How Much Does an RN Make in Arlington, VA in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Arlington, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Virginia.
BLS OES May 2025 · Washington · Arlington · Alexandria metro area
A typical RN in Arlington, Virginia earns $49.38 per hour, or $102,710 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,559 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,750, and the top 10% of earners make over $132,900.
That pay is 10% above the Virginia figure of $93,600 and 5% above the national figure of $97,550. Arlington ranks 1st of 10 metro areas in Virginia for RN pay. About 46,830 RNs work in the Washington · Arlington · Alexandria area.
RN pay in Arlington at a glance
- Typical pay is $49.38 an hour, or $102,710 a year.
- That is 10% above the Virginia figure, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $80,750; the top 10% make over $132,900.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for Virginia as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Arlington?
Pay in Arlington runs from entry-level positions at around $38.82 an hour to more than $63.89 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Virginia and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Arlington
| Career stage | Arlington | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $80,750$38.82 an hour | $67,830$32.61 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $84,610$40.68 an hour | $80,090$38.51 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $102,710$49.38 an hour | $93,600$45.00 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $119,620$57.51 an hour | $103,030$49.53 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $132,900$63.89 an hour | $125,580$60.37 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Washington · Arlington · Alexandria area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Arlington
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Washington · Arlington · Alexandria area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Arlington was $76,030 a year. By 2025 it had reached $102,710, a change of +35%, compared with +47% for Virginia over the same years.
How Arlington compares with other Virginia cities
Arlington pays RNs the most of any metro area in Virginia. The lowest-paying area in the state is Bristol at $76,730.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Arlington | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington | $102,710 | $49.38 | this city | 46,830 |
| 2 | Charlottesville | $99,320 | $47.75 | -3% | 3,040 |
| 3 | Winchester | $95,650 | $45.99 | -7% | 1,630 |
| 4 | Richmond | $93,580 | $44.99 | -9% | 15,700 |
| 5 | Staunton metro incl. Stuarts Draft | $92,390 | $44.42 | -10% | 1,500 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach | $89,450 | $43.00 | -13% | 16,870 |
| 7 | Christiansburg metro incl. Blacksburg · Radford | $81,230 | $39.05 | -21% | 1,330 |
| 8 | Lynchburg | $80,450 | $38.68 | -22% | 2,200 |
| 9 | Roanoke | $80,090 | $38.51 | -22% | 4,670 |
| 10 | Bristol | $76,730 | $36.89 | -25% | 2,660 |
Every metro area in Virginia with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Virginia typical pay $93,600
Is Arlington a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Arlington earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $102,710 a year, 5% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Washington · Arlington · Alexandria area, about 15 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. That makes RNs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Arlington, VA?
- A typical RN in Arlington earns $102,710 a year, or $49.38 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $80,750 and the top 10% earn over $132,900.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Arlington?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Arlington is $49.38. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $38.82, and the top 10% earn over $63.89 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Arlington?
- Entry-level RN positions in Arlington typically offer around $38.82 an hour, or $80,750 a year.
- Is RN pay in Arlington higher than in the rest of Virginia?
- Arlington pay is 10% above the Virginia figure of $93,600 a year, ranking 1st of 10 metro areas in the state.