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Minnesota RN Jobs 2025: Minneapolis/St Paul, Mayo Rochester Salaries & Top Systems

Updated October 12, 2025 • 🏷️ Nursing Careers
By JobStera Editorial Team • Updated October 12, 2025

Mayo Clinic in Rochester casts a long shadow over Minnesota nursing—and it's a good shadow. Because when the world's top-ranked hospital is in your backyard, every other system has to step up their game just to compete for staff. That means Minneapolis–St. Paul hospitals (Allina, M Health Fairview) pay well, and even smaller systems in Duluth stay competitive.

I talked to a nurse who did two years at Mayo and then moved to Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis. She said Mayo was like nursing grad school on steroids—every protocol was evidence-based, every case was complex, and the learning curve was vertical. But she also said the pay bump at Abbott ($5K more) plus the MSP lifestyle made the trade-off worth it.

Here's the downside: Minnesota's NOT a Compact state (as of 2025), so you'll need separate licenses if you want to travel or pick up shifts in Wisconsin or Iowa. That's a pain, but honestly, the job market here's strong enough that most nurses don't leave anyway.

Cost of living? MSP's moderate—think $1,400-$1,800 for a 1BR. Rochester's cheaper ($1,100-$1,400), and Duluth's downright affordable. Winters are tough (colder than Wisconsin, if you can believe it), but Minnesota nurses don't seem to mind—they just buy better coats and keep working.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions about this topic

Minnesota is not an eNLC compact state (as of 2025); verify latest status with state board before applying.
Academic ICU/ED, cardiac and procedural specialties; periop for schedule balance.
MSP housing moderate vs coastal markets; Rochester/Duluth more affordable with strong quality of life.

Bottom Line: Should You Work in Minnesota?

If you want the absolute best clinical training, Mayo Clinic in Rochester is your move—it's the nursing equivalent of Harvard. If you want big-city amenities with solid pay, Minneapolis–St. Paul's got Allina and M Health Fairview waiting. Either way, Minnesota's job market is rock-solid, and the Mayo effect means everyone pays competitively.

My take? Do 2-3 years at Mayo, learn everything, then decide if you want to stay or take those skills anywhere else. You'll be set either way. Just pack a good winter coat—you'll need it.