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Registered nurse in the icu salary

Quoted expert
Sophia Thomas

Average registered nurse in the icu salary

$92,881

$44.65 hourly rate

Entry-level registered nurse in the icu salary
$54,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Salary for Registered Nurses in the ICU

The average salary for a Registered Nurse in the ICU is approximately $92,881 annually. Factors such as location, years of experience, and specific healthcare facilities can significantly influence this figure. For instance, ICU nurses in metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher living costs and increased demand for specialized care.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level nurses can expect to earn around $70,000, while those with several years of experience may see their salaries rise to over $100,000. Advanced certifications and roles in prestigious hospitals can also lead to higher compensation.

Top Earning Locations

States such as California, New York, and Massachusetts frequently offer the highest salaries for ICU nurses. Cities like San Francisco and New York City lead the way, reflecting the high demand for skilled nursing professionals.

Understanding these salary dynamics allows prospective nurses to make informed career choices, ensuring they find positions that not only fit their professional goals but also meet their financial needs.

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Where can a Registered Nurse In The ICU earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$116,614
Cleveland, TN$92,287
Compare salary by company
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Scripps Health$143,578
Cottage Health$112,364

Registered nurse in the icu salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level registered nurse in the icu$73,700$35.41
Mid-level registered nurse in the icu$92,600$44.53
Senior-level registered nurse in the icu$127,000$61.08

Average registered nurse in the icu salary by state

The average registered nurse in the icu salary in Connecticut, California, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average registered nurse in the icu salary states are South Carolina, North Carolina, and Colorado.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for registered nurse in the icus

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Connecticut$130,568$62.77
2Maine$100,219$48.18
3New Hampshire$102,004$49.04
4Massachusetts$108,123$51.98
5Pennsylvania$101,536$48.82
6Wisconsin$109,067$52.44
7New York$113,970$54.79
8Rhode Island$115,344$55.45
9New Jersey$115,469$55.51
10Michigan$103,586$49.80
11Kentucky$96,153$46.23
12California$116,224$55.88
13West Virginia$91,798$44.13
14Delaware$97,154$46.71
15Ohio$94,704$45.53
16Indiana$91,226$43.86
17Vermont$94,394$45.38
18Tennessee$91,848$44.16
19Arizona$95,186$45.76
20Illinois$98,931$47.56
21Maryland$104,400$50.19
22Nevada$98,307$47.26
23New Mexico$92,482$44.46
24Hawaii$114,935$55.26
25Minnesota$99,777$47.97
26Florida$89,908$43.23
27Oklahoma$91,519$44.00
28Texas$90,888$43.70
29District of Columbia$109,852$52.81
30Washington$93,393$44.90
31North Dakota$85,744$41.22
32Arkansas$84,749$40.74
33Wyoming$89,102$42.84
34Oregon$96,127$46.21
35Montana$87,827$42.22
36South Dakota$82,305$39.57
37Idaho$91,986$44.22
38Alaska$73,045$35.12
39Georgia$87,168$41.91
40Virginia$92,840$44.63
41Louisiana$82,973$39.89
42Kansas$84,145$40.45
43Nebraska$89,869$43.21
44Mississippi$85,845$41.27
45Missouri$89,499$43.03
46Alabama$84,959$40.85
47South Carolina$82,213$39.53
48Iowa$79,409$38.18
49Colorado$81,185$39.03
50North Carolina$82,025$39.44
51Utah$71,653$34.45

Highest paying cities for registered nurse in the icus

The highest-paying cities for registered nurse in the icus are Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and Urban Honolulu, HI.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Los Angeles, CA$116,614$56.06
2New York, NY$115,738$55.64
3Urban Honolulu, HI$115,497$55.53
4Washington, DC$111,504$53.61
5Milwaukee, WI$109,825$52.80
6Boston, MA$108,911$52.36
7Baltimore, MD$105,642$50.79
8Detroit, MI$104,174$50.08
9Philadelphia, PA$102,583$49.32
10Portland, ME$101,140$48.63
11Austin, MN$100,662$48.40
12Chicago, IL$99,366$47.77
13Las Vegas, NV$98,367$47.29
14Portland, OR$95,780$46.05
15Bowling Green, KY$95,764$46.04
16Cleveland, OH$95,669$45.99
17Phoenix, AZ$95,471$45.90
18Vancouver, WA$94,878$45.61
19Albuquerque, NM$92,637$44.54
20Cleveland, TN$92,287$44.37

