Highest paying nursing jobs explorer
Rank nursing roles by national pay band, typical degree, and years of additional training. APRN wages use BLS occupations; bedside specialties use the RN band unless noted.
BLS May 2025 OEWS · Inputs stay in your browser
Who this is for
Compare pay against the training it actually takes
Start with CRNA, NP, and midwife if you want published APRN wages. Use ICU, ED, and OR if you want bedside roles that often sit above the RN median after differentials. Open the CRNA salary calculator for state medians.
National pay bands
Sort nursing jobs by pay and training
Filter by typical degree and extra years after RN licensure. Pay is a national band, not an offer.
Showing 10 of 10 roles
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Hospitals, ASCs, and rural independent practice where allowed
$236,590-$294,350
Highest published nursing occupation wage in BLS OEWS. Requires an accredited nurse anesthesia program after RN plus critical-care experience.
- Patient type
- Anesthesia across surgical and procedural settings
- Typical degree
- Doctoral (DNAP/DNP)
- Typical certs
- NBCRNA
- Added training
- 8 years after RN
BLS May 2025 Nurse Anesthetists median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1151).
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Hospitals, birth centers, and clinics
$134,040-$157,400
APRN midwifery. Graduate education plus AMCB certification. Pay sits near NP wages nationally.
- Patient type
- Pregnancy, birth, and gynecologic care
- Typical degree
- Master’s or doctoral
- Typical certs
- AMCB
- Added training
- 3 years after RN
BLS May 2025 Nurse Midwives median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1161).
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Clinics, hospitals, and specialty practices
$132,300-$156,700
APRN role with graduate education and national certification. Specialty (acute care, psych, neonatal) changes both training and pay.
- Patient type
- Population-focused primary or acute care
- Typical degree
- Master’s or DNP
- Typical certs
- AANPCB, ANCC
- Added training
- 3 years after RN
BLS May 2025 Nurse Practitioners median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1171).
Nursing informatics
Hospitals, vendors, payers, and remote teams
$112,350-$132,300
RNs who design, train, and optimize clinical systems. Remote work is more common than in bedside ICU roles.
- Patient type
- Clinical workflow, EHR, and quality data — not a bedside census
- Typical degree
- BSN; MSN or informatics certificate common
- Typical certs
- RN-BC Informatics
- Added training
- 2 years after RN
No dedicated BLS SOC. Pay band spans the RN 75th percentile to the NP median. Confirm with the employer.
Flight / transport nurse
Air and ground critical-care transport programs
$112,350-$132,300
Usually requires several years of recent ICU or ED practice plus ACLS/PALS and a transport credential within two years at CAMTS programs.
- Patient type
- Critical care transport by rotor, fixed-wing, or ground
- Typical degree
- RN; BSN often preferred
- Typical certs
- CFRN, CCRN, CEN
- Added training
- 4 years after RN
No dedicated BLS SOC. Many programs pay above the RN 75th percentile with differentials and call. Confirm the posted package.
Nurse educator / clinical instructor
Schools of nursing and hospital professional development
$97,550-$132,300
Faculty roles usually need a graduate degree. Unit-based educators may be experienced BSN RNs with a nursing professional development credential.
- Patient type
- Students and staff rather than a primary patient assignment
- Typical degree
- MSN common for faculty; BSN plus experience for unit education
- Typical certs
- CNE, NPD-BC
- Added training
- 4 years after RN
No single BLS SOC for nurse educators. Academic pay varies widely; hospital educator roles often track experienced RN pay.
Operating room / perioperative nurse
Hospital OR and ambulatory surgery
$97,550-$112,350
Scrub and circulating roles. CNOR is the usual perioperative board credential after eligible hours.
- Patient type
- Intraoperative surgical patients
- Typical degree
- RN; BSN often preferred
- Typical certs
- CNOR
- Added training
- 1 years after RN
BLS May 2025 RN median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1141). Call and call-back pay vary by employer.
ICU / critical care nurse
Hospital intensive care units
$97,550-$112,350
Bedside critical care. CCRN is the usual adult specialty credential and is not a license.
- Patient type
- Critically ill adults, children, or neonates
- Typical degree
- RN; BSN often preferred
- Typical certs
- CCRN
- Added training
- 0 years after RN
BLS May 2025 RN median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1141). Night and critical-care differentials are employer-specific.
Emergency department nurse
Hospital ED and freestanding emergency centers
$97,550-$112,350
Triage through resuscitation. CEN is the usual ED board credential; TNCC is a trauma course, not a board cert.
- Patient type
- Undifferentiated emergency patients
- Typical degree
- RN; BSN often preferred
- Typical certs
- CEN, TNCC
- Added training
- 0 years after RN
BLS May 2025 RN median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1141).
Nurse case manager
Hospitals, payers, and home health — some remote
$97,550-$112,350
Coordinates benefits, length of stay, and post-acute plans. CCM is a common case-management credential after eligible hours.
- Patient type
- Utilization, discharge, and longitudinal care coordination
- Typical degree
- RN; BSN often preferred
- Typical certs
- CCM, ACM
- Added training
- 2 years after RN
No dedicated BLS SOC. Pay band uses the RN median to 75th percentile (SOC 29-1141).
Compare real job offers
Browse openings and model the package against national percentiles.
How the ranking works
How the pay comparison works
- 1
Use BLS occupations where they exist
CRNA, NP, CNM, and RN have published May 2025 national percentiles.
- 2
Label estimates for other titles
Flight, informatics, case management, and education are not separate BLS SOCs. Those cards say so.
- 3
Put training years next to pay
Extra years are typical time after RN licensure, not a guarantee of program length or admission.
Primary sources
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
National May 2025 OEWS wages for nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and registered nurses. Verified August 12, 2026. Next review November 12, 2026.
Common questions
Highest paying nursing jobs FAQ
What is the highest paying nursing job?
Among occupations BLS publishes, nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) have the highest national median wage: $236,590 in May 2025. Nurse practitioners and nurse midwives are the next published APRN occupations.
Do ICU or flight nurses have their own BLS wage?
No. ICU, ED, OR, flight, informatics, case management, and educator roles are not separate BLS occupations. This explorer uses the RN wage band or a labeled estimate and tells you when a dedicated SOC does not exist.
How much extra school do high-paying nursing jobs take?
CRNA typically adds several years of ICU practice plus a doctoral anesthesia program. NP and CNM paths add a graduate program after RN licensure. Bedside ICU or ED roles do not require a graduate degree.
Are these salaries guaranteed?
No. Figures are national BLS percentiles or labeled estimates. State, setting, schedule, and employer differentials change take-home pay.
What is a top paying nursing job besides CRNA?
Nurse practitioners ($132,300 national median) and nurse midwives ($134,040) are the other BLS APRN occupations. Some informatics, flight, and leadership jobs pay above the RN 75th percentile, but BLS does not isolate those titles.
Should I pick a job only by pay?
No. Rank roles by training time versus published pay. Licensure, program seats, and lifestyle (call, nights, autonomy) matter as much as the wage band.
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