How Much Does an RN Make in Roanoke, VA in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Roanoke, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Virginia.
BLS OES May 2025 · Roanoke metro area
A typical RN in Roanoke, Virginia earns $38.51 per hour, or $80,090 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,674 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,740, and the top 10% of earners make over $120,100.
That pay is 14% below the Virginia figure of $93,600 and 18% below the national figure of $97,550. Roanoke ranks 9th of 10 metro areas in Virginia for RN pay. About 4,670 RNs work in the Roanoke area.
RN pay in Roanoke at a glance
- Typical pay is $38.51 an hour, or $80,090 a year.
- That is 14% below the Virginia figure, ranking 9th of 10 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $66,740; the top 10% make over $120,100.
- Typical pay rose +32% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for Virginia as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Roanoke?
Pay in Roanoke runs from entry-level positions at around $32.09 an hour to more than $57.74 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Virginia and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Roanoke
| Career stage | Roanoke | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $66,740$32.09 an hour | $67,830$32.61 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $77,860$37.43 an hour | $80,090$38.51 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $80,090$38.51 an hour | $93,600$45.00 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $100,390$48.27 an hour | $103,030$49.53 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $120,100$57.74 an hour | $125,580$60.37 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Roanoke area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Roanoke
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Roanoke area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Roanoke was $60,710 a year. By 2025 it had reached $80,090, a change of +32%, compared with +47% for Virginia over the same years.
How Roanoke compares with other Virginia cities
Arlington pays RNs the most in Virginia at $102,710 a year, $22,620 more than Roanoke. The lowest-paying area in the state is Bristol at $76,730.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Roanoke | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington | $102,710 | $49.38 | +28% | 46,830 |
| 2 | Charlottesville | $99,320 | $47.75 | +24% | 3,040 |
| 3 | Winchester | $95,650 | $45.99 | +19% | 1,630 |
| 4 | Richmond | $93,580 | $44.99 | +17% | 15,700 |
| 5 | Staunton metro incl. Stuarts Draft | $92,390 | $44.42 | +15% | 1,500 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach | $89,450 | $43.00 | +12% | 16,870 |
| 7 | Christiansburg metro incl. Blacksburg · Radford | $81,230 | $39.05 | +1% | 1,330 |
| 8 | Lynchburg | $80,450 | $38.68 | 0% | 2,200 |
| 9 | Roanoke | $80,090 | $38.51 | this city | 4,670 |
| 10 | Bristol | $76,730 | $36.89 | -4% | 2,660 |
Every metro area in Virginia with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Virginia typical pay $93,600
Is Roanoke a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Roanoke earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $80,090 a year, 18% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Roanoke area, about 30 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 Roanoke, VA?
- A typical RN in Roanoke earns $80,090 a year, or $38.51 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $66,740 and the top 10% earn over $120,100.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Roanoke?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Roanoke is $38.51. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $32.09, and the top 10% earn over $57.74 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Roanoke?
- Entry-level RN positions in Roanoke typically offer around $32.09 an hour, or $66,740 a year.
- Is RN pay in Roanoke higher than in the rest of Virginia?
- Roanoke pay is 14% below the Virginia figure of $93,600 a year, ranking 9th of 10 metro areas in the state. Arlington pays the most in Virginia at $102,710.