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

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$82,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$70K–$94K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.1%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~25
San Antonio metro average
To hire a Registered Nurse in San Antonio at market, plan on a base salary range of $70,000 to $94,000, with $82,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 25 days, expect to lead at $94K–$108K 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 San Antonio

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

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$62K–$70K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the San Antonio average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$77.2K–$86.8K
Default for most San Antonio employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~25 days. A range width of ~30% (min $70,000 to max $94,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$89.2K–$108K
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 San Antonio, TX

Where the San Antonio market actually sits for RN base pay.

10th $62K
25th $70K
Median $82K
75th $94K
90th $108K

Most San Antonio employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($82,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $70,000 and a max of $94,000. 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 San Antonio, a compliant good-faith range looks like $70,000 to $94,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $70,000–$94,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top RN employers in San Antonio — who you're competing against

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

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Methodist Healthcare (HCA) Health system $80K–$104K Very common ($12K–$22K)
University Health System Public / Level I trauma $80K–$104K Government benefits
Baptist Health System (Tenet) Health system $78K–$100K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Christus Santa Rosa Health system $78K–$100K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Children's Hospital of San Antonio (Christus) Pediatric specialty $80K–$104K Common ($8K–$15K)

RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in San Antonio

How hard is it to fill a RN role in San Antonio.

~25
Avg Days to Fill
~2,400
Active Postings
~25,200
San Antonio RN Workforce
Moderate
Supply : Demand

San Antonio RN market driven by Methodist Healthcare (HCA), University Health, Baptist Health System, and Christus Santa Rosa.

Skill premiums RN candidates command in San Antonio, TX

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN +8–12% Very high
CEN + trauma (University Level I) +6–10% Very high
Bilingual Spanish +5–8% Very high — required in most postings
CNOR +8–12% Very high

RN total compensation in San Antonio — what candidates expect beyond base

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

Component Typical Value Prevalence in San Antonio Postings
Base salary $82,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +12–20% premium ~90%
Sign-on bonus $10,000–$22,000 ~78%
Certification pay +5–12% premium ~56%
Tuition reimbursement $2,500–$4,500/yr ~56%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$105K–$128K —

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 San Antonio — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the RN range splits by employer type in the San Antonio metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
Acute-care hospital (med-surg) $78,000 $70K–$90K Moderate
ICU / Critical care $94,000 $84K–$108K Very high
Emergency department $92,000 $82K–$106K Very high
Level I trauma (University) $96,000 $86K–$110K Very high
Ambulatory / clinic $68,000 $62K–$78K Moderate

RN salary in San Antonio vs. other Texas and nearby metros

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

Location Median Base vs. San Antonio Hiring Difficulty
San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX $82,000 — Moderate
Houston–The Woodlands, TX $92,000 +12.2% Above national avg
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX $90,000 +9.8% Above national avg
Austin–Round Rock, TX $94,000 +14.6% Tight
Texas statewide $86,000 +4.9% —
U.S. national $93,600 — —

FAQ: hiring a Registered Nurse in San Antonio, TX

Market median is $82,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $82,000 — typically $70,000 to $94,000. To lead the market, plan on $94K–$108K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Texas. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $70,000–$94,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$73,000 falls below the San Antonio market median of $82,000 — 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 78% of San Antonio metro RN postings include a sign-on bonus. Methodist (HCA), Baptist, and Christus lead with $10K–$22K offers.
Average fill time is approximately 25 days in the San Antonio metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($94K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($70K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By San Antonio-metro posting volume: Methodist Healthcare (HCA), University Health System, Baptist Health System (Tenet), Christus Santa Rosa, Children's Hospital of San Antonio (Christus) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for RN in San Antonio — for example, $70,000 to $94,000. 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 — Austin, TX → RN pay benchmark — Houston, TX → RN pay benchmark — Dallas, TX → All RN pay benchmarks →
Related roles in San Antonio
Certified Nursing Assistant pay benchmark — San Antonio → Nurse Practitioner pay benchmark — San Antonio → 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.