How Much Does an RN Make in Fort Wayne, IN in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Fort Wayne, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Indiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Fort Wayne metro area
A typical RN in Fort Wayne, Indiana earns $38.29 per hour, or $79,630 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,636 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,160, and the top 10% of earners make over $100,390.
That pay is 5% below the Indiana figure of $83,500 and 18% below the national figure of $97,550. Fort Wayne ranks 12th of 14 metro areas in Indiana for RN pay. About 6,450 RNs work in the Fort Wayne area.
RN pay in Fort Wayne at a glance
- Typical pay is $38.29 an hour, or $79,630 a year.
- That is 5% below the Indiana figure, ranking 12th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,160; the top 10% make over $100,390.
- Typical pay rose +49% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for Indiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Fort Wayne?
Pay in Fort Wayne runs from entry-level positions at around $31.81 an hour to more than $48.27 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Indiana and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Fort Wayne
| Career stage | Fort Wayne | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $66,160$31.81 an hour | $66,750$32.09 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $77,240$37.13 an hour | $78,750$37.86 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $79,630$38.29 an hour | $83,500$40.14 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $99,650$47.91 an hour | $100,410$48.28 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $100,390$48.27 an hour | $105,750$50.84 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Fort Wayne area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Fort Wayne
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Fort Wayne area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Fort Wayne was $53,490 a year. By 2025 it had reached $79,630, a change of +49%, compared with +44% for Indiana over the same years.
How Fort Wayne compares with other Indiana cities
Naperville pays RNs the most in Indiana at $100,490 a year, $20,860 more than Fort Wayne. The lowest-paying area in the state is Columbus at $77,030.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Fort Wayne | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naperville metro incl. Elgin | $100,490 | $48.31 | +26% | 100,240 |
| 2 | Mishawaka metro incl. South Bend | $93,540 | $44.97 | +17% | 3,370 |
| 3 | Goshen metro incl. Elkhart | $88,100 | $42.36 | +11% | 1,650 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | $84,850 | $40.79 | +7% | 18,180 |
| 5 | Carmel metro incl. Indianapolis · Greenwood | $84,230 | $40.50 | +6% | 25,800 |
| 6 | Evansville | $83,820 | $40.30 | +5% | 3,890 |
| 7 | Kokomo | $83,370 | $40.08 | +5% | 740 |
| 8 | Michigan City metro incl. La Porte | $82,300 | $39.57 | +3% | 790 |
| 9 | Terre Haute | $81,550 | $39.21 | +2% | 1,600 |
| 10 | Lafayette metro incl. West Lafayette | $80,790 | $38.84 | +1% | 2,080 |
| 11 | Bloomington | $80,370 | $38.64 | +1% | 1,630 |
| 12 | Fort Wayne | $79,630 | $38.29 | this city | 6,450 |
| 13 | Muncie | $79,500 | $38.22 | 0% | 1,220 |
| 14 | Columbus | $77,030 | $37.03 | -3% | 640 |
Every metro area in Indiana with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Indiana typical pay $83,500
Is Fort Wayne a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Fort Wayne earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $79,630 a year, 18% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Fort Wayne area, about 29 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. That makes the local economy more reliant on RNs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Fort Wayne, IN?
- A typical RN in Fort Wayne earns $79,630 a year, or $38.29 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $66,160 and the top 10% earn over $100,390.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Fort Wayne?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Fort Wayne is $38.29. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $31.81, and the top 10% earn over $48.27 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Fort Wayne?
- Entry-level RN positions in Fort Wayne typically offer around $31.81 an hour, or $66,160 a year.
- Is RN pay in Fort Wayne higher than in the rest of Indiana?
- Fort Wayne pay is 5% below the Indiana figure of $83,500 a year, ranking 12th of 14 metro areas in the state. Naperville pays the most in Indiana at $100,490.