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Oncology nurse salary
Average oncology nurse salary
$72,372
Understanding Oncology Nurse Salaries
The average salary for oncology nurses in the United States is approximately $72,372 per year, translating to about $35 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, geographical location, and the type of healthcare facility. For instance, entry-level oncology nurses may start with a lower salary, while those with several years of experience can command higher compensation.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level oncology nurses typically earn less than their more experienced counterparts. With each year of experience, salaries tend to increase. For example, nurses with 1-3 years of experience may earn around $65,000, while those with over 10 years can earn upwards of $85,000.
Geographic Impact on Salary
Salaries also differ by state. States such as California and New York often offer higher salaries for oncology nurses, influenced by the cost of living and demand for healthcare professionals. Oncology nurses in urban areas may also see increased pay compared to their rural counterparts.
Job Opportunities
As the healthcare industry evolves, the demand for specialized oncology nurses continues to grow. Opportunities are available in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and research facilities, providing diverse settings for career advancement in oncology nursing.
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Where can an Oncology Nurse earn more?
Oncology nurse salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level oncology nurse | $57,400 | $27.59 |
| Mid-level oncology nurse | $72,200 | $34.70 |
| Senior-level oncology nurse | $99,000 | $47.59 |
Oncology nurse salary estimates from across the web
Average oncology nurse salary by state
The highest-paying states for oncology nurses are California, New York, and Delaware. The lowest average oncology nurse salary states are North Dakota, Nebraska, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for oncology nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $91,858 | $44.16 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $86,804 | $41.73 |
| 3 | New York | $100,711 | $48.42 |
| 4 | Michigan | $82,515 | $39.67 |
| 5 | California | $119,879 | $57.63 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $87,053 | $41.85 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $77,731 | $37.37 |
| 8 | Washington | $79,510 | $38.23 |
| 9 | Alaska | $86,000 | $41.35 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $104,735 | $50.35 |
| 11 | Oregon | $89,613 | $43.08 |
| 12 | Arizona | $75,848 | $36.47 |
| 13 | Nevada | $82,353 | $39.59 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $89,446 | $43.00 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $70,679 | $33.98 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $84,896 | $40.82 |
| 17 | Texas | $71,935 | $34.58 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $71,811 | $34.52 |
| 19 | Maryland | $82,011 | $39.43 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,375 | $34.31 |
| 21 | Idaho | $72,781 | $34.99 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $73,262 | $35.22 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $67,583 | $32.49 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $69,673 | $33.50 |
| 25 | Maine | $66,121 | $31.79 |
| 26 | Vermont | $67,321 | $32.37 |
| 27 | Georgia | $70,853 | $34.06 |
| 28 | Indiana | $63,840 | $30.69 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $68,327 | $32.85 |
| 30 | Montana | $61,001 | $29.33 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $61,034 | $29.34 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $60,770 | $29.22 |
| 33 | Virginia | $71,254 | $34.26 |
| 34 | Illinois | $67,400 | $32.40 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $69,148 | $33.24 |
| 36 | Utah | $69,338 | $33.34 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $67,015 | $32.22 |
| 38 | Colorado | $65,143 | $31.32 |
| 39 | Florida | $59,144 | $28.43 |
| 40 | Ohio | $63,963 | $30.75 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $55,364 | $26.62 |
| 42 | Iowa | $57,507 | $27.65 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $53,563 | $25.75 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,678 | $31.58 |
| 45 | Alabama | $61,251 | $29.45 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $60,042 | $28.87 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $60,162 | $28.92 |
| 48 | Kansas | $52,889 | $25.43 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $54,172 | $26.04 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $53,881 | $25.90 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $54,374 | $26.14 |
Highest paying cities for oncology nurses
The highest-paying cities for oncology nurses are Carmichael, CA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carmichael, CA | $129,518 | $62.27 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $106,572 | $51.24 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $103,063 | $49.55 |
| 4 | Hackensack, NJ | $90,143 | $43.34 |
| 5 | Northampton, MA | $88,505 | $42.55 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $88,075 | $42.34 |
| 7 | Towson, MD | $82,362 | $39.60 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $81,507 | $39.19 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $80,171 | $38.54 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $76,284 | $36.67 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,396 | $34.81 |
| 12 | Bryan, TX | $71,696 | $34.47 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $70,703 | $33.99 |
| 14 | Saint Paul, MN | $69,287 | $33.31 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $68,697 | $33.03 |
| 16 | Chapel Hill, NC | $68,259 | $32.82 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $67,875 | $32.63 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $66,298 | $31.87 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs, CO | $66,018 | $31.74 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $63,726 | $30.64 |
Oncology nurse salary details
An oncology nurse's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $127,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an oncology nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $72,372 | $6,031 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying oncology nurse jobs
The highest paying types of oncology nurses are contractor-registered nurse, head nurse, and nurse coordinator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Coordinator | $79,040 | $6,587 | $38.00 | 428,775 |
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Registered Nurse Supervisor | $74,174 | $6,181 | $35.66 | 640,040 |
| Nurse Clinician | $65,159 | $5,430 | $31.33 | 596,073 |
| Nurse Educator | $67,983 | $5,665 | $32.68 | 537,803 |
| Registered Health Nurse | $75,713 | $6,309 | $36.40 | 538,508 |
Which companies pay oncology nurses the most?
