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Clinical nurse specialist salary
Average clinical nurse specialist salary
$77,086
Average Clinical Nurse Specialist Salary
As of October 2025, a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) earns an average salary of $77,086 annually, which translates to approximately $37 per hour. Salary potential can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare setting.
Where Can a Clinical Nurse Specialist Earn More?
States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries for Clinical Nurse Specialists, reflecting the demand for healthcare professionals in urban areas. Additionally, those with advanced certifications or specialized skills may command higher salaries. According to recent data, experienced Clinical Nurse Specialists can earn upwards of $90,000 annually.
Salary Estimates by Experience Level
- Entry-Level: $60,000 - $70,000
- Mid-Career: $70,000 - $85,000
- Experienced: $85,000 - $100,000+
For those seeking to advance their careers, obtaining further certifications can enhance job prospects and salary potential significantly. Understanding these dynamics equips professionals with the information needed to navigate their career effectively.
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Where can a Clinical Nurse Specialist earn more?
Clinical nurse specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level clinical nurse specialist | $61,100 | $29.39 |
| Mid-level clinical nurse specialist | $76,900 | $36.96 |
| Senior-level clinical nurse specialist | $105,000 | $50.69 |
Clinical nurse specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average clinical nurse specialist salary by state
The average clinical nurse specialist salary in California, Oregon, and Wyoming are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average clinical nurse specialist salary states are Iowa, Kentucky, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for clinical nurse specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,258 | $54.45 |
| 2 | Oregon | $111,335 | $53.53 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $92,396 | $44.42 |
| 4 | Washington | $98,536 | $47.37 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $104,521 | $50.25 |
| 6 | Maine | $85,244 | $40.98 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $104,998 | $50.48 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $93,333 | $44.87 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $86,730 | $41.70 |
| 10 | Vermont | $93,229 | $44.82 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $91,827 | $44.15 |
| 12 | Arizona | $85,924 | $41.31 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $85,817 | $41.26 |
| 14 | Idaho | $95,936 | $46.12 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $80,894 | $38.89 |
| 16 | Nevada | $87,114 | $41.88 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $99,436 | $47.81 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $80,789 | $38.84 |
| 19 | New York | $84,297 | $40.53 |
| 20 | Colorado | $88,704 | $42.65 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $83,636 | $40.21 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $84,974 | $40.85 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $78,692 | $37.83 |
| 24 | Virginia | $86,890 | $41.77 |
| 25 | Delaware | $72,894 | $35.05 |
| 26 | Michigan | $76,748 | $36.90 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $70,915 | $34.09 |
| 28 | Texas | $73,350 | $35.26 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $71,243 | $34.25 |
| 30 | Maryland | $72,701 | $34.95 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $73,685 | $35.43 |
| 32 | Indiana | $69,918 | $33.61 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $75,322 | $36.21 |
| 34 | Alaska | $78,217 | $37.60 |
| 35 | Missouri | $72,173 | $34.70 |
| 36 | Kansas | $67,538 | $32.47 |
| 37 | Georgia | $70,763 | $34.02 |
| 38 | Illinois | $70,985 | $34.13 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $64,459 | $30.99 |
| 40 | Alabama | $70,454 | $33.87 |
| 41 | Florida | $57,508 | $27.65 |
| 42 | Montana | $62,226 | $29.92 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $58,582 | $28.16 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $59,143 | $28.43 |
| 45 | Utah | $67,300 | $32.36 |
| 46 | Ohio | $62,036 | $29.82 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $65,934 | $31.70 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $55,813 | $26.83 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $58,663 | $28.20 |
| 50 | Iowa | $58,752 | $28.25 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $56,133 | $26.99 |
Highest paying cities for clinical nurse specialists
The highest-paying cities for clinical nurse specialists are San Francisco, CA, Salem, OR, and Minneapolis, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $121,347 | $58.34 |
| 2 | Salem, OR | $111,319 | $53.52 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $104,571 | $50.27 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $99,233 | $47.71 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $98,827 | $47.51 |
| 6 | Madison, WI | $92,822 | $44.63 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,279 | $41.96 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $86,649 | $41.66 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,336 | $41.51 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $85,086 | $40.91 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $84,644 | $40.69 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $82,657 | $39.74 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $76,965 | $37.00 |
| 14 | Dallas, TX | $73,255 | $35.22 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $72,859 | $35.03 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $71,325 | $34.29 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $71,103 | $34.18 |
| 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | $66,862 | $32.15 |
| 19 | Knoxville, TN | $65,760 | $31.62 |
| 20 | Clearwater, FL | $57,801 | $27.79 |
Clinical nurse specialist salary details
A clinical nurse specialist's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $109,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a clinical nurse specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $77,086 | $6,424 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
Highest paying clinical nurse specialist jobs
The highest paying types of clinical nurse specialists are pediatric nurse practitioner, adult nurse practitioner, and nurse manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Manager | $83,684 | $6,974 | $40.23 | 380,264 |
| Instructor Nurse | $68,098 | $5,675 | $32.74 | 50,341 |
| Pediatric Nurse Practitioner | $102,409 | $8,534 | $49.24 | 49,026 |
| Clinic Registered Nurse | $70,075 | $5,840 | $33.69 | 520,812 |
Top companies hiring clinical nurse specialists now:
Which companies pay clinical nurse specialists the most?
