How Much Does an RN Make in Lafayette, IN in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Lafayette, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Indiana.
BLS OES May 2025 · Lafayette · West Lafayette metro area
A typical RN in Lafayette, Indiana earns $38.84 per hour, or $80,790 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,733 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $67,780, and the top 10% of earners make over $100,930.
That pay is 3% below the Indiana figure of $83,500 and 17% below the national figure of $97,550. Lafayette ranks 10th of 14 metro areas in Indiana for RN pay. About 2,080 RNs work in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area. Lafayette is part of the Lafayette · West Lafayette metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so West Lafayette share these figures.
RN pay in Lafayette at a glance
- Typical pay is $38.84 an hour, or $80,790 a year.
- That is 3% below the Indiana figure, ranking 10th of 14 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $67,780; the top 10% make over $100,930.
- Typical pay rose +42% from 2015 to 2025, against +44% for Indiana as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Lafayette?
Pay in Lafayette runs from entry-level positions at around $32.59 an hour to more than $48.53 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Indiana and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Lafayette
| Career stage | Lafayette | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $67,780$32.59 an hour | $66,750$32.09 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $79,970$38.45 an hour | $78,750$37.86 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $80,790$38.84 an hour | $83,500$40.14 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $100,930$48.53 an hour | $100,410$48.28 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $100,930$48.53 an hour | $105,750$50.84 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Lafayette · West Lafayette area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Lafayette
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Lafayette was $56,910 a year. By 2025 it had reached $80,790, a change of +42%, compared with +44% for Indiana over the same years.
How Lafayette compares with other Indiana cities
Naperville pays RNs the most in Indiana at $100,490 a year, $19,700 more than Lafayette. The lowest-paying area in the state is Columbus at $77,030.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Lafayette | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naperville metro incl. Elgin | $100,490 | $48.31 | +24% | 100,240 |
| 2 | Mishawaka metro incl. South Bend | $93,540 | $44.97 | +16% | 3,370 |
| 3 | Goshen metro incl. Elkhart | $88,100 | $42.36 | +9% | 1,650 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | $84,850 | $40.79 | +5% | 18,180 |
| 5 | Carmel metro incl. Indianapolis · Greenwood | $84,230 | $40.50 | +4% | 25,800 |
| 6 | Evansville | $83,820 | $40.30 | +4% | 3,890 |
| 7 | Kokomo | $83,370 | $40.08 | +3% | 740 |
| 8 | Michigan City metro incl. La Porte | $82,300 | $39.57 | +2% | 790 |
| 9 | Terre Haute | $81,550 | $39.21 | +1% | 1,600 |
| 10 | Lafayette metro incl. West Lafayette | $80,790 | $38.84 | this city | 2,080 |
| 11 | Bloomington | $80,370 | $38.64 | -1% | 1,630 |
| 12 | Fort Wayne | $79,630 | $38.29 | -1% | 6,450 |
| 13 | Muncie | $79,500 | $38.22 | -2% | 1,220 |
| 14 | Columbus | $77,030 | $37.03 | -5% | 640 |
Every metro area in Indiana with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Indiana typical pay $83,500
Is Lafayette a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Lafayette earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $80,790 a year, 17% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Lafayette · West Lafayette area, about 20 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. RN jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Lafayette, IN?
- A typical RN in Lafayette earns $80,790 a year, or $38.84 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $67,780 and the top 10% earn over $100,930.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Lafayette?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Lafayette is $38.84. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $32.59, and the top 10% earn over $48.53 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Lafayette?
- Entry-level RN positions in Lafayette typically offer around $32.59 an hour, or $67,780 a year.
- Is RN pay in Lafayette higher than in the rest of Indiana?
- Lafayette pay is 3% below the Indiana figure of $83,500 a year, ranking 10th of 14 metro areas in the state. Naperville pays the most in Indiana at $100,490.