Average IQ of a nurse: 107

The average IQ of a registered nurse is about 107. In the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, the median IQ of women working as registered nurses was about 107, and the middle half scored between 99 and 117.

Nurses average about 107. What's yours?

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Key facts

Best estimate
107, median, registered nurses (WLS)
Middle 50% of nurses
99 to 117 (25th to 75th percentile)
Main source
Hauser 2002. Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

Wonderlic data on nursing applicants points the same way, at about 108. Many nurses score well above or below these figures.

On the standard scale, where 100 is the average, 107 is higher than about 68% of people. See what an IQ of 107 means, or check any score with the IQ percentile calculator or the IQ chart.

Your score next to nurses

Inside the typical range for nurses, 3 points above the middle.

In the general population, 110 is higher than about 75% of people. Shaded band: middle 50% of nurses (99 to 117).

What the studies show

Two independent sources land within a point of each other. The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study followed people who left high school in 1957 and recorded the job they held in the early 1990s. Women working as registered nurses had a median IQ of about 107, measured in high school. In 1992 Wonderlic data, the median applicant for registered nursing jobs scored at about the 70th percentile of adults, which is an IQ of roughly 108.

The range matters more than the middle. A quarter of nurses in the Wisconsin study scored below 99 and a tenth above 125. Nursing draws on knowledge, judgement under pressure and people skills that an IQ test does not capture.

The Wisconsin study is one US state, one generation born around 1939, and almost entirely white. Its IQ scale is anchored to Wisconsin high-school juniors in 1951, not to a national norm. Treat every figure as an estimate within a few points.

Published figures relevant to nurses

  1. Median 107 (middle half 99 to 117; 10th to 90th 93 to 125)

    Hauser (2002), WLS. Women working as registered nurses, 1992 to 1994. People in the job.

  2. 70th percentile of adults, about IQ 108

    Wonderlic (1992), in Gottfredson (1997). Applicants for registered nurse jobs. People applying, not hired.

Nurses next to other jobs

Best estimates from the same sources, so the jobs can be compared. Ranges overlap a lot: every job has people well above and well below its average.

JobMedianMiddle 50%
DentistsClosest group120112 to 127
Doctors120112 to 127
SurgeonsClosest group120112 to 127
Professors116106 to 125
Electrical engineers113103 to 121
Lawyers113109 to 124
Mechanical engineersClosest group11099 to 123
Software developers110102 to 120
Software engineers110102 to 120
ActuariesClosest group10999 to 117
Civil engineersClosest group10999 to 120
Nurses10799 to 117

Medians from Hauser (2002), Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. “Closest group” rows have no study of their own and use the nearest published group.

What the job demands

Cognitive load is Medium. That means sustained reasoning is required, not occasional cleverness.

LifeScore role ratings, 1 to 10. Editorial, not measured.

Logic and analysis
9
Stress
9
Social contact
6
Structure and routine
6
Creativity
9

Making the career sustainable

If your raw cognitive speed is below the median for this field, you can still succeed by using systems: checklists, templates, code reuse, deliberate practice, and tight feedback loops.

General reasoning affects how fast people learn a role, but it is not a gate. Qualifications, practice, domain knowledge, tools, teamwork and job design all change performance.

Average IQ of a nurse: questions people ask

What is the average IQ of a nurse?

About 107. That is the median for registered nurses in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, and Wonderlic data on nursing applicants gives about 108. The middle half of nurses scored between 99 and 117.

What IQ do you need to be a nurse?

There is no IQ requirement. Nurses qualify through a degree and licensing exams. In the Wisconsin study a quarter of working nurses scored below 99, so an average IQ is clearly compatible with the job.

Is nursing a high-IQ job?

It sits above the population average of 100 but below jobs such as medicine and law in the same studies. The spread inside nursing is wide, and skills like judgement and communication matter as much.

Is being a nurse stressful?

Stress demand is rated 9/10 with burnout risk Moderate. If you don’t build recovery (sleep, boundaries, exercise), stress compounds.

What personality traits help a nurse?

Roles with high structure demand (6/10) reward conscientiousness; roles with high social demand (6/10) reward social energy and emotional regulation.

Can I succeed as a nurse if I’m below the “recommended” IQ?

Yes. There is no valid IQ cutoff for this occupation. Qualifications, deliberate practice, experience, support and role specialization are more useful career decisions than comparing yourself with an estimated benchmark.

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Nurses average about 107. What's yours?

Treat your score as one data point next to your skills, interests and experience. It is never a reason to rule a career in or out.

Take the IQ test

25 questions · about 12 minutes