Registered Nurses hiring incentives: sign-on bonuses, relocation and shift differentials, October 2026
By YourJobs Editorial
Based on 67,245 Registered Nurses postings on yourjobs.com between 20 September and 20 October 2026. 30% of Registered Nurses postings offered a sign-on bonus; where an amount was stated (n = 11,673) the median was $10,000 and the largest we recorded was $40,000. This page was built 20 October 2026.
Incentives at a glance
- Sign-on bonuses
- 30% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a sign-on bonus (n = 20,101 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 11,673) the median was $10,000 and the largest we recorded was $40,000.
- Retention bonuses
- 0.5% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a retention bonus (n = 364 postings).
- Relocation assistance
- 11% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned relocation assistance (n = 7,238 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 432) the median was $3,000.
- Referral bonuses
- 3.2% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a referral bonus (n = 2,134 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 51) the median was $500.
- Tuition support
- 18% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned tuition reimbursement or assistance (n = 11,914 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 797, often a yearly limit) the median was $2,000.
- Shift differentials
- 22% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a shift, weekend or night pay differential (n = 14,767 postings). Where an hourly amount was stated (n = 959) the median was $7.00 per hour.
Largest sign-on bonus we recorded
This is one posting, shown with its evidence. It is the top of the range, not a typical bonus.
- Stated amount
- $40,000 (the stated bonus, which may be "up to")
- Job title
- Step-Down RN (PCU/Telemetry RN - Full-Time/Night Shift)
- Employer
- AHN Neighborhood Hospital
- Location
- Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- First seen
- 28 September 2026
- Posting text
- “…HTS: Inpatient Nurse (PCU/Step-Down/Tele RN - Full-Time Night Shift) SIGN-ON BONUS: $40,000 Bonus Potential SHIFT: Night Shift (7P-7A) JOB TYPE: Full-Time FACIL…”
Registered Nurses sign-on bonuses by state
| State | Postings | Mention a sign-on bonus | Postings mentioning | Median stated amount | Mention relocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 2,303 | 72% | 1,648 | $10,000 | 0% |
| Nebraska | 788 | 72% | 564 | $5,000 | 1% |
| Hawaii | 108 | 71% | 77 | 71% | |
| New Mexico | 4,040 | 68% | 2,761 | $15,000 | 68% |
| South Dakota | 819 | 65% | 530 | $15,000 | 0.1% |
| Maryland | 6,658 | 62% | 4,109 | $15,000 | 39% |
| Iowa | 410 | 52% | 212 | $10,000 | 0.2% |
| Michigan | 541 | 49% | 265 | $10,000 | 0.4% |
| Alaska | 220 | 47% | 104 | $10,000 | 32% |
| Montana | 285 | 46% | 130 | $10,000 | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,008 | 45% | 453 | $10,000 | 1.8% |
| North Dakota | 1,256 | 45% | 561 | $30,000 | 0% |
| New York | 1,608 | 39% | 622 | $10,000 | 6.8% |
| Delaware | 37 | 38% | 14 | 0% | |
| Missouri | 2,898 | 34% | 975 | $15,000 | 10% |
| Kansas | 576 | 32% | 185 | $5,000 | 2.1% |
| South Carolina | 432 | 32% | 136 | 3.5% | |
| Washington | 676 | 31% | 206 | $7,500 | 3.3% |
| Arkansas | 403 | 30% | 119 | 4% | |
| Illinois | 3,331 | 27% | 905 | $10,000 | 1.7% |
| Vermont | 567 | 27% | 154 | $10,000 | 55% |
| Oregon | 1,578 | 27% | 418 | $7,500 | 2.2% |
| Maine | 4,688 | 26% | 1,239 | $20,000 | 0% |
| Wyoming | 112 | 26% | 29 | 0% | |
| Ohio | 552 | 24% | 132 | $10,000 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 1,661 | 22% | 361 | 20% | |
| Georgia | 4,323 | 22% | 928 | $15,000 | 3.1% |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 19% | 6 | 0% | |
| Kentucky | 289 | 18% | 52 | $7,000 | 0.3% |
| Indiana | 209 | 18% | 37 | $7,000 | 0% |
| Oklahoma | 825 | 14% | 114 | $15,000 | 0% |
| Wisconsin | 2,118 | 13% | 282 | $10,000 | 1% |
| Connecticut | 397 | 13% | 52 | 0% | |
| Texas | 5,885 | 10% | 613 | $10,000 | 0.3% |
| California | 1,789 | 9.6% | 171 | $20,000 | 11% |
| New Jersey | 2,641 | 9.5% | 250 | $15,000 | 0.1% |
| Florida | 970 | 9.1% | 88 | $3,750 | 0.6% |
| Tennessee | 675 | 8.4% | 57 | $7,500 | 0.1% |
| North Carolina | 2,563 | 7.6% | 196 | $15,000 | 1.5% |
| Alabama | 1,472 | 7.3% | 108 | $20,000 | 0.9% |
| Massachusetts | 1,574 | 5.7% | 89 | $5,000 | 0.1% |
| Nevada | 597 | 5% | 30 | 1.7% | |
| Colorado | 1,719 | 4% | 69 | $5,000 | 2% |
| Idaho | 173 | 3.5% | 6 | 2.3% | |
| New Hampshire | 61 | 3.3% | 2 | 49% | |
| Louisiana | 238 | 2.9% | 7 | 0.8% | |
| West Virginia | 103 | 2.9% | 3 | 0% | |
| Arizona | 810 | 2.3% | 19 | 0.1% | |
| Mississippi | 162 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
States with at least 30 Registered Nurses postings in the window, ranked by the share mentioning a sign-on bonus. A median is shown only where at least 30 postings stated an amount.
