Network vs Registered Nurses
Network earns $1,580 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Network | Registered Nurses | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $99,130 | $97,550 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $62,640 to $155,050 | $68,940 to $137,470 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 4 | 4 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Jobs opening up each year | 13,400 | 180,800 |
| Growth by 2035 | -4.1% | 5.6% |
| People doing it now | 323,600 | 3,465,400 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $118,290 in Maryland down to $74,490 in West Virginia | $140,270 in California down to $77,080 in Alabama |
Also compared: Accountants vs Network Accountants vs Registered Nurses Civil Engineers vs Network Civil Engineers vs Registered Nurses Construction Managers vs Network Construction Managers vs Registered Nurses
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Network
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Database Administrators
- Computer Network Architects
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Information Security Engineers
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
Registered Nurses
- Acute Care Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Nurse Midwives
What these usually take: Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
- Nurse PractitionersGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate. +$35,610 a year more at the middle.
- Clinical Nurse SpecialistsGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
- Nurse MidwivesGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric NursesGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
- Nurse AnesthetistsGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate. +$129,610 a year more at the middle.
- Physician AssistantsGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate. +$39,660 a year more at the middle.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.