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What to Pay a Registered Nurse in Honolulu, HI (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–$138K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+3.6%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~34
Honolulu metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in Honolulu at market, plan on a base salary range of $102,000 to $138,000, with $118,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 34 days, expect to lead at $138K–$160K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Hawaii does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your RN pay range in Honolulu

Three pay positions, modeled against current Honolulu 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 Honolulu average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$111.6K–$126K
Default for most Honolulu employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~34 days. A range width of ~30% (min $102,000 to max $138,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$130K–$160K
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 Honolulu, HI

Where the Honolulu market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $90K
25th $102K
Median $118K
75th $138K
90th $160K

Most Honolulu 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 $138,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Hawaii pay transparency compliance for RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a RN in Hawaii.

Not required statewide. Hawaii 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 Honolulu, a compliant good-faith range looks like $102,000 to $138,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $102,000–$138,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

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

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
The Queen's Health Systems Academic medical center system $115K–$148K Very common ($15K–$25K)
Hawaii Pacific Health Health system $112K–$142K Very common ($15K–$25K)
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Integrated health system $114K–$145K Common ($10K–$18K)
Adventist Health Castle Health system $108K–$138K Very common ($12K–$22K)
Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children Pediatric / women's specialty $112K–$142K Common ($10K–$18K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Honolulu

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

~34
Avg Days to Fill
~850
Active Postings
~9,500
Honolulu RN Workforce
Very tight
Supply : Demand

Honolulu RN market driven by The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Pacific Health, and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. Very tight supply due to island isolation and high cost of living.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in Honolulu, HI

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN +7–11% Very high
Bilingual (Japanese, Tagalog, Ilocano) +5–8% Very high
CNOR +8–12% Very high

RN total compensation in Honolulu — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Honolulu Postings
Base salary $118,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +14–22% premium ~92%
Sign-on bonus $15,000–$25,000 ~80%
Relocation package $8K–$20K ~62%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~58%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$145K–$180K —

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 Honolulu — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

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

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $115,000 $104K–$132K Very tight
ICU / Critical care $135,000 $120K–$155K Very high
Emergency department $130,000 $115K–$150K Very high
OR / Perioperative $132,000 $118K–$152K Very high
Ambulatory / clinic $98,000 $88K–$112K Tight

RN salary in Honolulu vs. other Hawaii and nearby metros

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

Location Median Base vs. Honolulu Hiring Difficulty
Urban Honolulu, HI $118,000 — Very tight
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA $130,000 +10.2% Very tight
San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA $158,000 +33.9% Very tight
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA $132,000 +11.9% Tight
Hawaii statewide $112,000 −5.1% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in Honolulu, HI

Market median is $118,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $118,000 — typically $102,000 to $138,000. To lead the market, plan on $138K–$160K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Hawaii. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $102,000–$138,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$106,000 falls below the Honolulu 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 80% of Honolulu RN postings include a sign-on bonus. Queen's and Hawaii Pacific lead with $15K–$25K offers plus relocation packages ($8K–$20K) — mainland recruitment is a major channel.
Average fill time is approximately 34 days in the Honolulu metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($138K+) 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 Honolulu-metro posting volume: The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Pacific Health, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Adventist Health Castle, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in Honolulu — for example, $102,000 to $138,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Hawaii 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 — Hawaii metros and nearby nursing roles

Same role, nearby metros
RN pay benchmark — Los Angeles, CA → RN pay benchmark — San Francisco, CA → RN pay benchmark — Seattle, WA → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in Honolulu
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — Honolulu → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — Honolulu → 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.