How to hire a nurse manager

Nurse manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring nurse managers in the United States:

HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
The median cost to hire a nurse manager is $1,633.
Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per nurse manager on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
There are currently 175,823 nurse managers in the US and 380,264 job openings.
New York, NY, has the highest demand for nurse managers, with 128 job openings.
New York, NY has the highest concentration of nurse managers.

How to hire a nurse manager, step by step

To hire a nurse manager, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a nurse manager, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step nurse manager hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a nurse manager job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new nurse manager
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a nurse manager do?

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

Learn more about the specifics of what a nurse manager does

Post a nurse manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

Before you post your nurse manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a nurse manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

A nurse manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, nurse managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

This list shows salaries for various types of nurse managers.

Type of Nurse Manager	Description	Hourly rate
Nurse Manager	Medical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians... Show more	$28-55
Registered Nurse	The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions... Show more	$21-56
Staff Nurse	Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents... Show more	$20-52

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Patients
- Home Health
- CPR
- Customer Service
- Performance Improvement
- Surgery
- Quality Patient Care
- Oversight
- Quality Improvement
- Infection Control
- Rehabilitation
- Patient Safety
- Direct Patient Care
- Patient Outcomes
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Case manage workers compensation cases, administer drug testing, surveillance testing, minor 1st aid and CPR instruction.
- Assess and manage various allergic and life threatening reactions of chemotherapy medications.
- Manage staff of medical personnel providing care for telemetry, geriatric and general medicine patients.
- Involve in utilization review and chart audits for all appropriate documentation for medicaid, Medicare and manage care organizations.
- Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
- Maintain current ACLS and BLS certifications.
More nurse manager duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your nurse manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A nurse manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

For example, the average salary for a nurse manager in Florida may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level nurse manager usually earns less than a senior-level nurse manager. Additionally, a nurse manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

Average nurse manager salary

$83,684yearly

$40.23 hourly rate

Entry-level nurse manager salary

$60,000 yearly salary

Updated December 28, 2025

Average nurse manager salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Nevada	$105,127	$51
2	California	$102,911	$49
3	Washington	$95,995	$46
4	New York	$90,738	$44
5	Delaware	$90,304	$43
6	District of Columbia	$90,257	$43
7	Minnesota	$88,823	$43
8	Oregon	$88,358	$42
9	Hawaii	$87,242	$42
10	Connecticut	$86,659	$42
11	Pennsylvania	$86,286	$41
12	Arizona	$83,584	$40
13	Maryland	$83,340	$40
14	Virginia	$81,964	$39
15	Ohio	$81,624	$39
16	Michigan	$81,558	$39
17	New Jersey	$80,632	$39
18	North Carolina	$79,753	$38
19	Colorado	$78,986	$38
20	Tennessee	$78,191	$38

Average nurse manager salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	BD	$119,633	$57.52	5
2	The New Jewish Home	$119,589	$57.49	11
3	Mayo Clinic	$116,056	$55.80	231
4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$114,028	$54.82
5	Mercy Corps	$112,891	$54.27	179
6	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	$111,541	$53.63	101
7	Fairview Health Services	$110,524	$53.14	82
8	Stanford Health Care	$108,832	$52.32	42
9	Kaiser Permanente	$108,046	$51.95	479
10	Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital	$107,640	$51.75	6
11	Tenet Healthcare	$107,537	$51.70	855
12	Carle Foundation	$106,053	$50.99	485
13	Alameda Health System	$105,110	$50.53	11
14	CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES	$105,088	$50.52	1
15	Baystate Health	$105,085	$50.52	142
16	Novant Health	$104,231	$50.11	295
17	Valley Presbyterian Hospital	$103,721	$49.87	5
18	Cottage Health	$103,427	$49.72	36
19	Scripps Health	$103,426	$49.72	30
20	PROFESSIONAL NURSING SERVICES	$103,167	$49.60

Writing a nurse manager job description
A good nurse manager job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a nurse manager job description:
Nurse manager job description example
20320 Northwest FrwySuite 100, Jersey Village, Texas, , United States of America
DaVita is looking for a Registered Nurse Leader to join our amazing team! If you are an RN who has led a team, run the unit or floor, been a trainer or preceptor, and had opportunities to lead outside of the typical "nursing" duties... this is your chance to bring BOTH your clinical expertise AND your leadership skills to the table!

As a Clinical Nurse Manager (or Clinical Coordinator as we call them) at DaVita you will have the opportunity to excel as the superior dialysis nurse, mentor and clinical expert you are-and have a dramatic impact on the lives of our patients and their families.In this vital Registered Nursing role, you will coordinate ESRD patient care and services (trend lab values, track metrics on vital signs, weight, outcome management, etc.). You will ensure you and your clinical team are delivering the highest level of care to our patients by ensuring their safety, comfort, and well-being.Patients - Help patients improve their quality of life by delivering outstanding clinical outcomes in a chronic hemodialysis setting.Relationships - Build long-term bonds with your patients and their families.Team - Your clinical team supports one another and creates a fun work environment, and you are there to lead the way.Clinical Leader- DaVita is the top performer with more 4 and 5 STAR dialysis centers according to CMS. A Qualified Clinical Coordinator (RN) shining star should bring:• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of practice• Current CPR certification required• At least 18 months of registered nursing experience• At least 6 months of dialysis nursing experience required• Dialysis Charge RN readiness approval by Clinical Nurse Manager or RN-licensed FA/GFA required• Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) or Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) preferred• Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care Unit (CCU), Emergency Room (ER), or Medical Surgical (Med Surg) experience is preferred• Associates Degree in Nursing (A.D.N) from accredited school of nursing required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N) preferred; three-year diploma from accredited diploma program may be substituted for nursing degree• Current CPR certification required• Completed training approved by the medical director and the governing body as required by CMS guidelines prior to operating the water treatment system• Supervisory experience preferred; willingness, desire, and ability to supervise required• Basic computer skills and proficiency in MS Word and Outlook required; functional proficiency in all computer systems of DaVita within 90 days of hire required Join us as we pursue our vision "To Build the Greatest Healthcare Community the World has Ever Seen."Why wait? Explore a career with DaVita today.

What We'll Provide:
More than just pay, our DaVita Rewards package connects teammates to what matters most. Teammates are eligible to begin receiving benefits on the first day of the month following or coinciding with one month of continuous employment. Below are some of our benefit offerings.
Comprehensive benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid time off, PTO cash out
Support for you and your family: Family resources, EAP counseling sessions, access Headspace , backup child and elder care, maternity/paternity leave and more
Professional development programs: DaVita offers a variety of programs to help strong performers grow within their career and also offers on-demand virtual leadership and development courses through DaVita's online training platform StarLearning.

Have questions before you apply? Email the recruiter directly:

At DaVita, we strive to be a community first and a company second. We want all teammates to experience DaVita as "a place where I belong." Our goal is to embed Diversity & Belonging into everything we do in our Village, so that it becomes part of who we are. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. As such, individuals are recruited, hired, assigned and promoted without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Salary/ Wage Range

Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience and may fall outside of the range shown. DaVita offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Learn more at
Post your job
To find nurse managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any nurse managers they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level nurse managers with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your nurse manager job on Zippia to find and recruit nurse manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit nurse managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new nurse manager
Once you've selected the best nurse manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new nurse manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a nurse manager?

There are different types of costs for hiring nurse managers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new nurse manager employee.

Nurse managers earn a median yearly salary is $83,684 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find nurse managers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $28 and $55.

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Updated December 28, 2025

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