Registered Nurse Jobs in Philadelphia, PA
Registered nurses in the Philadelphia area start around $39 an hour, and experienced RNs average about $53, according to Pennsylvania wage data. Penn Medicine, Jefferson, CHOP and Temple all hire within a few miles of City Hall. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current registered nurse Openings in Philadelphia, PA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Philadelphia
Few cities pack this many teaching hospitals into so small an area. University City alone holds the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center on Woodland Avenue. Center City has Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first. Up North Broad Street sits Temple University Hospital, with Jefferson Einstein just off it on Old York Road, and Fox Chase Cancer Center anchors the Northeast on Cottman Avenue.
That density means an RN can change employers without changing their SEPTA commute, and several of these hospitals run residency programs for new graduates. When Crozer Health closed Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital in Delaware County in 2025, it put more than 2,600 health workers back on the regional job market. Home health is another lane: Penn Medicine at Home posts RN routes by neighborhood, from South Philly to North Philadelphia.
Top Philadelphia Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
Each of these health systems posts RN openings on its own career site:
- Penn Medicine - the University of Pennsylvania Health System hires clinical nurses for HUP, Penn Presbyterian and Pennsylvania Hospital, plus home health RNs.
- Jefferson Health - hires RNs for its Center City hospital, Jefferson Methodist in South Philadelphia and Jefferson Einstein, with a Philadelphia new-grad program.
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - the Civic Center Boulevard pediatric hospital recruits clinical nurses for ICUs, the OR, transport and its nurse residency.
- Temple Health - hires RNs for Temple University Hospital on North Broad, the Jeanes and Episcopal campuses and Chestnut Hill Hospital.
- Fox Chase Cancer Center - the Magnet-designated cancer center in the Northeast hires inpatient, ambulatory and perioperative oncology nurses.
- Philadelphia VA Medical Center - hires RNs through USAJOBS and runs a 12-month residency for new BSN graduates.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Philadelphia
- Entry level: about $37 to $41 an hour, or roughly $77,000 to $85,000 a year, for new graduates.
- Experienced: about $45 to $55 an hour with a few years on a unit.
- Senior and specialty: $55 an hour and up for ICU, OR, charge and other specialty nurses, before differentials.
These are estimates built from Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry wage data for the Philadelphia metro and local contract terms. Shift and unit move pay the most. Temple University Hospital's union contract, for example, adds 13 percent of base pay for evening and night shifts, capped at $7 an hour, plus a weekend differential. A BSN, specialty certification and Magnet or academic employers generally pay more than clinics and long-term care.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Philadelphia
You need a nursing degree, a passing score on the NCLEX-RN and a license from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. Community College of Philadelphia offers an ACEN-accredited associate degree at its Spring Garden Street Main Campus, with a 92 percent first-time NCLEX pass rate in 2025. Bachelor's programs run at Penn, Temple, Jefferson, Drexel, Holy Family and La Salle, and the big academic hospitals often prefer a BSN. Pennsylvania fully joined the Nurse Licensure Compact on July 7, 2025, so Pennsylvania residents can now hold a multistate license that also covers New Jersey and Delaware. Expect FBI, state police and child abuse clearances before your first shift.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, monitor vital signs and cardiac rhythms, carry out physician orders and chart everything in the electronic record. They teach patients and families, coordinate with doctors, therapists and case managers, and respond first when a patient's condition changes. Hospital nurses usually work three 12-hour shifts a week, including nights, weekends and holidays.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Pennsylvania or multistate RN license
- BLS, plus ACLS or PALS for acute and pediatric units
- Clinical assessment and critical thinking under pressure
- Epic or similar electronic health record experience
- Clear communication with patients from many backgrounds
- Specialty certification such as CCRN or OCN for advanced roles
Career Path and Advancement
Most Philadelphia new grads start in a residency or new-grad program at CHOP, Fox Chase, the VA or Jefferson, then move up clinical ladders such as Penn's Clinical Nurse tiers. From there the path runs to charge nurse, assistant nurse manager and nurse manager, or into advanced practice. Nurse practitioners in the Philadelphia metro start around $110,000 a year, and Penn, Jefferson, Drexel and Temple all offer graduate nursing programs close to the bedside.
Related Careers in Philadelphia
If nursing interests you, these related Philadelphia roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in Philadelphia?
Pennsylvania wage data puts entry-level RNs in the Philadelphia metro around $81,000 a year and experienced RNs around $110,000. Night, weekend and specialty differentials can add several dollars an hour on top of base pay.
Can I work in Philadelphia with a New Jersey or Delaware nursing license?
Yes, if it is a multistate license. Pennsylvania fully joined the Nurse Licensure Compact in July 2025, so a multistate RN license from New Jersey, Delaware or another compact state lets you practice here. A single-state license from a non-compact state still requires a Pennsylvania license.
Do Philadelphia hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. CHOP, Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Philadelphia VA run residency programs for newly licensed RNs, and Jefferson posts dedicated new-grad RN openings for its Philadelphia hospitals. The VA accepts residency applications from March through June for its fall cohort, so apply before you graduate.
Do I need a BSN to get hired in Philadelphia?
Not always. An associate degree from Community College of Philadelphia qualifies you for the NCLEX and many staff jobs, and the VA hires associate-degree nurses at its entry grade. Academic hospitals often prefer a BSN, so many nurses start with an associate degree and finish the bachelor's while working.
Are Philadelphia nurses unionized?
Some are. Nurses at Temple University Hospital are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, and their 2025 contract set raises of 3.25 percent, 3.25 percent and 3 percent over three years.
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