Oncology nurse salaries at Washington Hospital Healthcare System and Capital Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average oncology nurse salary at companies like Baptist Health Care and Kaiser Permanente are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Hospital Healthcare System | $161,975 | $77.87 |
| 2 | Capital Health | $161,406 | $77.60 |
| 3 | Baptist Health Care | $153,145 | $73.63 |
| 4 | Kaiser Permanente | $150,591 | $72.40 |
| 5 | UT Health East Texas | $146,985 | $70.67 |
| 6 | University of Maryland Medical System | $142,677 | $68.59 |
| 7 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $140,449 | $67.52 |
| 8 | Dignity Health | $138,542 | $66.61 |
| 9 | Atrium Health Floyd | $136,121 | $65.44 |
| 10 | AstraZeneca | $132,507 | $63.71 |
| 11 | Children's Hospital of Michigan | $131,673 | $63.30 |
| 12 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $129,528 | $62.27 |
| 13 | Erlanger Health System | $126,525 | $60.83 |
| 14 | University Hospitals | $126,386 | $60.76 |
| 15 | University Health System Inc | $126,330 | $60.74 |
| 16 | UCI Health | $125,403 | $60.29 |
| 17 | Providence Health & Services | $122,530 | $58.91 |
| 18 | Beaumont Health | $120,430 | $57.90 |
| 19 | Geisinger Medical Center | $119,810 | $57.60 |
| 20 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc. | $119,725 | $57.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Oncology nurse salary trends
The average oncology nurse salary has risen by $10,131 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average oncology nurse earned $62,241 annually, but today, they earn $72,372 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for oncology nurses over the last decade.
Compare oncology nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average oncology nurse salary over time
Compare oncology nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Oncology nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $72,400 | $34.79 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $70,400 | $33.86 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $68,900 | $33.13 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $67,300 | $32.33 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $65,800 | $31.62 | +1.4% |
Recently added oncology nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutterhealth | Nurse Navigator, Oncology Per Diem | Sunnyvale, CA | 06/30/2025 | $173,096 |
| Virtua | Director of Oncology Services * Oncology Certified Nurse Preferred | Voorhees, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $114,147 |
| Bayer Cropscience Ltd. | Oncology Nurse Educator (Eastern Virginia, Eastern North Carolina, Washington DC) | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $146,216 |
| Actalent | Oncology Nurse | Altamonte Springs, FL | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Aa067 | Clinical Nurse IV-Medical Surgical/Surgical Oncology-Nights | Irvine, CA | 06/29/2025 | $13,566 |
| Trinity Health | Radiation Oncology Nurse-Day Shift (NO Weekends) | Silver Spring, MD | 06/28/2025 | $73,901 |
| Dignity Health | Oncology Charge Nurse | Phoenix, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $89,428 |
| Prime Healthcare Services | Hematology/Oncology Nurse Practitioner | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $120,000 |
| Northwestern Medicine | Oncology Nurse Clinician Medical Oncology Days | DeKalb, IL | 06/26/2025 | $72,002 |
| Privia Health | Medical Oncology Nurse Practitioner | Walnut Creek, CA | 06/25/2025 | $143,000 |
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