RN to BSN salary information: Education pays off

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employers increasingly prefer to hire RNs who have earned their BSNs. One's ultimate RN to BSN salary potential depends on a number of factors.

Breakdown of RN to BSN salary data

Earning one's BSN opens doors to more advanced, competitive careers in the nursing industry. Take a look at the highest paying industries for nursing as of 2009:

• Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing: $77,870
• Federal Executive Branch: $77,830
• Civic and Social Organizations: $77,830

Note that these earnings exceed the $56,269 per year base-level staff RNs made the same year.

Other factors influencing RN to BSN salary potential

Two important factors influencing one's ultimate RN to BSN salary potential are location and specialty. According to the BLS, an RN based in California earns nearly $35,000 more in 2009 than one in Iowa, and one can safely assume that education attainment underscores this wage disparity. According to the BLS, RNs living in the following states were the highest paid in the country that same year. Note that their associated salaries are based on the same 2009 BLS data:

• California: $85,080
• Massachusetts: $81,780
• Hawaii: $80,020

Certification, or specialization, is another factor that can impact one's RN to BSN salary. One who becomes certified in one or two particular areas of nursing, say pediatrics or oncology, becomes a specialist in those areas, and is therefore more valuable. Certification requirements vary, but most require one to complete additional training or experience and pass an exam.