Per diemPosted yesterday
Registered Nurse - Operating Room - Surgical Center at Hopewell - Per Diem - Level I - Varies
Capital Health System · Pennington, NJ
$51.97–$51.97/ hour
New this week
Operating room nurse jobs in Pennington, NJ
The median registered nurse pay in the Pennington area is $46.94 per hour ($97,640 a year), with the typical range running from $44.28 to $55.84. 3 open roles with published pay are listed for Pennington. The CMS hospital directory lists 1 hospital in Pennington. Your free pay report adds named employers and the roles open near Pennington.
- $46.94median pay per hour, Trenton
- $44–$56typical range per hour
- 5,330registered nurses employed in the metro area
- 3open roles with published pay
Open Operating room nurse roles in Pennington
PermanentPosted 22 days ago
*$10K SIGN ON BONUS * Registered Nurse - Perioperative (OR) - HPW - FT - Day
Capital Health System · Pennington, NJ
$45.60–$62.59/ hour
Top 25% pay
For youUpdated weekly
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PermanentPosted 22 days ago
Registered Nurse - Perioperative (Operating Room) - Hopewell - Full-time - Day
Capital Health System · Pennington, NJ
$45.60–$62.59/ hour
Top 25% pay
Get the Pennington Operating room nurse pay report
Named employers near Pennington, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.
Get my free pay reportRegistered Nurse pay in Pennington, NJ
The metro median is 5% below the New Jersey statewide median of $49.39 per hour. Nationally the median is $45.00 per hour. BLS counts about 5,330 registered nurses employed in the Trenton-Princeton metro area, 22.3 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is about as concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.05).
| Level | Per hour | Per year | Compared with U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $38.84 | $80,790 | 14% below U.S. median |
| Lower quartile | $44.28 | $92,100 | 2% below U.S. median |
| Median | $46.94 | $97,640 | 4% above U.S. median |
| Upper quartile | $55.84 | $116,150 | 24% above U.S. median |
| Top 10% | $57.88 | $120,390 | 29% above U.S. median |
How Pennington ranks
- 80th of 379 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
- 89th of 335 after adjusting for local prices
BLS does not publish a separate figure for operating room nurse. These numbers are for the broader category it belongs to, Registered Nurses.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.
What your pay buys in Pennington
- Overall prices in Trenton-Princeton run 3% above the U.S. average (index 103.2, U.S. = 100).
- Housing is the biggest driver: 35% above the U.S. average (index 135.1).
- Adjusted for local prices, a $46.94 median hour buys what $45.49 buys at the national price level, 1% above the national median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.
Estimate your Pennington paycheck
Estimated weekly gross$1,690
- Per year: $84,492
- Per month: $7,041
Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Trenton-Princeton metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.
Travel assignment per diem in Pennington
| Item | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| Lodging per night | $138 |
| Meals and incidentals per day | $86 |
| Per week (7 nights, 7 days) | $1,568 |
| 13-week assignment | $20,384 |
Travel operating room nurse assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.
Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).
Hospitals in Pennington
CMS lists 1 hospital in Pennington, 0 of the 1 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of operating room nurses.
| Hospital | Type | Ownership | CMS rating | Emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell Pennington, NJ | Acute care | Nonprofit | 2 of 5 | Yes |
Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.
Primary care shortage areas in Mercer County
HRSA lists 1 active primary care shortage designation that include Mercer County (1 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 14 on a 0 to 25 scale, where a higher score means a greater shortage.
Shortage areas are where demand for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians is greatest. Federal loan repayment programs such as the NHSC and Nurse Corps cover some clinicians who work at eligible shortage-area sites. Eligibility is set by each program and by the site, so ask your recruiter before you plan around it.
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas data warehouse, designated areas only. A designation can cover part of a county.
License and tax basics in New Jersey
New Jersey is in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN/LVN with a multistate license from another compact state can work here without a new license. Nurses whose home state is not in the compact apply for a New Jersey license by endorsement.
New Jersey taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.
Other healthcare roles in Pennington
Pennington city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing
Common questions
How much do operating room nurses make in Pennington, NJ?
BLS reports pay for registered nurses overall, not by specialty. Registered Nurses in the Trenton-Princeton metro area have a median pay of $46.94 per hour, about $97,640 a year. The middle half earn between $44.28 and $55.84 per hour (BLS, May 2024).
Is Pennington a good place for operating room nurses once cost of living is counted?
Trenton-Princeton ranks 89th of 335 metro areas for registered nurse pay after adjusting for local prices, and 80th of 379 before adjusting. Overall prices run 3% above the U.S. average.
Who is hiring operating room nurses in Pennington?
We list 3 open roles with published pay from 1 employer in Pennington. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Pennington.
Do I need a New Jersey license to work in Pennington as an operating room nurse?
New Jersey is in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN/LVN with a multistate license from another compact state can work here without a new license. Nurses whose home state is not in the compact apply for a New Jersey license by endorsement. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.
Is Pennington in a shortage area?
HRSA lists 1 active primary care shortage designation that include Mercer County. Shortage areas often have more openings, and some loan repayment programs cover clinicians who work at eligible sites.
What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Pennington?
The federal per diem benchmark in Pennington is $138 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,568 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.
Does Valorem Health place operating room nurses in Pennington?
Yes. We place healthcare staff in Pennington and across New Jersey. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Pennington.
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What do employers near Pennington pay operating room nurses? Get the report.
Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.
- 1Pay for your role at other hospitals
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
- 2What they are offering now
The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.
- 3Roles open for you right now
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Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]
Your RN pay reportPennington, NJ · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026
1Pay for your role at other hospitals
- Capital Health SystemPennington, NJ · 36 postings$54.09/ hr$36–$63
- Veterans Health AdministrationLyons, NJ · 2 postings$61.99/ hr$46–$78
- Centrastate Healthcare SystemFreehold, NJ · 23 postings$59.40/ hr$44–$82
- Select MedicalSaddle Brook, NJ · 5 postings$53.97/ hr$43–$62
Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.
2What they are offering now
Low$40Median$48.67High$63
194 RN postings with published pay in New Jersey, 164 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
3Open now: 194 RN roles
- Registered Nurse - Community Living CenterPer diem$96k–$162k/ year
- Registered Nurse (CLC)Permanent$96k–$162k/ year
+ 192 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.
I'm interestedOne click. A recruiter writes only after you reply.