Clinical nurse specialist salaries at Mayo Clinic and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average clinical nurse specialist salary at companies like Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners and Stanford Health Care are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $155,672 | $74.84 |
| 2 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $128,738 | $61.89 |
| 3 | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | $124,401 | $59.81 |
| 4 | Stanford Health Care | $122,494 | $58.89 |
| 5 | CVS Health | $118,833 | $57.13 |
| 6 | The LCADA Way | $117,784 | $56.63 |
| 7 | Medline | $115,401 | $55.48 |
| 8 | Children's Minnesota | $113,100 | $54.38 |
| 9 | University of Maryland Medical System | $113,083 | $54.37 |
| 10 | Northwell Health | $112,994 | $54.32 |
| 11 | East Boston Neighborhood Health Center | $111,391 | $53.55 |
| 12 | Tenet Healthcare | $105,719 | $50.83 |
| 13 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $104,139 | $50.07 |
| 14 | NorthShore University HealthSystem | $104,129 | $50.06 |
| 15 | Miriam Hospital | $102,846 | $49.45 |
| 16 | Adventist HealthCare | $102,721 | $49.39 |
| 17 | Hoag | $102,154 | $49.11 |
| 18 | Cedars-Sinai | $101,922 | $49.00 |
| 19 | Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | $101,644 | $48.87 |
| 20 | Sutter Health | $101,447 | $48.77 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Clinical nurse specialist salary trends
The average clinical nurse specialist salary has risen by $10,791 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average clinical nurse specialist earned $66,295 annually, but today, they earn $77,086 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for clinical nurse specialists over the last decade.
Compare clinical nurse specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average clinical nurse specialist salary over time
Compare clinical nurse specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $77,100 | $37.06 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $75,000 | $36.06 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $73,400 | $35.29 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $71,600 | $34.44 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $70,000 | $33.68 | +1.4% |
Recently added clinical nurse specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino Hospital Mountain View | Clinical Nurse II-Days-PCR-Float Pool-L&D, MBU | Mountain View, CA | 06/30/2025 | $177,687 |
| Sutterhealth | Clinical Nurse Specialist/Educator Operating Room Summit | Oakland, CA | 06/30/2025 | $176,790 |
| Virtua | Clinical Nurse Specialist-Home Health--Wocn Required | Marlton, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $92,475 |
| Md Anderson | Clinical Nurse Residency/Nursing P8-Rehabilitation & Neurosurgery | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $68,224 |
| Prime Healthcare Services | Clinical Nurse Specialist-Neonatal ICU | Lynwood, CA | 06/29/2025 | $77,584 |
| Aa067 | Clinical Nurse IV-Hematology-Days | Irvine, CA | 06/29/2025 | $32,557 |
| Alameda Health System | Clinical Nurse II-Invasive Specialist | Oakland, CA | 06/28/2025 | $146,528 |
| Maricopa Integrated Health System | Advanced Clinical Nurse | Phoenix, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $74,130 |
| Valleywise Health | Advanced Clinical Nurse | Phoenix, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $74,130 |
| Carebridge | Clinical Review Nurse I | South Portland, ME | 06/27/2025 | $65,600 |
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