Between long shifts, short staffing, and pay rates that don’t match the workload, nurses are tempted to hang up their scrubs for good. So, it’s not surprising that 18% of nurses leave within the first year.
But before you start questioning your career choice, maybe it’s just time for a change of scenery. Whether your current job isn’t giving you the satisfaction you hoped for or you just need a fresh start, you’ll enjoy working at the highest paying facilities that offer healthy work environments.
Here are the 14 top paying facilities for nurses as of May 2025
We mined the HealthStubs registered nurse salary database to find the healthcare facilities that are paying full-time staff Registered Nurses top dollar as of May 2025. We ranked these healthcare facilities by highest median hourly base pay. The following healthcare facilities made the cut for the top paying facilities for nurses.
1. Stanford Health Care
- Median Hourly Rate: $72.50
- Highest Hourly Rate: $118.45
- Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA
You’ve probably seen Stanford Health Care on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. It’s been there for 10 years in a row. It also ranks as the highest paying facility for nurses in America, offering north of $118 hourly. Another good thing about working here is that you’ll have access to ample support resources to help you succeed as a nurse.
With over 600 licensed beds and 1.2 million annual outpatient visits, there’s no such thing as a slow day at Stanford Health Care.
2. Kaiser Permanente
- Median Hourly Rate: $68.53
- Highest Hourly Rate: $105
- Headquarters: Oakland, CA
Kaiser Permanente provides healthcare services to more than 28% of people living in the Bay Area. With a median wage of $68.53 per hour, Kaiser has some of the highest paid nurses in the country. Employee compensation and benefits seem to be the major draw for nurses, and seven out of 10 employees would recommend it to a friend.
Considering that Kaiser offers mandatory nurse breaks, fully covered healthcare, and the possibility of an annual raise, it’s easy to see why this facility has a 72% employee retention rate.
3. Northwell Health
- Median Hourly Rate: $66.44
- Highest Hourly Rate: $77
- Headquarters: New York, NY
Northwell Health is the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York, with over 21 hospitals offering high-paying nursing roles. Being the best health system for diversity, it welcomes qualified nurses from all backgrounds. As long as you’re passionate about delivering exceptional patient care, you’ll fit.
Northwell’s comprehensive training programs will quickly get you up to speed if you’re new to the nursing profession. Employees have rated their experience with 3.7 stars on Glassdoor, noting the supportive management team, career growth opportunities, and median hourly rates of $66.44.
4. Legacy Health
- Median Hourly Rate: $63.50
- Highest Hourly Rate: $75.15
- Headquarters: Portland, OR
Legacy Health is a locally owned, non-profit medical facility committed to community well being. On Glassdoor, you’ll find several nurses attesting to the good working conditions at this facility, which has an average rating of 3.6 stars.
Along with high pay rates, an enviable nurse to patient ratio, and lenient dress codes, Legacy Health also offers flexible work hours so you don’t burn out from long, exhausting shifts. As one of the best large employers in the country, Legacy north of $75 per hour.
5. City of Hope
- Median Hourly Rate: $61.25
- Highest Hourly Rate: $78
- Headquarters: Duarte, CA
City of Hope is one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the world, with pay rates that keep employees motivated. As a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and a pioneer of bone marrow transplants, it conducts 850 clinical trials and treats as many as 144,000 patients in a single year. So, if you’re passionate about caring for people living with cancer, and $61.25 per hour is good enough for you, you’ll be a great fit for COH.
6. Seattle Children’s Hospital
- Median Hourly Rate: $58.25
- Highest Hourly Rate: $69
- Headquarters: Seattle, WA
Seattle Children’s Hospital provides top healthcare services to help people aged 0-21 live fulfilling lives, and an hourly rate of $58.25 is high enough to keep you motivated. Working here, you’ll enjoy great perks like health insurance and employee wellness programs. It also offers internal training grants and mentorship programs, which come in handy if you’re after specialized nursing roles.
