U.S. nurse workforce data
Current registered-nurse workforce, pay, employment, and staffing figures, collected in one source-led reference. Last updated August 15, 2026.
Travel nursing moves with the larger nursing workforce, but national sources do not use one standardized count for travel-nurse assignments. This page focuses on the broader RN data and staffing policy that can help put an opportunity, a rate sheet, or a facility conversation in context.
Every figure below links to its original source and is dated so it can be checked before it is quoted.
Current figures
Use the link on each figure to read the full source and its definitions.
3.391 million
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that registered nurses held about 3,391,000 jobs in 2024.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 20253.557 million
The federal projection rises to 3,557,100 RN jobs in 2034, a net increase of 166,100 jobs from 2024.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 20255%
Registered nurse employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the 3% projection for all occupations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 2025189,100
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 189,100 registered nurse openings each year, on average, from 2024 to 2034.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 2025$93,600
The national median annual wage for registered nurses was $93,600 in May 2024. This is an occupation-wide wage measure, not a travel-nursing pay rate.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 202559%
Hospitals were the largest RN employer in 2024, accounting for 59% of registered nurse jobs in the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment estimate.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 28, 202550
The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study reported a median RN age of 50, up from 46 in its 2022 study.
Source: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study, April 17, 202540%
About 40% of RNs in the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study reported plans to leave the profession within the next five years. Intent is not the same as a forecast of actual departures.
Source: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study, April 17, 202520%
The 2024 workforce study found that 20% of RNs reported changing settings, compared with 16% in 2022.
Source: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study, April 17, 20253.48
CMS finalized a 3.48-hour minimum for total direct nursing care per resident day in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified long-term care facilities, including at least 0.55 RN hours and 2.45 nurse-aide hours.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Minimum Staffing Standards Final Rule, April 22, 2024How to use these numbers
National RN figures can explain the wider market, but they cannot tell you what a specific travel assignment is worth. A real offer still comes down to the written rate, hours, guaranteed shifts, housing arrangement, facility, location, cancellation terms, and your own costs.
For an assignment decision, pair these figures with the site’s pay and contract guidance, housing guidance, and Ask Anthony, RN resource.
Method and sources
This reference uses public sources from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The measures are not interchangeable: employment estimates, wage estimates, survey findings, and policy requirements each answer different questions. The source next to each statistic is the authority for that specific figure.
Travel Nursing Answers, Advice, and Tips PLUS Mentorship. “Travel Nursing Statistics: U.S. RN Workforce Data.” Updated August 15, 2026.
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