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Critical care nurse salary
Average critical care nurse salary
$76,788
Average Critical Care Nurse Salary
The average salary for a Critical Care Nurse currently stands at $76,788 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors. Entry-level positions typically offer lower salaries, while experienced nurses often command higher wages. Location is another critical factor; states like California and New York frequently report higher average salaries compared to other states.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience level also plays a crucial role in salary determination. For example, nurses with less than two years of experience generally earn around $60,000, while those with over ten years can earn upwards of $90,000. Additionally, specialized certifications in areas such as trauma or cardiac care can enhance earning potential.
Opportunities for Advancement
Many Critical Care Nurses find opportunities for advancement by pursuing roles in management or education, which often come with increased salaries. Exploring job listings on platforms like Zippia can provide insight into current openings and salary expectations in your area.
Let Zippia find your next critical care nurse job
Let Zippia find your next critical care nurse job
Where can a Critical Care Nurse earn more?
Critical care nurse salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level critical care nurse | $60,900 | $29.27 |
| Mid-level critical care nurse | $76,600 | $36.82 |
| Senior-level critical care nurse | $105,000 | $50.50 |
Critical care nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average critical care nurse salary by state
The average critical care nurse salary in California, Rhode Island, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average critical care nurse salary states are Alabama, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for critical care nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $95,506 | $45.92 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $95,007 | $45.68 |
| 3 | Delaware | $102,098 | $49.09 |
| 4 | Nevada | $97,597 | $46.92 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $91,206 | $43.85 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $101,943 | $49.01 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $94,119 | $45.25 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $104,098 | $50.05 |
| 9 | California | $118,021 | $56.74 |
| 10 | New York | $102,850 | $49.45 |
| 11 | Washington | $96,789 | $46.53 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $92,952 | $44.69 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $82,759 | $39.79 |
| 14 | Utah | $96,571 | $46.43 |
| 15 | Oregon | $97,139 | $46.70 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $96,516 | $46.40 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $93,470 | $44.94 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $82,252 | $39.54 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $80,615 | $38.76 |
| 20 | Arizona | $85,981 | $41.34 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $82,737 | $39.78 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $77,695 | $37.35 |
| 23 | Kansas | $82,637 | $39.73 |
| 24 | Ohio | $76,353 | $36.71 |
| 25 | Texas | $80,227 | $38.57 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $78,242 | $37.62 |
| 27 | Montana | $80,616 | $38.76 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $91,716 | $44.09 |
| 29 | Georgia | $81,541 | $39.20 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $73,469 | $35.32 |
| 31 | Alaska | $82,193 | $39.52 |
| 32 | Virginia | $84,724 | $40.73 |
| 33 | Maryland | $84,288 | $40.52 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $73,906 | $35.53 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $73,708 | $35.44 |
| 36 | Illinois | $81,448 | $39.16 |
| 37 | Florida | $70,431 | $33.86 |
| 38 | Vermont | $73,087 | $35.14 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $86,553 | $41.61 |
| 40 | Michigan | $72,198 | $34.71 |
| 41 | Colorado | $80,322 | $38.62 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $72,441 | $34.83 |
| 43 | Iowa | $70,314 | $33.80 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $87,220 | $41.93 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $63,739 | $30.64 |
| 46 | Indiana | $63,652 | $30.60 |
| 47 | Missouri | $70,364 | $33.83 |
| 48 | Alabama | $68,937 | $33.14 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $63,805 | $30.68 |
| 50 | Idaho | $59,607 | $28.66 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $54,386 | $26.15 |
Highest paying cities for critical care nurses
The highest-paying cities for critical care nurses are Palo Alto, CA, New York, NY, and Springfield, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $121,120 | $58.23 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $104,136 | $50.07 |
| 3 | Springfield, MA | $103,117 | $49.58 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, NV | $97,894 | $47.06 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $97,065 | $46.67 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $96,522 | $46.40 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $93,551 | $44.98 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $84,740 | $40.74 |
| 9 | Little Rock, AR | $82,845 | $39.83 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $81,665 | $39.26 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $81,557 | $39.21 |
| 12 | El Paso, TX | $81,033 | $38.96 |
| 13 | Albuquerque, NM | $80,512 | $38.71 |
| 14 | Aurora, CO | $80,347 | $38.63 |
| 15 | Durham, NC | $78,709 | $37.84 |
| 16 | Bowling Green, OH | $76,421 | $36.74 |
| 17 | Lebanon, TN | $73,945 | $35.55 |
| 18 | Saginaw, MI | $72,222 | $34.72 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $71,916 | $34.58 |
| 20 | Bowling Green, KY | $71,834 | $34.54 |
Critical care nurse salary details
A critical care nurse's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $130,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a critical care nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| Average | $76,788 | $6,399 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying critical care nurse jobs
The highest paying types of critical care nurses are advanced registered nurse practitioner, registered nurse in the icu, and telemetry registered nurse.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Clinician | $65,159 | $5,430 | $31.33 | 596,073 |
| Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner | $97,820 | $8,152 | $47.03 | 486,582 |
| Nurse | $57,564 | $4,797 | $27.67 | 696,124 |
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Registered Nurse In The ICU | $92,881 | $7,740 | $44.65 | 631,825 |
| Emergency Room Nurse | $79,886 | $6,657 | $38.41 | 610,768 |
Which companies pay critical care nurses the most?
