New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Arizona
Arizona employs 73,150 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $99,500 a year, $1,950 above the national median of $97,550. We track 37 new-grad RN programs at Arizona hospitals, of which 5 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026.
- RNs employed
- 73,150
- Median RN pay
- $99,500
- 25th percentile
- $39.33/hr
- Programs we track
- 37
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 5
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 89.9%
- Work before the NCLEX
- Ask the board
Every Arizona program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Arizona
A quarter of Arizona RNs earn less than $39.33 an hour ($81,810 a year) and half earn more than $47.84. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts Arizona 18th of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is spread out in Arizona: $8.51 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a wider gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53,700 | $100,830 | $39.58 |
| Tucson, AZ | 10,120 | $94,110 | $37.64 |
| Yuma, AZ | 1,640 | $94,320 | $35.05 |
Where the RN jobs are
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler employs 53,700 RNs, 73% of the state's total, so most RN jobs in Arizona are there.
When people search for new grad RN jobs in Arizona, the places they name most often are Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale and Mesa.
Getting licensed in Arizona
The Arizona State Board of Nursing licenses RNs in Arizona.
Arizona is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Arizona is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Arizona on their home state's multistate license.
Of its neighboring states, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah are in the compact; California and Nevada are not, so working there means a separate license.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Arizona
We could not confirm from an official Arizona source whether new graduates can get a permit to work before the NCLEX. Ask the Arizona board before you plan on it.
The Arizona State Board of Nursing can tell you; its contact details are on NCSBN's page for it.
29 of the 50 states and DC do allow it in some form. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Arizona
4,514 of the 5,020 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates who took the NCLEX-RN for Arizona in 2025 passed: 89.9%, 3.2 points above the national rate of 86.7%.
With 37 new-grad programs on our list, that is about 136 new test takers for each one, near the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Arizona and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, California both pays RNs the most (a median of $140,270) and has the most new-grad programs on our list (266).
| State | Programs we track | Median RN pay | In the compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 37 | $99,500 | Yes |
| California | 266 | $140,270 | No |
| Colorado | 30 | $100,260 | Yes |
| New Mexico | 13 | $94,340 | Yes |
| Utah | 12 | $84,600 | Yes |
| Nevada | 7 | $103,670 | No |
Questions about Arizona
How much do new grad nurses make in Arizona?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Arizona RNs, the 25th percentile is $39.33 an hour and the median $47.84 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $39.33.
How many nurse residency programs are in Arizona?
Vibe Nursing tracks 37 new-grad programs at Arizona hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 5 were taking applications.
Can I work in Arizona with a compact license?
Yes. Arizona is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Arizona?
We could not confirm from an official Arizona source whether new graduates can get a permit to work before the NCLEX. Ask the Arizona board before you plan on it.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Arizona?
89.9% in 2025: 4,514 of 5,020 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Arizona (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area?
The median is $100,830 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $39.58 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 53,700 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: not confirmed from an official source (October 2026); ask the board.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).