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The differences between head nurses and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a head nurse and a nurse. Additionally, a head nurse has an average salary of $80,173, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.
The top three skills for a head nurse include patients, BLS and compassion. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.
| Head Nurse | Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $80,173 | $57,564 |
| Hourly rate | $38.54 | $27.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 649,127 | 696,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Head nurses and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Nurse | Nurse | |
| Average salary | $80,173 | $57,564 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $132,000 | Between $38,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Conviva |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a head nurse and a nurse in terms of educational background:
| Head Nurse | Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between head nurses' and nurses' demographics:
| Head Nurse | Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |