Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Public health nurse salary
Average public health nurse salary
$60,319
Understanding Public Health Nurse Salaries
Public health nurses are essential for maintaining the health of communities through education, advocacy, and direct patient care. According to recent data, the average salary for public health nurses stands at $60,319 per year. This figure reflects a variety of factors including state, experience level, and the specific healthcare environment.
Salary Variations by State
Public health nurse salaries can vary significantly across different states. For instance, states such as California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for healthcare professionals. Understanding these regional differences is crucial for job seekers looking to maximize their earning potential.
Experience and Salary Growth
Experience plays a key role in determining salary. Entry-level public health nurses may start at a lower salary, but as they gain experience and additional certifications, their earning potential can increase substantially. Many public health nurses progress into specialized roles or management positions, leading to higher salaries and greater job satisfaction.
Current Job Opportunities
For those interested in pursuing a career as a public health nurse, various job opportunities are available across hospitals, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations. Websites like Zippia provide valuable resources for job seekers to find openings tailored to their skills and interests.
Let Zippia find your next public health nurse job
Let Zippia find your next public health nurse job
Where can a Public Health Nurse earn more?
Public health nurse salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level public health nurse | $47,800 | $23.00 |
| Mid-level public health nurse | $60,200 | $28.92 |
| Senior-level public health nurse | $82,500 | $39.67 |
Public health nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average public health nurse salary by state
The highest-paying states for public health nurses are Hawaii, California, and Rhode Island. The lowest average public health nurse salary states are Missouri, Tennessee, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for public health nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $84,738 | $40.74 |
| 2 | Vermont | $70,757 | $34.02 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $72,203 | $34.71 |
| 4 | New York | $78,153 | $37.57 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $67,337 | $32.37 |
| 6 | Delaware | $71,626 | $34.44 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $89,223 | $42.90 |
| 8 | Washington | $74,644 | $35.89 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $95,738 | $46.03 |
| 10 | California | $92,029 | $44.24 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $63,927 | $30.73 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $59,511 | $28.61 |
| 13 | Oregon | $73,455 | $35.31 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $70,868 | $34.07 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $73,638 | $35.40 |
| 16 | Texas | $60,891 | $29.27 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $62,062 | $29.84 |
| 18 | Idaho | $67,159 | $32.29 |
| 19 | Maine | $57,121 | $27.46 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $57,126 | $27.46 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $76,660 | $36.86 |
| 22 | Maryland | $67,198 | $32.31 |
| 23 | Nevada | $63,705 | $30.63 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $56,885 | $27.35 |
| 25 | Arizona | $60,801 | $29.23 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $62,062 | $29.84 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $58,187 | $27.97 |
| 28 | Montana | $56,676 | $27.25 |
| 29 | Iowa | $56,858 | $27.34 |
| 30 | Michigan | $55,354 | $26.61 |
| 31 | Ohio | $52,663 | $25.32 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $52,354 | $25.17 |
| 33 | Florida | $52,714 | $25.34 |
| 34 | Virginia | $58,264 | $28.01 |
| 35 | Colorado | $58,727 | $28.23 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $52,075 | $25.04 |
| 37 | Utah | $57,251 | $27.52 |
| 38 | Kansas | $51,414 | $24.72 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,636 | $23.86 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $50,469 | $24.26 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $47,363 | $22.77 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $46,537 | $22.37 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $51,234 | $24.63 |
| 44 | Indiana | $46,889 | $22.54 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $49,227 | $23.67 |
| 46 | Illinois | $55,105 | $26.49 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $49,693 | $23.89 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $42,456 | $20.41 |
| 49 | Georgia | $49,696 | $23.89 |
| 50 | Missouri | $48,230 | $23.19 |
| 51 | Alabama | $44,929 | $21.60 |
Highest paying cities for public health nurses
The highest-paying cities for public health nurses are San Mateo, CA, Anchorage, AK, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo, CA | $98,579 | $47.39 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $84,827 | $40.78 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $78,297 | $37.64 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $75,132 | $36.12 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $73,034 | $35.11 |
| 6 | San Antonio, TX | $62,064 | $29.84 |
| 7 | Apple Valley, MN | $61,980 | $29.80 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $60,907 | $29.28 |
| 9 | Colorado Springs, CO | $58,722 | $28.23 |
| 10 | Norfolk, VA | $58,471 | $28.11 |
| 11 | Portland, ME | $57,322 | $27.56 |
| 12 | Pontiac, MI | $55,562 | $26.71 |
| 13 | Woodstock, IL | $55,493 | $26.68 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $52,157 | $25.08 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $49,819 | $23.95 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $48,049 | $23.10 |
| 17 | Fort Wayne, IN | $47,556 | $22.86 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City, OK | $42,552 | $20.46 |
Public health nurse salary details
A public health nurse's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a public health nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| Average | $60,319 | $5,027 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
Highest paying public health nurse jobs
The highest paying types of public health nurses are contractor-registered nurse, telemetry registered nurse, and head nurse.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Clinician | $65,159 | $5,430 | $31.33 | 596,073 |
| Clinical Consultant | $74,263 | $6,189 | $35.70 | 271,180 |
| Contractor-Registered Nurse | $128,474 | $10,706 | $61.77 | 648,022 |
| Registered Nurse Supervisor | $74,174 | $6,181 | $35.66 | 640,040 |
| Telemetry Registered Nurse | $91,416 | $7,618 | $43.95 | 637,560 |
| Clinical Liaison | $66,331 | $5,528 | $31.89 | 237,166 |
Top companies hiring public health nurses now:
Which companies pay public health nurses the most?