Month by month
| Month | Postings | Sign-on bonus | Median stated amount | Largest stated | Relocation | Tuition support | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 (to date) | 65,250 | 30% | $10,000 | $40,000 | 11% | 17% | 23% |
| September 2026 | 3,655 | 19% | $15,000 | $40,000 | 3.9% | 37% | 3.8% |
| August 2026 | 2,161 | 33% | $10,000 | $25,000 | 1.4% | 42% | 2.1% |
| July 2026 | 1,578 | 24% | $5,000 | $30,000 | 3% | 19% | 0.9% |
| June 2026 | 1,397 | 18% | $20,000 | $30,000 | 6.7% | 34% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 24 | ||||||
| March 2026 | 3 | $10,000 |
A month is the month a posting was first seen. Shares are blank where a month holds fewer than 30 postings; medians are blank where fewer than 30 postings stated an amount.
Related pages
- Registered Nurses pay: advertised rates
- Current Registered Nurses jobs
- Hiring incentives across all occupations
- How incentives are read from postings
Notes and sources
Incentive amounts are as stated in the posting (often "up to"); eligibility conditions are not captured.
Source: yourjobs.com job postings (ClickCast feed), read as described on the methodology page. Updated daily; this page was built 20 October 2026, 09:49.
Download the data: incentives by occupation and state (CSV), licensed CC BY 4.0.
Cite as:
YourJobs (2026). Hiring incentives for Registered Nurses in US job postings, 20 September to 20 October 2026. https://yourjobs.com/incentives/registered-nurses
Questions about Registered Nurses hiring incentives
What share of Registered Nurses job postings offer a sign-on bonus?
30% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a sign-on bonus (n = 20,101 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 11,673) the median was $10,000 and the largest we recorded was $40,000. Amounts are as stated in the posting and are often "up to" figures.
What is a typical sign-on bonus for Registered Nurses?
Across 11,673 US Registered Nurses postings that stated a sign-on amount between 20 September and 20 October 2026, the median stated bonus was $10,000 and a quarter of postings stated $15,000 or more. These are advertised amounts, often "up to", with eligibility conditions not captured.
What is the largest sign-on bonus advertised for Registered Nurses?
The largest stated sign-on bonus we recorded for Registered Nurses between 20 September and 20 October 2026 was $40,000, on a posting titled "Step-Down RN (PCU/Telemetry RN - Full-Time/Night Shift)" from AHN Neighborhood Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, first seen 28 September 2026. It is a single posting, not a typical bonus.
How common are relocation assistance and tuition reimbursement in Registered Nurses postings?
11% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned relocation assistance (n = 7,238 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 432) the median was $3,000. 18% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned tuition reimbursement or assistance (n = 11,914 postings). Where an amount was stated (n = 797, often a yearly limit) the median was $2,000.
How common are shift differentials for Registered Nurses, and what do they pay?
22% of Registered Nurses postings first seen between 20 September and 20 October 2026 mentioned a shift, weekend or night pay differential (n = 14,767 postings). Where an hourly amount was stated (n = 959) the median was $7.00 per hour.
In which states do Registered Nurses postings most often mention a sign-on bonus?
Among states with at least 30 Registered Nurses postings between 20 September and 20 October 2026, the highest shares mentioning a sign-on bonus were Minnesota (72% of 2,303 postings), Nebraska (72% of 788 postings), Hawaii (71% of 108 postings).