Ohio · VA nurse locality pay · 2026
VA nurse pay scale, Cincinnati, OH (station 539)
The Department of Veterans Affairs pays nurses on Title 38 locality pay schedules that each medical center sets for its own labor market. These are this station's schedules as the VA publishes them, grade by step, with a calculator.
- VA station 539 sets nurse locality pay for Cincinnati, OH, Fort Thomas, KY, Lawrenceburg, IN, Bellevue, KY, Batavia, OH, Georgetown, OH.
- Registered nurses (RN) on this station's base schedules earn $73,116 at Nurse I, step 1 up to $145,822 at the top of the highest grade, per the VA's nurse locality pay file (effective ).
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN: nurse practitioners and other APRNs) earn $114,700 to $210,414.
- The station also publishes 7 specialty and supervisory schedules (operating room, critical care, managers and others), summarised in the table below.
- Data current as of 3 Sept 2026 in the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet. Locality pay is already built into these rates.
Registered nurse locality pay schedule NC96, Aurora, IN, Dillsboro, IN, Lawrenceburg, IN, Sunman, IN and 30 more
| Step \ Grade | Nurse I | Nurse II | Nurse III |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $73,116 | $97,082 | $109,643 |
| 2 | $75,309 | $99,994 | $112,932 |
| 3 | $77,502 | $102,906 | $116,221 |
| 4 | $79,695 | $105,818 | $119,510 |
| 5 | $81,888 | $108,730 | $122,799 |
| 6 | $84,081 | $111,642 | $126,088 |
| 7 | $86,274 | $114,554 | $129,377 |
| 8 | $88,467 | $117,466 | $132,666 |
| 9 | $90,660 | $120,378 | $135,955 |
| 10 | $92,853 | $123,290 | $139,244 |
| 11 | $95,046 | $126,202 | $142,533 |
| 12 | $97,239 | $129,114 | $145,822 |
| 13 | $99,432 | ||
| 14 | $101,625 | ||
| 15 | $103,818 | ||
| 16 | $106,011 | ||
| 17 | $108,204 | ||
| 18 | $110,397 | ||
| 19 | $112,590 | ||
| 20 | $114,783 | ||
| 21 | $116,976 | ||
| 22 | $119,169 | ||
| 23 | $121,362 |
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $75,309 | +$2,193 |
| 3 | $77,502 | +$4,386 |
| 4 | $79,695 | +$6,579 |
| 5 | $81,888 | +$8,772 |
| 6 | $84,081 | +$10,965 |
Worked example as rendered: Nurse I, step 1 = $73,116 a year, $6,093.00 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Title 38 nurse locality pay schedule NC96 for VA station 539, from the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet (current as of 3 Sept 2026).
Nurse I entry levels 1-3 share one rate table in the source; it is shown once.
These are basic pay rates. Locality pay is already built in; premium pay, recruitment and retention incentives are not.
Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) locality pay schedule NT86, Lawrenceburg, IN, Bellevue, KY, Florence, KY, Fort Thomas, KY and 11 more
| Step \ Grade | Nurse II | Nurse III | Nurse IV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $114,700 | $136,386 | $158,208 |
| 2 | $118,141 | $140,477 | $162,954 |
| 3 | $121,582 | $144,568 | $167,700 |
| 4 | $125,023 | $148,659 | $172,446 |
| 5 | $128,464 | $152,750 | $177,192 |
| 6 | $131,905 | $156,841 | $181,938 |
| 7 | $135,346 | $160,932 | $186,684 |
| 8 | $138,787 | $165,023 | $191,430 |
| 9 | $142,228 | $169,114 | $196,176 |
| 10 | $145,669 | $173,205 | $200,922 |
| 11 | $149,110 | $177,296 | $205,668 |
| 12 | $152,551 | $181,387 | $210,414 |
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $118,141 | +$3,441 |
| 3 | $121,582 | +$6,882 |
| 4 | $125,023 | +$10,323 |
| 5 | $128,464 | +$13,764 |
| 6 | $131,905 | +$17,205 |
Worked example as rendered: Nurse II, step 1 = $114,700 a year, $9,558.33 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Title 38 nurse locality pay schedule NT86 for VA station 539, from the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet (current as of 3 Sept 2026).
Nurse I entry levels 1-3 share one rate table in the source; it is shown once.
These are basic pay rates. Locality pay is already built in; premium pay, recruitment and retention incentives are not.
Specialty and supervisory schedules
Step 1 of each grade and the highest cell on each schedule. Each is a separate locality pay schedule, set by the station alongside the base RN schedule.
| Schedule | Nurse I step 1 | Nurse II step 1 | Nurse III step 1 | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN STAFF - ASST MGR N057 · Lawrenceburg, IN, Bellevue, KY, Florence, KY +7 | $94,224 | $108,355 | $118,743 | $157,925 |
| RN - Supv Prog Mgr/Coord N0IE · Lawrenceburg, IN, Bellevue, KY, Florence, KY +4 | $94,224 | $108,355 | $118,743 | $157,925 |
| RN,Mgr/Head Nurse NC98 · Aurora, IN, Lawrenceburg, IN, Bellevue, KY +8 | – | $110,860 | $121,869 | $162,085 |
| RN Staff-Critical Care NV27 · Fort Thomas, KY, Cincinnati, OH | $88,236 | $102,353 | $115,618 | $153,766 |
| RN Staff-Inpt NV52 · Fort Thomas, KY, Cincinnati, OH | $87,457 | $102,353 | $115,618 | $153,766 |
| RN, Shift Supervisor NV68 · Cincinnati, OH | $88,726 | $104,355 | $117,822 | $156,696 |
| RN/Nurse Executive NW54 · Burlington, KY, Fort Thomas, KY, Fort Wright, KY +6 | – | – | – | $228,000 |
Questions people ask
How much does the VA pay registered nurses in Cincinnati, OH?
On station 539's base RN schedule, from $73,116 (Nurse I, step 1) to $145,822 at the top of the highest grade, effective January 11, 2026. The grade and step are set at hiring from education and experience under the VA's nurse qualification standard.
How much does the VA pay nurse practitioners in Cincinnati, OH?
$114,700 to $210,414 on the station's advanced practice RN schedules.
Other VA stations in Ohio
All stations: VA nurse pay by location. Federal General Schedule and locality tables: federal pay.