Public health nurse salaries at Dignity Health and Cottage Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public health nurse salary at companies like MaineGeneral Health and MAS Medical Staffing are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dignity Health | $157,215 | $75.58 |
| 2 | Cottage Health | $134,946 | $64.88 |
| 3 | MaineGeneral Health | $124,244 | $59.73 |
| 4 | MAS Medical Staffing | $91,826 | $44.15 |
| 5 | Providence Health & Services | $88,692 | $42.64 |
| 6 | AdventHealth | $86,533 | $41.60 |
| 7 | Amazon | $85,746 | $41.22 |
| 8 | City of San Antonio | $85,060 | $40.89 |
| 9 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $80,119 | $38.52 |
| 10 | City Of Alexandria | $79,990 | $38.46 |
| 11 | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz | $78,958 | $37.96 |
| 12 | City of Houston | $78,622 | $37.80 |
| 13 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $78,166 | $37.58 |
| 14 | Commonwealth | $76,733 | $36.89 |
| 15 | Wayne County, Michigan | $76,698 | $36.87 |
| 16 | WakeMed | $76,461 | $36.76 |
| 17 | City of Pasadena | $73,717 | $35.44 |
| 18 | University of California-Berkeley | $73,626 | $35.40 |
| 19 | Nebraska Methodist Health System | $73,184 | $35.18 |
| 20 | LifePoint Health | $72,861 | $35.03 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Public health nurse salary trends
The average public health nurse salary has risen by $8,444 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public health nurse earned $51,875 annually, but today, they earn $60,319 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for public health nurses over the last decade.
Compare public health nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average public health nurse salary over time
Compare public health nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Public health nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,300 | $29.00 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $58,700 | $28.22 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $57,400 | $27.61 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $56,100 | $26.95 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $54,800 | $26.35 | +1.4% |
Recently added public health nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County of Sonoma (Ca | Public Health Nurse I-Disease Control and Immunization | Santa Rosa, CA | 06/28/2025 | $146,056 |
| McLean County, Il | Public Health Nurse | Kane, IL | 06/28/2025 | $59,229 |
| MacOmb County, Mi | Public Health Nurse | Mount Clemens, MI | 06/28/2025 | $63,999 |
| City of Cleveland, Oh | Public Health Nurse III | Cleveland, OH | 06/28/2025 | $59,303 |
| Total Wellness | Vaccination Nurses and Biometric Health Screeners PRN | Roanoke, VA | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| State of Colorado | Nurse II-Mobile Public Health Clinic Program Travel Nurse Clinic Lead | Boone, CO | 06/27/2025 | $95,652 |
| Alamance County (Nc | Public Health Nurse Supervisor II | Alamance, NC | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Georgia Medical Staffing | OCC Health NP Needed for Interim Coverage | Mashantucket, CT | 06/26/2025 | $177,395 |
| Paul Derda Recreation Center | Public Health Nurse | Pinole, CA | 06/26/2025 | $78,909 |
| State of Illinois | Health Facilities Surveillance Nurse | Peoria, IL | 06/25/2025 | $86,064 |
Public health nurse salary FAQs
Search for public health nurse jobs