7. UCLA Health
- Median Hourly Rate: $58.22
- Highest Hourly Rate: $73.18
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
At UCLA Health, there’s not much difference between the median and highest hourly rates, which means that most nurses earn close to the max. For 35 consecutive years, it’s been recognized by the National Honor Roll for having the best hospitals. So, if prestige, hour long breaks, and a strong patient to nurse ratio matter more to you than a $58 pay rate, UCLA Health might tick all your boxes.
8. Adventist Health
- Median Hourly Rate: $57.37
- Highest Hourly Rate: $68
- Headquarters: Roseville, CA
Adventist Health is where faith meets modern medicine. It was founded on the Seventh day Adventist Church’s heritage and values, hence the name. If you’re looking for a healthcare facility with less chaotic emergency rooms and staff that get along like family, Adventist Health could be your place. A $57.37 hourly rate isn’t the highest you’ll find, but it’s more than two times higher than the average compensation in Los Angeles.
9. HonorHealth
- Median Hourly Rate: $56.50
- Highest Hourly Rate: $68
- Headquarters: Scottsdale, AZ
With a 4.0 star rating on Glassdoor, HonorHealth is one of the top rated hospitals in Arizona and a solid choice for nurses who want to be part of something elite. Top earners can get $68 or more per hour here. However, some nurses have reported short staffing, which can mean higher patient loads during night shifts.
10. UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Median Hourly Rate: $55.25
- Highest Hourly Rate: $72
- Headquarters: Dallas, TX
UT Southwestern comes in 10th place, but with a $72 high-end pay rate, it offers a strong top-end compensation potential for top nurses. It ranked as the best hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for eight consecutive years, offering a healthy environment for patients and employees. As a registered nurse, you’ll enjoy job security, a lot of PTO, and insurance benefits once you make it past the 6 month probationary period.
11. HealthTrust
- Median Hourly Rate: $50.87
- Highest Hourly Rate: $57
- Headquarters: Nashville, TN
HealthTrust is a subsidiary of HCA Healthcare, the largest health system in the United States. At $57 per hour, the highest reported hourly rate might fall a little short of what you’d expect from such a big name. But if you’re someone who values improving care quality over chasing the highest paycheck, you can still have a rewarding nursing career here. One of the best things about working at HealthTrust is its flexibility — it lets you choose when and how you want to work.
12. Emerus
- Median Hourly Rate: $50.50
- Highest Hourly Rate: $53
- Headquarters: Houston, TX
Emerus offers a reported maximum pay rate of $53 per hour — the lowest on this list. With emergency rooms featuring eight to ten beds and a limited inpatient capacity, Emerus is also one of the smallest facilities that pays above the national average.
On the plus side, smaller scale emergency rooms and fewer staff mean you can work more closely with your colleagues. Also, it’s one of the few places where you don’t have to worry about being micromanaged.
13. Penn Medicine
- Median Hourly Rate: $49
- Highest Hourly Rate: $59.55
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA
Penn Medicine rounds out the list with a $49 hourly rate for your median nurse. However, it also offers cheaper health insurance rates, so your overall compensation might still balance out since you’re not spending as much on health coverage. Overall, 75% of nurses would recommend Penn Medicine to a friend.
14. Brown University Health
- Median Hourly Rate: $48.70
- Highest Hourly Rate: $62
- Headquarters: Providence, RI
Brown University Health is a non profit health facility with three teaching hospitals and America’s first psychiatric hospital for children. Nurses here earn a median compensation of $48.70, and although this is the lowest on this list, it’s much higher than the national average. One perk worth noting is that you don’t have to hit 40 hours weekly to qualify for overtime. If you work part-time and pick up an extra shift, this counts as overtime.
Final Thoughts
The 14 best paying facilities on this list prove that it’s possible to earn competitive wages and strike a healthy work life balance in your nursing career. From Stanford’s top dollar rates to smaller systems like Emerus that offer flexibility and less micromanagement, there’s something for every kind of nurse.
At the end of the day, it’s all about what matters most to you, whether that’s high rates, prestige, flexibility, or support.
If you’d like to view compensation data for other healthcare roles, find your role in the HealthStubs salary index, and filter as needed. If you’d like to register to view all of the HealthStubs salary data, click here to register for HealthStubs.