Registered Nurse In The ICUs are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. Los Angeles, CA
  2. New York, NY
  3. Urban Honolulu, HI
  4. Washington, DC
  5. Milwaukee, WI

Registered nurse in the icu salary details

A registered nurse in the icu's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $156,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average registered nurse in the icu salary graph
Average registered nurse in the icu salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a registered nurse in the icu's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$156,000$13,000$75
75th Percentile$122,000$10,167$59
Average$92,881$7,740$45
25th Percentile$70,000$5,833$34
10th Percentile$54,000$4,500$26

Highest paying registered nurse in the icu jobs

The highest paying types of registered nurse in the icus are contractor-registered nurse, agency registered nurse, and advanced registered nurse practitioner.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Staff Nurse$68,342$5,695$32.86699,636
Intensive Care Unit Nurse$79,483$6,624$38.21611,699
Clinical Research Nurse$60,347$5,029$29.01703,983
Emergency Department Registered Nurse$81,260$6,772$39.07661,518
Psychiatric Registered Nurse$73,053$6,088$35.12640,480
Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner$97,820$8,152$47.03486,582

How would you rate the starting salaries for Registered nurses in the icu, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

AANP does a sample survey of salaries. See below for information from our 2019 survey. It is important to note that salaries range widely, based on clinical and geographical areas as well as the number of years' experience. See below for the information: Source: 2019 AANP National Sample Survey of Nurse Practitioners
-Starting salaries for NPs are exceptional, and usually hover between $80,000-100,000, but that can vary significantly based on geographic location, work setting, and certification/specialty. Some salaries are higher.
-The bureau of labor statistics (BLS) offers an excellent breakdown of salaries by region and state as well: link
-(Note: some stats on the BLS website are reflective of the Mean or Average salary and others represent the Median or midpoint. AANP data are all reported in Median)
-As NPs advance in their careers, there is a clear and positive relationship between number of years' experience and salary growth.

Which companies pay registered nurse in the icus the most?

Registered nurse in the icu salaries at Scripps Health and Dignity Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average registered nurse in the icu salary at companies like Tri-City Medical Center and Valley Presbyterian Hospital are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$101,000$99,600$98,200$96,800$95,400$94,000
MaleFemale

Registered nurse in the icu salary trends

The average registered nurse in the icu salary has risen by $13,002 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average registered nurse in the icu earned $79,879 annually, but today, they earn $92,881 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for registered nurse in the icus over the last decade.

Compare registered nurse in the icu salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average registered nurse in the icu salary over time

Compare registered nurse in the icu salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Registered nurse in the icu salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$92,900$44.65+2.7%
2024$90,400$43.45+2.1%
2023$88,400$42.52+2.4%
2022$86,300$41.49+2.2%
2021$84,400$40.58+1.4%

Recently added registered nurse in the icu salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Lifepoint HospitalsRegistered Nurse (RN)-ICUMcMinnville, OR06/30/2025$113,679
Banner HealthRegistered Nurse RN Intensive Care Unit ICUFort Collins, CO06/30/2025$70,415
Kindred HealthcareRegistered Nurse ICU DaysWest Covina, CA06/29/2025$94,458
ATC HealthcarePer Diem-ICU, RNOlympia, WA06/29/2025$116,872
ATC HealthcareRegistered Nurse, Neuro ICUMemphis, TN06/29/2025$104,350
ATC HealthcareICU Registered Nurse (RN)Portland, OR06/29/2025$144,003
Bethesda HealthPool Registered Nurse, MNI ICU, Per Diem P A, Highly SpecializedBoca Raton, FL06/29/2025$93,915
Franciscan Health IndianapolisRegistered Nurse-ICU N)Lafayette, IN06/29/2025$64,697
Guthrie North America Inc.Registered Nurse-ICU-NightCortland, NY06/29/2025$78,263
MemorialcareRN ICU New To SpecialtyLong Beach, CA06/29/2025$94,875

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