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What to Pay an Operating Room Registered Nurse in Phoenix, AZ (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$118,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$102K–$135K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.4%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~33
Phoenix metro average
To hire a Operating Room Registered Nurse in Phoenix at market, plan on a base salary range of $102,000 to $135,000, with $118,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 33 days, expect to lead at $135K–$155K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Arizona does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your OR RN pay range in Phoenix

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

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$90K–$102K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Phoenix average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$111.6K–$124.8K
Default for most Phoenix employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~33 days. A range width of ~30% (min $102,000 to max $135,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a OR RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$128.2K–$155K
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 Phoenix, AZ

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

10th $90K
25th $102K
Median $118K
75th $135K
90th $155K

Most Phoenix employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($118,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $102,000 and a max of $135,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Arizona pay transparency compliance for OR RN job postings

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

Not required statewide. Arizona 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 Phoenix, a compliant good-faith range looks like $102,000 to $135,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $102,000–$135,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

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

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Banner Health Health system $115K–$148K Very common ($15K–$25K)
HonorHealth Health system $112K–$145K Common ($10K–$18K)
Mayo Clinic Arizona Specialty academic $118K–$150K Common ($8K–$15K)
Dignity Health AZ / CommonSpirit Health system $108K–$140K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Surgical Care Affiliates (ASCs) Ambulatory surgery centers $102K–$130K Common ($8K–$15K)

OR RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Phoenix

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

~33
Avg Days to Fill
~620
Active Postings
~6,200
Phoenix OR RN Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Skill premiums OR RN candidates command in Phoenix, AZ

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CNOR +8–12% on base Standard
Cardiothoracic OR (Banner/Mayo) +8–12% Very high
Orthopedic OR +6–10% High — snowbird-driven
Robotic surgery cert +6–10% Growing

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

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Phoenix Postings
Base salary $118,000 (median) 100%
Call pay (standby + callback) $5–$10/hr standby + 1.5–2× hourly ~95%
Sign-on bonus $12,000–$25,000 ~82%
CNOR certification pay +8–12% on base ~74%
Relocation package $6,000–$12,000 ~38%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$155K–$185K

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 Phoenix — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
General OR $114,000 $102K–$132K Very high
Cardiothoracic OR (Banner/Mayo) $124,000 $110K–$142K Very high
Neurosurgery OR $122,000 $108K–$140K Very high
Orthopedic OR (snowbird-driven) $120,000 $108K–$138K Very high
Ambulatory surgery center $106,000 $95K–$122K Tight

OR RN salary in Phoenix vs. other Arizona and nearby metros

What you'd pay if you hired in a nearby metro instead.

Location Median Base vs. Phoenix Hiring Difficulty
Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZ $118,000 Tight
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NV $108,000 −8.5% Tight
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO $120,000 +1.7% Very tight
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA $150,000 +27.1% Very tight
Arizona statewide $108,000 −8.5%
U.S. national $106,000

FAQ: hiring a Operating Room Registered Nurse in Phoenix, AZ

Market median is $118,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $118,000 — typically $102,000 to $135,000. To lead the market, plan on $135K–$155K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Arizona. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $102,000–$135,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$106,000 falls below the Phoenix market median of $118,000 — 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 82% of Phoenix OR RN postings include a sign-on bonus. Banner and Dignity lead with $12K–$25K offers. Orthopedic OR demand is unusually high due to snowbird-driven joint replacement volume October–April.
Average fill time is approximately 33 days in the Phoenix metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($135K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($102K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Phoenix-metro posting volume: Banner Health, HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Dignity Health AZ / CommonSpirit, Surgical Care Affiliates (ASCs) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for OR RN in Phoenix — for example, $102,000 to $135,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Arizona 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 — Arizona metros and nearby nursing roles

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