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What to Pay a Registered Nurse in Austin, TX (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$94,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$82K–$108K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.4%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~27
Austin metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Austin at market, plan on a base salary range of $82,000 to $108,000, with $94,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 27 days, expect to lead at $108K–$125K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Texas does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your RN pay range in Austin

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

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$72K–$82K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Austin average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$89.2K–$99.6K
Default for most Austin employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~27 days. A range width of ~30% (min $82,000 to max $108,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$102.4K–$125K
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.

RN salary percentile distribution in Austin, TX

Where the Austin market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $72K
25th $82K
Median $94K
75th $108K
90th $125K

Most Austin employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($94,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $82,000 and a max of $108,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Texas pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN in Texas.

Not required statewide. Texas 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 RN role in Austin, a compliant good-faith range looks like $82,000 to $108,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $82,000–$108,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top RN employers in Austin — who you're competing against

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Ascension Seton Health system $92K–$118K Very common ($12K–$22K)
St. David's HealthCare (HCA) Health system $90K–$115K Very common ($15K–$25K)
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Austin Health system $88K–$114K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Dell Children's Medical Center (Ascension) Pediatric specialty $92K–$118K Common ($8K–$15K)
Dell Seton Medical Center at UT (Level I trauma) Academic / Level I $92K–$118K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Austin

How hard is it to fill a RN role in Austin.

~27
Avg Days to Fill
~1,900
Active Postings
~19,500
Austin RN Workforce
Tight
Supply : Demand

Austin RN market anchored by Ascension Seton, St. David's HealthCare (HCA), and Baylor Scott & White.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Austin, TX

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN + trauma (Dell Seton Level I) +6–10% Very high
Bilingual Spanish +4–7% High
CNOR +8–12% Very high

RN total compensation in Austin — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Austin Postings
Base salary $94,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +12–20% premium ~92%
Sign-on bonus $12,000–$25,000 ~82%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~58%
Tuition reimbursement $3,000–$5,000/yr ~62%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$118K–$145K —

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.

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

Where the RN range splits by employer type in the Austin metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $90,000 $82K–$104K Above national avg
ICU / Critical care $108,000 $96K–$125K Very high
Emergency department $104,000 $92K–$120K Very high
Level I trauma (Dell Seton) $110,000 $98K–$128K Very high
Ambulatory / clinic $82,000 $74K–$94K Moderate

RN salary in Austin vs. other Texas and nearby metros

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

Location Median Base vs. Austin Hiring Difficulty
Austin–Round Rock, TX $94,000 — Above national avg
San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX $82,000 −12.8% Moderate
Houston–The Woodlands, TX $92,000 −2.1% Above national avg
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX $90,000 −4.3% Above national avg
Texas statewide $86,000 −8.5% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Austin, TX

Market median is $94,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $94,000 — typically $82,000 to $108,000. To lead the market, plan on $108K–$125K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Texas. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $82,000–$108,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$84,000 falls below the Austin market median of $94,000 — 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 Austin metro RN postings include a sign-on bonus. St. David's (HCA) leads with $15K–$25K offers.
Average fill time is approximately 27 days in the Austin metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($108K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($82K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Austin-metro posting volume: Ascension Seton, St. David's HealthCare (HCA), Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center (Ascension), Dell Seton Medical Center at UT (Level I trauma) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in Austin — for example, $82,000 to $108,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Texas 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 RN pay benchmarks — Texas metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — San Antonio, TX → RN pay benchmark — Dallas, TX → RN pay benchmark — Houston, TX → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Austin
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Austin → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Austin → 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.