Post job

Registered nurse unit manager salary

Average registered nurse unit manager salary

$75,427

$36.26 hourly rate

Entry-level registered nurse unit manager salary
$54,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Salary of a Registered Nurse Unit Manager

The Registered Nurse Unit Manager plays a crucial role in healthcare management, combining clinical expertise with leadership skills. As of October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $75,427, which translates to approximately $36 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the type of healthcare facility.

For instance, registered nurse unit managers with several years of experience often earn higher salaries, reflecting their expertise and leadership capabilities. In addition, certain states and metropolitan areas offer higher pay rates due to demand and cost of living factors. For example, states like California and New York frequently report higher salaries for this role.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level unit managers may start at a lower salary, while those with extensive experience can command salaries well over $90,000 annually. This demonstrates the potential for career advancement within this field.

Opportunities for Growth

As healthcare continues to evolve, the demand for skilled nurse managers remains high. Those interested in pursuing a career as a registered nurse unit manager should consider the potential for growth, not only in salary but also in professional development and leadership opportunities.

On this page
Registered nurse unit manager salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next registered nurse unit manager job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next registered nurse unit manager job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Registered Nurse Unit Manager earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
140k
120k
100k
80k
60k
40k
Columbus, OH$117,667
Richmond, IN$69,592
Compare salary by company
Vs
201k
181k
161k
141k
121k
101k
81k
61k
The Citadel$187,450
Legacy Health$91,448

Registered nurse unit manager salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level registered nurse unit manager$59,800$28.76
Mid-level registered nurse unit manager$75,200$36.17
Senior-level registered nurse unit manager$103,000$49.60

Average registered nurse unit manager salary by state

The average registered nurse unit manager salary in California, New York, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average registered nurse unit manager salary states are Nebraska, Florida, and South Dakota.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for registered nurse unit managers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Alaska$91,785$44.13
2New York$97,632$46.94
3Delaware$92,939$44.68
4West Virginia$80,152$38.53
5Massachusetts$88,610$42.60
6Pennsylvania$81,695$39.28
7California$113,241$54.44
8Connecticut$87,458$42.05
9Michigan$85,072$40.90
10Oregon$92,032$44.25
11Washington$86,476$41.58
12Nevada$86,207$41.45
13District of Columbia$107,763$51.81
14New Jersey$87,027$41.84
15Rhode Island$85,589$41.15
16Maryland$85,984$41.34
17Maine$74,947$36.03
18Wisconsin$80,078$38.50
19Wyoming$77,970$37.49
20New Mexico$74,403$35.77
21Vermont$74,755$35.94
22Ohio$73,269$35.23
23Kentucky$75,651$36.37
24Idaho$79,460$38.20
25Arizona$77,780$37.39
26Texas$73,443$35.31
27New Hampshire$73,270$35.23
28Oklahoma$74,146$35.65
29Georgia$76,668$36.86
30Minnesota$79,460$38.20
31Hawaii$86,828$41.74
32Missouri$75,090$36.10
33Indiana$68,960$33.15
34Montana$71,438$34.35
35Utah$75,113$36.11
36Colorado$75,661$36.38
37North Dakota$65,419$31.45
38North Carolina$69,821$33.57
39Louisiana$63,809$30.68
40Arkansas$66,842$32.14
41South Dakota$62,408$30.00
42Illinois$73,854$35.51
43Florida$62,740$30.16
44Virginia$72,565$34.89
45Mississippi$63,688$30.62
46Tennessee$59,624$28.67
47Iowa$66,259$31.86
48Alabama$65,943$31.70
49Kansas$60,597$29.13
50South Carolina$57,086$27.45
51Nebraska$63,113$30.34
Top registered nurse unit manager jobs near you

