if you’re going into nursing for the money, you are probably not choosing a career for the right reasons. still, knowing what salary to expect can definitely help you plan your career. across the field of medicine and across the country, salaries can vary based on location and experience factors, but scrubsmag has rounded up the available data for you to consider.
according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, the top pay group for nurses includes nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners (median salary $96,460, and the top 10% of earners can receive as much as $161,030). payscale.com reports the following stats and averages:
1. nurse anesthetist
median total annual salary*: $133,115
total salary annual range*: $83,449–$185,065
median hourly rate: $69
hourly range: $30.09–$95.05
2. psychiatric nurse practitioner
median total annual salary: $90,376
total salary annual range: $71,109–$127,386
median hourly rate: $50
hourly range: $35.66–$80.21
3. adult nurse practitioner
median total annual salary: $88,199
total annual salary range: $75,016–$114,185
median hourly rate: $46
hourly range: $35.86–$60.23
4. certified nurse midwife
median total annual salary: $86,013
total annual salary range: $69,564–$109,650
median hourly rate: $45
hourly range: $36.21–$54.63
5. family nurse practitioner
median total annual salary: $84,239
total annual salary range: $69,705–$110,359
median hourly rate: $44 hourly range: $34.86–$58.26
6. nursing director
median total annual salary: $83,029
total annual salary range: $56,340–$122,462
median hourly rate: $37
hourly range: $24–$55.30
7. clinical nurse specialist
median total annual salary: $81,305
total annual salary range: $61,674–$117,969
median hourly rate: $40
hourly range: $29.94–$63.96
8. clinical nurse manager
median total annual salary: $75,965
total annual salary range: $53,845–$100,567
median hourly rate: $33
hourly range: $22.88–$45.26
9. registered nurse supervisor
median total annual salary: $65,854
total annual salary range: $48,761–$89,544
median hourly rate: $29.87
hourly range: $22.94–$40.66
10. charge nurse
median total annual salary: $65,265
total annual salary range: $47,670–$85,918
median hourly rate: $29.04
hourly range: $22.40–$39.06