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Mar 31 2022

Highest-Paying Nursing Jobs In 2022

The nursing field is one of the broadest, with numerous degrees, licenses, certifications, and specialties to work toward. Nurses can treat patients ranging from infancy through old age who may be afflicted with hundreds of different health conditions. More experienced nurses can even take on administrative or educational roles.

With such diversity in the nursing landscape, how are nurses to know which roles may earn them the most? Below are some of the highest-paying nursing jobs in the United States, and the average salaries they can command.

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Top 5 nursing jobs by salary

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: $202,470

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) earn a nationwide average of $202,470 per year according to the BLS; this makes CRNAs the highest-paying type nursing job by a significant margin. These Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are responsible for administering anesthesia to patients in surgical settings, which requires extreme attention to detail and skill in order to avoid complications like allergic reactions or overdose.

Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist requires a minimum of a Registered Nurse license in the state of practice, a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN) anesthesia, and must gain national certification from the NBCRNA. There are roughly 44,000 CRNAs currently employed in the United States.

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Nursing Administrator: $119,840

Nurses in administrative roles earn an average annual salary of $119,840 according to the BLS. These professionals are charged with directing various aspects of medical services and handling certain administrative roles involved with healthcare such as staffing coordination. An advanced degree is typically required in nursing and sometimes business administration.

Nurse Practitioner: $118,040

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) earn a nationwide average salary of $118,040 per year, according to the BLS. NPs can operate in a diverse range of settings and specialties. They tend to have more responsibility and autonomy than Registered Nurses, and may choose to work primarily with certain types of patients such as children or older adults.

Nurse Practitioner earnings are justified in part due to the higher level of education and licensing required. Nurses must complete a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN), and earn a Nurse Practitioner license in their state of practice. They sometimes have distinct continuing education requirements as well. There are roughly 235,000 NPs currently employed in the United States.


Top nurse practitioner jobs on Incredible Health

๐Ÿฅ Nurse Practitioner
Allentown, PA | $60k-$90k/year
๐Ÿฅ Nurse Practitioner - Pediatric Critical Care
San Francisco, CA | $130k-$180k/year
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Certified Nurse-Midwife: $114,210

Certified Nurse-Midwives earn an average of $114,210 per year, according to the BLS. CNMs specialize in women’s reproductive health and childbirth. They typically work in hospitals or specialized clinics performing services like prenatal care as well as labor and delivery.

Nurse-Midwife salaries are among the highest because, like many other advanced nursing roles, RNs wishing to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife must earn a minimum of a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN). They’re also required to obtain national certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board. There are approximately 8,000 CNMs employed in the United States as of 2021.

Nursing Instructor/Teacher: $82,040

Nurse Instructors or Educators earn an average salary of $82,040, according to the BLS โ€“ higher than the average Registered Nurse, but lower than some highly-specialized nursing roles like Nurse Anesthetists. These professionals often teach aspiring nurses in university classrooms or clinics.

Aside from experience in the field, nurses wishing to become a Nurse Educator must also earn at least a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN). They could also be required to hold certification in a particular specialty depending on the scope of their role as a teacher. There are currently around 68,000 Nurse Instructors/Teachers employed in the United States.

More nursing jobs by salary

Aside from degree and type of license, your specialty as a nurse can play a part in expected earnings. Below are some of the most common nursing specialties and an estimate of their average salaries.

Nursing JobEstimated Annual SalaryLocal Estimates
Gerontological Nurse Practitioner$119,647Get Local Estimates
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner$117,634Get Local Estimates
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner$107,067Get Local Estimates
Family Nurse Practitioner$105,267Get Local Estimates
Cath Lab Registered Nurse$101,472Get Local Estimates
Clinical Nurse Specialist$100,523Get Local Estimates
Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse$99,043Get Local Estimates
Pain Management Nurse$98,636Get Local Estimates
Medical/Surgical Registered Nurse$95,054Get Local Estimates
Critical Care Registered Nurse$94,981Get Local Estimates
PACU Registered Nurse$92,397Get Local Estimates
Informatics Registered Nurse$90,935Get Local Estimates
Oncology Registered Nurse$89,614Get Local Estimates
Telemetry Registered Nurse$88,005Get Local Estimates
Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse$87,269Get Local Estimates
Progressive Care Unit / Stepdown Registered Nurse$86,924Get Local Estimates
CVICU Registered Nurse$86,647Get Local Estimates
Operating Room Registered Nurse$84,163Get Local Estimates
PICU Registered Nurse$82,929Get Local Estimates
Psychiatric Registered Nurse$77,853Get Local Estimates
Home Health Nurse$77,808Get Local Estimates
Emergency Room Registered Nurse$76,415Get Local Estimates
Wound Care Registered Nurse$76,197Get Local Estimates
Cardiac Care Registered Nurse$70,316Get Local Estimates

Nursing roles in the table above do not have salary data available on the Bureau of Labor Statistics; instead, we have averaged the reported average salaries for the role across ZipRecruiter.com, Salary.com, Payscale.com, and Indeed.com.


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Written by Incredible Health Staff

At Incredible Health, it's a team effort to achieve our vision: Help healthcare professionals live better lives. Many are licensed practitioners themselves; others are simply passionate writers and leaders dedicated to providing valuable resources to nurses.

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