How Much Does an RN Make in Rochester, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Rochester, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Rochester metro area
A typical RN in Rochester, New York earns $41.62 per hour, or $86,570 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,214 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $79,340, and the top 10% of earners make over $106,350.
That pay is 21% below the New York figure of $109,440 and 11% below the national figure of $97,550. Rochester ranks 12th of 13 metro areas in New York for RN pay. About 12,340 RNs work in the Rochester area.
RN pay in Rochester at a glance
- Typical pay is $41.62 an hour, or $86,570 a year.
- That is 21% below the New York figure, ranking 12th of 13 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $79,340; the top 10% make over $106,350.
- Typical pay rose +42% from 2015 to 2025, against +40% for New York as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Rochester?
Pay in Rochester runs from entry-level positions at around $38.14 an hour to more than $51.13 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Rochester
| Career stage | Rochester | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $79,340$38.14 an hour | $79,760$38.35 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $82,780$39.80 an hour | $94,840$45.60 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $86,570$41.62 an hour | $109,440$52.62 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $100,760$48.44 an hour | $129,660$62.34 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $106,350$51.13 an hour | $157,090$75.52 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Rochester area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Rochester
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Rochester area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Rochester was $60,760 a year. By 2025 it had reached $86,570, a change of +42%, compared with +40% for New York over the same years.
How Rochester compares with other New York cities
New York pays RNs the most in New York at $119,720 a year, $33,150 more than Rochester. The lowest-paying area in the state is Elmira at $82,820.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Rochester | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $119,720 | $57.56 | +38% | 197,740 |
| 2 | Glens Falls | $104,000 | $50.00 | +20% | 1,030 |
| 3 | Kiryas Joel metro incl. Newburgh · Poughkeepsie | $102,890 | $49.47 | +19% | 5,760 |
| 4 | Binghamton | $101,720 | $48.90 | +18% | 2,570 |
| 5 | Kingston | $101,030 | $48.57 | +17% | 1,000 |
| 6 | Ithaca | $100,320 | $48.23 | +16% | 940 |
| 7 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $99,970 | $48.06 | +15% | 10,230 |
| 8 | Cheektowaga metro incl. Buffalo | $99,060 | $47.63 | +14% | 13,830 |
| 9 | Fort Drum metro incl. Watertown | $96,070 | $46.19 | +11% | 900 |
| 10 | Rome metro incl. Utica | $94,300 | $45.34 | +9% | 2,600 |
| 11 | Syracuse | $86,960 | $41.81 | 0% | 8,180 |
| 12 | Rochester | $86,570 | $41.62 | this city | 12,340 |
| 13 | Elmira | $82,820 | $39.82 | -4% | 730 |
Every metro area in New York with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $109,440
Is Rochester a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Rochester earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $86,570 a year, 11% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Rochester area, about 25 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 Rochester, NY?
- A typical RN in Rochester earns $86,570 a year, or $41.62 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $79,340 and the top 10% earn over $106,350.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Rochester?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Rochester is $41.62. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.14, and the top 10% earn over $51.13 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Rochester?
- Entry-level RN positions in Rochester typically offer around $38.14 an hour, or $79,340 a year.
- Is RN pay in Rochester higher than in the rest of New York?
- Rochester pay is 21% below the New York figure of $109,440 a year, ranking 12th of 13 metro areas in the state. New York pays the most in New York at $119,720.