Registered Nurse Jobs in Phoenix, AZ
Registered nurses in Phoenix earn a median of about $48 an hour, and the Valley's biggest employers, from Banner Health to Mayo Clinic, run structured new-grad residencies to keep up with a metro adding nearly 60,000 people a year. Here are the current RN openings, then who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current registered nurse Openings in Phoenix, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Phoenix
Most Phoenix RN jobs sit along two corridors. Thomas Road and the Central Avenue spine hold Dignity Health St. Joseph's, Phoenix Children's Thomas Campus, Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix on McDowell Road and the Carl T. Hayden VA on Indian School Road. North Phoenix is the other cluster: HonorHealth John C. Lincoln on Dunlap Avenue, HonorHealth Deer Valley off 27th Avenue, and Mayo Clinic Hospital on Mayo Boulevard near Loop 101. East of downtown, Valleywise Health opened its new county teaching hospital on Roosevelt Street in 2024, home of the Arizona Burn Center.
Demand comes from growth. The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro passed 5.2 million people in 2025 after adding about 59,000 residents in a single year, and Banner is already planning a new Scottsdale campus near Loop 101 and Hayden Road. Arizona is also a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so nurses from other compact states can start here without a new license, which widens the pool Phoenix hospitals recruit from.
Top Phoenix Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These systems had RN openings or nurse hiring pages live in Phoenix this month:
- Banner Health - Arizona's largest private employer hires RNs full-time, part-time and per diem, from Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix to Banner Estrella on 91st Avenue.
- HonorHealth - runs John C. Lincoln and Deer Valley in north Phoenix plus its Scottsdale hospitals, with a six-month new graduate residency.
- Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic Hospital in north Phoenix hires float pool and specialty RNs and runs the Arizona Nurse Residency Program.
- Dignity Health - the CommonSpirit system staffs St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center on Thomas Road, including cardiac thoracic ICU roles.
- Phoenix Children's - the Level 1 pediatric trauma center hires PICU, CVICU and NICU nurses and new grads into an 18-month pediatric residency.
- Phoenix VA Health Care System - the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center hires RNs through federal USAJOBS announcements.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Phoenix
- Entry level: about $34 to $40 an hour for new graduates and first-year staff nurses.
- Experienced: roughly $45 to $52 an hour, around $100,000 a year at the local median.
- Senior and specialty: $52 to $63 an hour or more for ICU, OR, charge and seasoned specialty nurses.
These are estimates built from 2025 federal wage data for the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro and current postings. Night and weekend differentials, specialty certification, per diem status and employer type move pay the most. Tuition help and paid residency programs also add value beyond the hourly rate.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Phoenix
You need an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, a passing NCLEX-RN score and a license from the Arizona State Board of Nursing. Maricopa Community Colleges offers the associate degree at eight colleges, including Phoenix College, whose Center for Nursing Excellence sits on 3rd Avenue, and GateWay on 40th Street. For a BSN, local options include ASU's Edson College on the Downtown Phoenix campus, Grand Canyon University on Camelback Road and Chamberlain on 19th Avenue. Nurses who already hold a multistate compact license from another compact state can work in Arizona on it until Arizona becomes their primary residence.
What the Job Involves
RNs assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, watch monitors and lab results, update the chart, and flag changes to physicians. On a 12-hour hospital shift that means carrying a patient assignment, fewer patients in intensive care, while teaching patients and families what comes next. Clinic, home health and case management nurses spend more time on education, care coordination and follow-up.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Arizona or multistate compact RN license
- BLS, with ACLS or PALS for acute and pediatric units
- Epic or Cerner charting experience
- Clinical judgment and fast prioritization
- Bilingual English and Spanish communication
- Willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
Most Phoenix nurses start in a residency or on a med-surg floor, move into ICU, ED, OR or labor and delivery after a year or two, then step up to charge nurse, educator or nurse manager. With a BSN, many use employer tuition help toward a graduate degree and a nurse practitioner role, often without leaving the same Valley system.
Related Careers in Phoenix
If nursing interests you, these related Phoenix guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an Arizona license to work as an RN in Phoenix?
You need a license from the Arizona State Board of Nursing unless you hold a multistate compact license from another compact state. Arizona is a compact state, so a multistate license stays valid here until you make Arizona your primary residence, when you apply for an Arizona license.
How much do registered nurses make in Phoenix?
Federal 2025 wage data puts the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler median near $48 an hour, or about $100,000 a year. New grads start closer to $34 to $40 an hour, and the top tenth of Phoenix RNs earn about $63 an hour or more.
Which Phoenix hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Banner Health runs its New Nurse Experience residency, HonorHealth a six-month New Graduate Residency Program, Mayo Clinic the Arizona Nurse Residency Program, and Phoenix Children's an 18-month pediatric residency. Mayo's next cohort starts February 22, 2027, with applications due in early October 2026.
Where can I study nursing in Phoenix?
Maricopa Community Colleges offers the associate degree in nursing at eight colleges, including Phoenix College and GateWay. ASU Edson College, Grand Canyon University and Chamberlain offer the BSN in Phoenix, and GateWay also has an RN-to-BSN option.
What shifts do Phoenix hospital nurses work?
Most hospital RNs work three 12-hour shifts a week, days or nights, with rotating weekends and holidays. Night and weekend shifts carry differentials, and per diem roles pay a higher hourly rate in exchange for fewer benefits.
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