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Step-down nurse salary
Quoted expert
Sophia Thomas
Average step-down nurse salary
$83,807
$40.29 hourly rate
Entry-level step-down nurse salary
$52,000 yearly salaryUpdated January 8, 2025
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Step-down nurse salary by:Â
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Average step-down nurse salary by state
Highest paying states for step-down nurses
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $110,370 | $53.06 |
| 2 | Delaware | $107,668 | $51.76 |
| 3 | Ohio | $102,502 | $49.28 |
| 4 | New York | $110,441 | $53.10 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $93,809 | $45.10 |
| 6 | Florida | $92,014 | $44.24 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $122,440 | $58.87 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $102,033 | $49.05 |
| 9 | Michigan | $96,823 | $46.55 |
| 10 | Washington | $101,828 | $48.96 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $100,273 | $48.21 |
| 12 | Nevada | $92,907 | $44.67 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $104,677 | $50.33 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $87,065 | $41.86 |
| 15 | Alaska | $98,808 | $47.50 |
| 16 | Georgia | $94,460 | $45.41 |
| 17 | Vermont | $91,116 | $43.81 |
| 18 | Maryland | $104,177 | $50.09 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $84,880 | $40.81 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $95,648 | $45.98 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $89,427 | $42.99 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $87,000 | $41.83 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $87,884 | $42.25 |
| 24 | California | $104,150 | $50.07 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $95,055 | $45.70 |
| 26 | Texas | $82,215 | $39.53 |
| 27 | Illinois | $93,036 | $44.73 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $86,335 | $41.51 |
| 29 | Kansas | $84,496 | $40.62 |
| 30 | Maine | $80,973 | $38.93 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $92,184 | $44.32 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $76,367 | $36.71 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $78,604 | $37.79 |
| 34 | Oregon | $90,308 | $43.42 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $105,179 | $50.57 |
| 36 | Arizona | $83,474 | $40.13 |
| 37 | Colorado | $84,767 | $40.75 |
| 38 | Montana | $73,317 | $35.25 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $71,666 | $34.45 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $74,025 | $35.59 |
| 41 | Idaho | $82,443 | $39.64 |
| 42 | Indiana | $74,823 | $35.97 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $75,850 | $36.47 |
| 44 | Alabama | $78,836 | $37.90 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $78,180 | $37.59 |
| 46 | Missouri | $78,009 | $37.50 |
| 47 | Virginia | $79,697 | $38.32 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $68,508 | $32.94 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $69,795 | $33.56 |
| 50 | Iowa | $66,716 | $32.08 |
| 51 | Utah | $70,159 | $33.73 |
Step-down nurse salary details
A step-down nurse's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $133,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a step-down nurse's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $133,000 | $11,083 | $64 |
| 75th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| Average | $83,807 | $6,984 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying step-down nurse jobs
The highest paying types of step-down nurses are telemetry registered nurse, registered nurse med/surg, and traveling nurse.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Progressive Care Nurse | $71,768 | $5,981 | $34.50 | 654,051 |
| Telemetry Registered Nurse | $91,416 | $7,618 | $43.95 | 637,560 |
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | $84,812 | $7,068 | $40.78 | 515,200 |
| Registered Nurse PRN | $77,449 | $6,454 | $37.24 | 636,925 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for step-down nurses, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sophia Thomas
President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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.
-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.
Top companies hiring step-down nurses now:
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$91,000$89,800$88,600$87,400$86,200$85,000
MaleFemale
Step-down nurse salary trends
The average step-down nurse salary has risen by $11,732 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average step-down nurse earned $72,075 annually, but today, they earn $83,807 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for step-down nurses over the last decade.
Compare step-down nurse salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average step-down nurse salary over time
Compare step-down nurse salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Step-down nurse salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,800 | $40.29 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $81,500 | $39.21 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $79,800 | $38.37 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $77,900 | $37.44 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $76,200 | $36.61 | +1.4% |
Recently added step-down nurse salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Health Initiatives | Stepdown Nurse | Little Rock, AR | 06/20/2025 | $66,054 |
| Seneca Center | Per Diem Nurse-Step Programs | San Jose, CA | 06/10/2025 | $121,776 |
| Presbyterian Healthcare Services | Charge Nurse-Neuro/Bariatric Step Down Unit | Rio Rancho, NM | 06/05/2025 | $112,698 |
| Mount Sinai Health System | Nursing Auxillary A-Msh-8W CC Neuro Stepdown Days-Eow | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $49,963 |
| Kaweah Health | Charge Nurse-ICU Stepdown-3W Iccu | Visalia, CA | 05/27/2025 | $104,851 |
| Presbyterian Healthcare Services | Charge Nurse-Neuro Step Down | Albuquerque, NM | 05/18/2025 | $112,698 |
| Prana Talent | RN Stepdown | Step-Down Unit Nurse | Travel | Pay | Johnstown | PE | Johnstown, PA | 04/30/2025 | $108,566 |
| Presbyterian Healthcare Services | Charge Nurse-Neuro Step Down | Albuquerque, NM | 04/27/2025 | $112,698 |
| Gifted Healthcare | Stepdown Nurse (RN) In WI-Travel Contracts | Nome, TX | 04/18/2025 | $91,985 |
| Leaderstat | Travel Stepdown Cardiac Nurse | Arlington, VA | 04/15/2025 | $124,942 |
Step-down nurse salary FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025