Compared with the local labor market
Registered Nurse II pay vs. Massachusetts
Across all employers in Massachusetts, the median wage for Registered Nurses — about 88,200 people — is $104,550. Department of Public Health (Dph) pays a median base salary of $142,509 for this role, 36% above that figure — about the 77th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
Where Department of Public Health (Dph) sits in the local pay range
$80,310
$87,460
$104,550
$136,110
$174,510
Department of Public Health (Dph) median · $142,509
The bar is the range of annual wages for Registered Nurses across every employer in Massachusetts, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Public Health (Dph)’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Registered Nurses — about 3,379,720 people — is $97,550. Department of Public Health (Dph)’s median base salary is 46% above that national figure, above the 90th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
$68,940
$80,330
$97,550
$112,350
$137,470
Department of Public Health (Dph) median · $142,509
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Massachusetts range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Department of Public Health (Dph) is $183,103, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare departments
This role across Massachusetts
Registered Nurse II is held in 3 Massachusetts departments. In Department of Public Health (Dph), the median of $204,447 ranks #1 of 3.
Highest-paying departments for this role
Median total compensation for the Registered Nurse II role in other Massachusettsdepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.
Compare jurisdictions
Registered Nurse beyond Massachusetts
This role is reported in 15 jurisdictions. In Massachusetts, the median of $150,727 ranks #3 of 15. See Registered Nurse across all of Massachusetts →
Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role
Median total compensation for comparable Registered Nurseroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.