Critical care nurse salaries at Dignity Health and Medical City Arlington are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average critical care nurse salary at companies like Express Healthcare Professionals and Aya Healthcare are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dignity Health | $140,709 | $67.65 |
| 2 | Medical City Arlington | $124,109 | $59.67 |
| 3 | Express Healthcare Professionals | $122,646 | $58.96 |
| 4 | Aya Healthcare | $120,260 | $57.82 |
| 5 | Baptist Health Care | $119,725 | $57.56 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $111,169 | $53.45 |
| 7 | East Alabama Health | $109,528 | $52.66 |
| 8 | MAS Medical Staffing | $106,283 | $51.10 |
| 9 | Nacogdoches Memorial Health | $105,501 | $50.72 |
| 10 | University of Maryland, Baltimore | $105,119 | $50.54 |
| 11 | Houston Healthcare | $101,968 | $49.02 |
| 12 | Highland General Hospital | $101,625 | $48.86 |
| 13 | Erlanger Health System | $101,378 | $48.74 |
| 14 | Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health | $100,808 | $48.47 |
| 15 | Spectrum Healthcare Resources | $98,954 | $47.57 |
| 16 | Falcon Critical Care Transport | $98,016 | $47.12 |
| 17 | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | $97,991 | $47.11 |
| 18 | Royal Ambulance | $97,014 | $46.64 |
| 19 | Sunstar Paramedics | $96,860 | $46.57 |
| 20 | Ambulnz | $96,595 | $46.44 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Critical care nurse salary trends
The average critical care nurse salary has risen by $10,749 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average critical care nurse earned $66,039 annually, but today, they earn $76,788 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for critical care nurses over the last decade.
Compare critical care nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average critical care nurse salary over time
Compare critical care nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Critical care nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $76,800 | $36.92 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $74,700 | $35.92 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $73,100 | $35.15 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $71,400 | $34.31 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $69,800 | $33.55 | +1.4% |
Recently added critical care nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATC Healthcare | Critical Care RN | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $116,872 |
| Baptist Health | Nurse Navigator, Transitional Care Support Boca Raton, 8A P | Boca Raton, FL | 06/29/2025 | $79,331 |
| Providence | Critical Care RN Night* | Santa Ana, CA | 06/29/2025 | $110,611 |
| Overlake Ob Gyn, Pc | OMC Clinic Nurse-Issaquah Urgent Care | Issaquah, WA | 06/29/2025 | $90,868 |
| Bayada Home Health Care | Pediatric Critical Care (LPN) | Secaucus, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Geisinger Medical Center | Pulmonary and Critical Care With Advanced Bronchoscopy | Scranton, PA | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
| Geisinger Medical Center | Pulmonary Critical Care and Advanced Procedures Position, Sleep Optional, State College Incent | State College, PA | 06/27/2025 | $30,000 |
| Catholic Health System | W/Benefits-APP Critical Care & Surgery | Buffalo, NY | 06/27/2025 | $50,982 |
| Global Medical Response | Critical Care Transport Registered Nurse | Stockton, CA | 06/27/2025 | $136,845 |
| Alameda Health System | Nurse, Care Management | Oakland, CA | 06/25/2025 | $172,532 |
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