaska ($100,470)
- Hawaii/Kauai ($100,050)