The average registered nurse salary in Indiana is $89,150 per year, with a median of $83,500. The $5,650 gap between those two figures reflects a segment of higher-compensated roles pulling the average above the midpoint. For most hiring decisions, the median of $83,500 is the more practical benchmark to anchor your initial offer.
Registered nurse salary in Indiana (2026)
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The average registered nurse salary in Indiana is $89,150 per year. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $83,500 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Indiana employs 68,980 registered nurses, and the $5,650 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior registered nurses in Indiana typically earn around $66,750, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $105,750 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a registered nurse hire in Indiana, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $83,500 |
Average Annual Salary | $89,150 |
vs. National Average | 12.1% below the national mean of $101,420 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 68,980 employed registered nurses across Indiana.
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Registered nurse salary percentiles in Indiana
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $66,750 |
25th Percentile | $78,750 |
75th Percentile | $100,410 |
90th Percentile | $105,750 |
Employers hiring entry-level registered nurses in Indiana can anchor offers near $66,750, while roles requiring specialized experience or leadership typically land between $100,410 and $105,750. Setting your offer without accounting for seniority risks either overpaying for early-career candidates or losing senior talent to competing offers.
City | Average Annual Salary |
South Bend | $99,320 |
Evansville | $90,520 |
Indianapolis | $89,630 |
Bloomington | $86,080 |
Fort Wayne | $86,030 |
Where you hire within Indiana can meaningfully shift your compensation budget, so location should factor into your offer strategy. South Bend leads the state at $99,320 in average annual salary, which is $13,290 more than Fort Wayne at $86,030. If you are hiring in South Bend, plan for offers closer to the statewide 75th percentile rather than the median.
How Indiana compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Indiana | $89,150 | $83,500 |
Illinois | $94,360 | $95,990 |
Michigan | $94,300 | $94,300 |
Ohio | $87,730 | $82,510 |
Kentucky | $86,140 | $81,040 |
Tennessee | $85,390 | $81,500 |
Indiana sits in the middle of its regional peer group, making it a moderately cost-effective market for registered nurse hiring compared to Illinois and Michigan. Illinois averages $94,360 and Michigan averages $94,300, both notably above Indiana's $89,150, while Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee all come in below Indiana. Employers recruiting across state lines should expect candidates from Illinois or Michigan to carry higher salary expectations.
Frequently asked questions about registered nurse salary in Indiana
What is the average registered nurse salary in Indiana?
What is the salary range for a registered nurse in Indiana?
Registered nurse salaries in Indiana range from $66,750 at the 10th percentile to $105,750 at the 90th percentile. The middle of the market sits between $78,750 at the 25th percentile and $100,410 at the 75th percentile. Use the seniority and specialization of the specific role you are filling to determine where within that range your offer should land.
Registered Nurse salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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The Rippling Team
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