Registered nurses in Connecticut generally earn at least $60,000 per year.
A total of 35,790 registered nurses were employed in Connecticut in 2009, which is 1.4 percent of the nationwide total of 2,583,770 registered nurses, according to the Census Bureau. Like all other states, Connecticut requires registered nurses to hold a license to practice, which involves a certain level of education and passing a national exam. Salaries for registered nurses in Connecticut are generally higher than the national average for this occupation.
Comparisons
Salaries for registered nurses in Connecticut vary by city. Registered nurses in Putnam, for instance, had a median annual salary of $68,640 in 2011, while those in Stamford were making $77,000. Registered nurses in New London had a median annual salary of $71,640; $72,290 in Torrington; $72,480 in Hartford; and $73,640 in Danbury. In comparison, the nationwide median salary for registered nurses was $65,460 per year, according to Salary.com.
Salary Range
Excluding Stamford, where the median registered nursing salary is significantly higher, the middle 50 percent range for this group of Connecticut cities is $62,420 to $81,190. The bottom 10 percent earn less than $56,760, and the top 10 percent make more than 87,770 per year. In Stamford, the top 10 percent have annual salaries higher than 91,800. The middle 50-percent range nationwide is about $59,520 to $72,000.
Types of Employment
Salaries for registered nurses in Connecticut also vary by the type of employment. Looking at Torrington as the most representative average salary example, registered nurses working in nursing homes earned much less than regular staff nurses, at a median salary of $60,800 per year. Torrington registered nurses working in outpatient care had a median salary of $65,940; $70,140 in obstetrics; $71,680 in emergency departments; $71,950 in critical care units; $72,810 in psychiatric units; and $76,060 in operating rooms. The top 25 percent of registered nurses working in operating rooms in Torrington were making more than $82,900 per year, and the top 10 percent more than $89,200 per year.
Specifics
The job search website Indeed.com lists over 1,000 registered nursing jobs in Connecticut in February 2011. Registered nurses are needed to work in cardiothoracic intensive care units, case management, critical care, emergency rooms, endoscopy, general hospital floors, hospices, neurosurgical intensive care units, nurseries, oncology departments, and as patient access coordinators and circulating and scrub nurses in operating rooms. The job postings generally do not provide salary information, although several travel positions are available paying $45 per hour. For networking and other benefits, consider joining the Connecticut Nurses' Association.
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