Registered Nurse vs Machine Learning Engineer Salary
National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Registered Nurses earn a national median of $93,600/year vs Machine Learning Engineers at $158,000/year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 69% more nationally. The gap is $64,400 per year — or $5,367 per month.
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Registered Nurse
$93,600
national median/year
$7,800/mo • $45/hr
VS
Machine Learning Engineer
$158,000
national median/year
$13,167/mo • $76/hr
Annual salary gap
$64,400
Machine Learning Engineers earn 69% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $729,993.
Best states for Machine Learning Engineers
vs Registered Nurses
Virginia+$92,000
Washington+$83,600
California+$78,700
New York+$77,200
Texas+$75,600
Best states for Registered Nurses
vs Machine Learning Engineers
Alaska+$-25,200
Hawaii+$-29,200
Wyoming+$-37,600
Mississippi+$-38,800
West Virginia+$-40,000
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Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Registered Nurses is $93,600 versus $158,000 for Machine Learning Engineers — a difference of $64,400 per year or $5,367 per month.
The national median salary gap between Registered Nurses and Machine Learning Engineers is $64,400 per year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 69% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $729,993.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Registered Nurses the highest median salary at $133,300 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Machine Learning Engineers the highest median salary at $212,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Registered Nurses and Computer and Information Research Scientists both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Registered Nurses earn approximately $45 per hour nationally and Machine Learning Engineers earn approximately $76 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
