How Much Does a Critical Care Nurse Make?

Critical care nurses treat patients with serious illnesses or injuries, usually working in stressful, high-pressure environments. These professionals include ICU nurses, ER nurses, NICU nurses, and travel nurses.

But how much does a critical care nurse make? Critical care nurses earned an average of $86,980 per year as of December 2024, according to Payscale.

To become a critical care nurse, you’ll need either an associate or a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a registered nursing (RN) license. Although a bachelor science in nursing (BSN) is not mandatory, many hospitals strongly prefer hiring nurses with the higher degree. It takes about four years to earn a BSN degree, get your clinical hours, and pass your licensure exam to become a critical care nurse.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Before taxes and bonuses, the base salary for critical care nurses ranges from about $59,000-$102,000.

For all registered nurses (RNs) — including critical care nurses — the median annual salary was $86,070 in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). RNs who work in hospitals earned a slightly higher median salary of $88,430.

As the table above shows, the more experience you have as a critical care nurse, the more money you can expect to make.

Critical care nurses may also receive bonuses for working night shifts, signing on, and staying at their organization for a specific amount of time. Bonus amounts will vary depending on your employer.

The BLS projects jobs for RNs will grow by 6% between 2023 and 2033. This is faster than the average 4% growth rate for all jobs in the U.S.

Salaries for critical care nurses can vary significantly by state.

In terms of median annual salary, the top three highest-paying states for RNs are:

The states with the lowest median annual salaries for nurses are:

According to BLS data, Alabama has the lowest median annual salary for RNs, at $65,900. The cost of living in a state and the supply and demand for nurses can affect the salary of RNs in those states.

Source: BLS, May 2023

Here are four steps to take if you’re interested in raising your critical care nurse salary. These tips include gaining more nursing experience and continuing your education.

With a master of science in nursing (MSN), you can become eligible for more advanced — and often higher-paying — nursing roles, such as nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist.

Worried about the time commitment or how to budget for a graduate degree? Many schools offer online MSN programs that are flexible and feature asynchronous coursework.

You should also explore affordable online MSN programs to save money while earning your degree.

Gaining work experience in ICUs, emergency rooms, NICUs, or PICUs can help you develop expertise in critical care nursing fields. Once you’ve built up this experience, you could become eligible for a higher salary.

Getting management experience by managing or supervising other nurses and staff can also increase your likelihood of earning more. Management experience is especially helpful if you’d like to work in a manager or supervisor role.

Getting certified in a critical care nursing specialty can demonstrate expertise or specialized knowledge that can potentially lead to a higher salary.

Some popular certifications for critical care nurses include:

Changing where you work can increase your salary. By looking around and researching potential employers, you could find a job that pays more.

This option is not without risk, though. If you’ll be unemployed while job-hunting, be sure you have enough savings to cover the time it takes you to find a new job.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.