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What to Pay an Operating Room Registered Nurse in Louisville, KY (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$88,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$77K–$101K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.1%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~34
Louisville metro average
To hire a Operating Room Registered Nurse in Louisville at market, plan on a base salary range of $77,000 to $101,000, with $88,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 34 days, expect to lead at $101K–$116K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Kentucky does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your OR RN pay range in Louisville

Three pay positions, modeled against current Louisville market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$67K–$77K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Louisville average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$83.6K–$93.2K
Default for most Louisville employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~34 days. A range width of ~30% (min $77,000 to max $101,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a OR RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$95.8K–$116K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

OR RN salary percentile distribution in Louisville, KY

Where the Louisville market actually sits for OR RN base pay.

10th $67K
25th $77K
Median $88K
75th $101K
90th $116K

Most Louisville employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($88,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $77,000 and a max of $101,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Kentucky pay transparency compliance for OR RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a OR RN in Kentucky.

Not required statewide. Kentucky has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a OR RN role in Louisville, a compliant good-faith range looks like $77,000 to $101,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $77,000–$101,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top OR RN employers in Louisville — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring OR RNs in the Louisville metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Norton Healthcare Health system $83K–$104K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Baptist Health Health system $83K–$104K Very common ($10K–$18K)
UofL Health Academic medical center $83K–$104K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Norton Children's Hospital Pediatric specialty $83K–$104K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Jewish Hospital (UofL Health) Hospital $79K–$100K Very common ($10K–$18K)

OR RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Louisville

How hard is it to fill a OR RN role in Louisville.

~34
Avg Days to Fill
~628
Active Postings
~616,000
Louisville OR RN Workforce
Very tight
Supply : Demand

Louisville OR RN market reflects broader RN supply constraints, with perioperative specialty demand elevated by post-COVID staffing gaps.

Skill premiums OR RN candidates command in Louisville, KY

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CNOR Required baseline Standard
Cardiac subspecialty +7–11% Very high
Trauma / Level I experience +6–10% Very high
BSN (vs ADN) +5–8% Standard at Magnet hospitals

OR RN total compensation in Louisville — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for OR RNs in Louisville. "Prevalence" reflects share of Louisville disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Louisville Postings
Base salary $88,000 (median) 100%
Call pay (standby + callback) $5–$10/hr standby + 1.5–2× hourly ~95%
Sign-on bonus $9K–$18K ~80%
CNOR certification pay +8–12% on base ~72%
Holiday / weekend differential +22–36% ~92%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$107K–$127K —

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

OR RN pay by setting in Louisville — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the OR RN range splits by employer type in the Louisville metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
General OR $86,000 $77K–$99K Very high
Cardiothoracic OR $95,000 $84K–$107K Very high
Neurosurgery OR $93,000 $83K–$106K Very high
Orthopedic OR $92,000 $81K–$104K Very high
Ambulatory surgery center $81,000 $72K–$93K Tight

FAQ: hiring a Operating Room Registered Nurse in Louisville, KY

Market median is $88,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $88,000 — typically $77,000 to $101,000. To lead the market, plan on $101K–$116K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Kentucky. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $77,000–$101,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$79,000 falls below the Louisville market median of $88,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 80% of Louisville OR RN postings include a sign-on bonus ($9K–$18K).
Average fill time is approximately 34 days in the Louisville metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($101K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($77K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Louisville-metro posting volume: Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health, UofL Health, Norton Children's Hospital, Jewish Hospital (UofL Health) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for OR RN in Louisville — for example, $77,000 to $101,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Kentucky has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related OR RN pay benchmarks — Kentucky metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
OR RN pay benchmark — Indianapolis, IN → OR RN pay benchmark — Cincinnati, OH → OR RN pay benchmark — Nashville, TN → All OR RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Louisville
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Louisville → Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist pay benchmark — Louisville → Licensed Practical Nurse pay benchmark — Louisville → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Louisville → Physical Therapist pay benchmark — Louisville → Physician Assistant pay benchmark — Louisville → Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Louisville → Respiratory Therapist pay benchmark — Louisville → Surgical Technologist pay benchmark — Louisville → Travel Nurse pay benchmark — Louisville → Emergency Room Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Louisville → ICU Registered Nurse pay benchmark — Louisville → All roles' pay benchmarks →

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.