Highest paying cities for registered nurse unit managers

The highest-paying cities for registered nurse unit managers are Oakland, CA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Oakland, CA$117,667$56.57
2Washington, DC$107,806$51.83
3New York, NY$97,899$47.07
4Medford, OR$94,721$45.54
5Springfield, MA$89,711$43.13
6Newark, NJ$86,961$41.81
7Towson, MD$86,173$41.43
8Pawtucket, RI$85,346$41.03
9Philadelphia, PA$82,287$39.56
10Milwaukee, WI$80,377$38.64
11Atlanta, GA$77,050$37.04
12Colorado Springs, CO$75,919$36.50
13Albuquerque, NM$75,181$36.14
14Cleveland, OH$74,214$35.68
15Oak Lawn, IL$73,952$35.55
16Houston, TX$73,122$35.15
17Springfield, VA$72,805$35.00
18Concord, NH$72,465$34.84
19Raleigh, NC$70,964$34.12
20Richmond, IN$69,592$33.46

Registered nurse unit manager salary details

A registered nurse unit manager's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $105,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average registered nurse unit manager salary graph
Average registered nurse unit manager salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a registered nurse unit manager's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$105,000$8,750$50
75th Percentile$89,000$7,417$43
Average$75,427$6,286$36
25th Percentile$63,000$5,250$30
10th Percentile$54,000$4,500$26

Highest paying registered nurse unit manager jobs

The highest paying types of registered nurse unit managers are contractor-registered nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner, and registered nurse in the icu.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Emergency Department Registered Nurse$81,260$6,772$39.07661,518
Psychiatric Registered Nurse$73,053$6,088$35.12640,480
Contractor-Registered Nurse$128,474$10,706$61.77648,022
Telemetry Registered Nurse$91,416$7,618$43.95637,560
Unit Manager$60,561$5,047$29.12366,932
Oncology Registered Nurse$74,716$6,226$35.92636,524

Top companies hiring registered nurse unit managers now:

  1. Kaiser Permanente jobs (6)
  2. The Arora Group jobs (15)
  3. Signature Healthcare jobs (18)
  4. Kindred Healthcare jobs (8)
  5. CommuniCare jobs (7)

Which companies pay registered nurse unit managers the most?

Registered nurse unit manager salaries at The Citadel and Therapy Resources Management are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average registered nurse unit manager salary at companies like Greenfield Rehabilitation Agency and Petersburg Medical Center are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$80,000$79,200$78,400$77,600$76,800$76,000
MaleFemale

Registered nurse unit manager salary trends

The average registered nurse unit manager salary has risen by $10,559 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average registered nurse unit manager earned $64,868 annually, but today, they earn $75,427 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for registered nurse unit managers over the last decade.

Compare registered nurse unit manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average registered nurse unit manager salary over time

Compare registered nurse unit manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Registered nurse unit manager salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$75,400$36.26+2.7%
2024$73,400$35.29+2.1%
2023$71,800$34.53+2.4%
2022$70,100$33.70+2.2%
2021$68,500$32.95+1.4%

Recently added registered nurse unit manager salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Encompass HealthRNTDover, DE06/29/2025$38,610
WW Healthcare ConsultantsRN Unit ManagerBlack Mountain, NC06/29/2025$75,132
Encompass HealthRNTKane, PA06/28/2025$33,392
Encompass HealthRNTElkton, MD06/28/2025$38,610
Genesis Healthcare LLCUnit Manager, RNEverett, WA06/27/2025$104,350
Encompass HealthRNTPortland, ME06/27/2025$45,914
Medcadre Inc.RN Unit ManagerCamden, ME06/27/2025$125,220
Greenlife Healthcare StaffingRegistered Nurse/Unit ManagerCamden, ME06/27/2025$108,921
Greenlife Healthcare StaffingRegistered Nurse/Unit ManagerRosedale, MD06/27/2025$107,668
FuturecareRN Unit ManagerBaltimore, MD06/26/2025$94,000

Registered nurse unit manager salary FAQs

Search for registered nurse unit manager jobs

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs