How Much Does an RN Make in Georgia in 2026?

A typical registered nurse in Georgia earns about $44.98 per hour ($93,550 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That works out to roughly $7,796 a month and $1,799 a week, both calculated from the annual figure. These figures reflect statewide pay across hospitals, clinics, and other health care settings. They set a baseline for the pay ranges covered next.

Georgia's typical RN pay sits 4% below the national figure of $97,550. That places the state 27th among the 51 states and Washington, D.C. for RN pay. Georgia is home to about 100,950 RNs, compared with 3,379,720 nationwide, giving the state a sizable share of the profession's workforce for scale.

Entry-level positions in Georgia typically offer around $68,920 a year ($33.14 an hour) for RNs just starting out. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical figure of $44.98 an hour within a few years of experience. New graduates and nurses in their first roles should expect pay near the lower end of this range. Pay grows steadily as nurses gain experience and take on more responsibility.

Experienced RNs in Georgia often earn upwards of $51.12 an hour, with the top 10% of earners making over $128,640 a year ($61.84 an hour). The gap between entry-level and top-earning RNs in Georgia runs $59,720 a year. That spread tends to reflect years of experience, the care setting, and which city an RN works in. Nurses in specialized units or leadership roles typically land at the higher end.

Georgia's typical RN pay has climbed steadily over the past decade, rising from $63,140 in 2015 to $93,550 in 2025. That's a gain of $30,410, or 48%, over ten years. The increase was not perfectly even year to year, but each year since 2015 recorded higher typical pay than the one before. The clearest jump came between 2020 and 2025, when pay rose from $69,630 to $93,550.

Georgia's decade rise of 48% outpaced the national RN decade increase of 45%. Pay for RNs in Georgia has moved up substantially since 2015, though a state's past growth does not guarantee future increases. For someone starting an RN career in Georgia now, the trend shows pay that has grown well ahead of where it stood a decade ago.

RN pay runs highest in the Atlanta metro area, including Roswell and Sandy Springs, where typical pay reaches $100,490 a year ($48.31 an hour), about 7% above the state figure. These figures cover the full Atlanta metro area, not just the city itself. Augusta and the surrounding Richmond County area follow next, with typical pay around $87,760 a year. Savannah rounds out the higher-paying metro areas, with typical pay near $86,760 a year.

Valdosta pays RNs the least among Georgia's metro areas, with typical pay around $74,360 a year, giving the state a city-to-city spread of $26,130. Atlanta, which also tops the pay scale, carries the largest RN workforce in the state at 56,460 nurses. Lower pay in Valdosta and similar smaller metro areas usually tracks a lower cost of living compared with Atlanta. RNs weighing a move within Georgia should factor local living costs into any pay comparison.

Georgia's typical RN pay of $93,550 runs ahead of every neighboring state. North Carolina pays $84,350 and Florida pays $84,190, both about 10% lower than Georgia. South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama trail further, at $82,360, $81,500, and $77,080, roughly 12% to 18% below Georgia's figure. RN licenses can often be transferred or endorsed between neighboring states, simplifying a move for nurses near a state line.

Registered nurses in Georgia typically earn $93,550 a year, up 48% from $63,140 in 2015, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That places Georgia's RN pay slightly below the national figure, with pay varying by city and experience level within the state. Nurses considering Georgia should check the Georgia Board of Nursing for licensing requirements and review city-level pages for local pay figures before making a move.