For registered nurses
Highest-paying nursing specialties
Registered nurse specialties ranked by the hourly rates their open jobs post (read 9 Nov 2026), from employers' own job boards. BLS measures registered nurses as one occupation, so these posted rates are the only measure of pay by specialty. NICU nurses lead, at a median of $53.89 an hour.
Nursing specialties by posted pay
Each specialty's own posted median and middle half, the rates and employers it rests on, and its open jobs. The order weighs a specialty with few rates toward the others.
| # | Specialty | Median posted | Middle half | Posted rates | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NICU nurse | $53.89/hr | $46.75–$66.83 | 324 | 1,003 |
| 2 | Operating room nurse | $52.51/hr | $46.89–$60.86 | 1,138 | 3,999 |
| 3 | Labor and delivery nurse | $52.51/hr | $46.54–$63.07 | 676 | 2,346 |
| 4 | ICU nurse | $52.33/hr | $46.89–$61.58 | 1,666 | 5,402 |
| 5 | Nurse supervisor | $51.97/hr | $47.50–$59.87 | 1,159 | 3,352 |
| 6 | Cath lab nurse | $51.83/hr | $45.72–$60.75 | 479 | 1,721 |
| 7 | Infusion nurse | $51.78/hr | $44.38–$60 | 574 | 1,124 |
| 8 | Nurse educator | $51.84/hr | $45.70–$63.04 | 162 | 622 |
| 9 | Emergency room nurse | $51.47/hr | $46.60–$60.33 | 1,747 | 5,784 |
| 10 | Flight nurse | $51.27/hr | $45.33–$58.57 | 68 | 168 |
| 11 | RN case manager | $50/hr | $45.11–$66.07 | 482 | 1,837 |
| 12 | PACU nurse | $49.65/hr | $44.88–$57.45 | 494 | 1,641 |
| 13 | Telemetry nurse | $49.50/hr | $45.29–$57.75 | 1,584 | 5,290 |
| 14 | Mother-baby nurse | $49.48/hr | $45.14–$59.41 | 164 | 496 |
| 15 | Charge nurse | $49.15/hr | $43.50–$55.89 | 368 | 1,208 |
| 16 | Nurse navigator | $49.16/hr | $43.62–$61.06 | 126 | 435 |
| 17 | Oncology nurse | $48.11/hr | $44–$59.40 | 544 | 1,603 |
| 18 | Med-surg nurse | $47.90/hr | $43.67–$57.50 | 1,355 | 4,764 |
| 19 | Endoscopy nurse | $47.75/hr | $43.50–$57.04 | 237 | 728 |
| 20 | Clinical research nurse | $47.06/hr | $41.56–$61.90 | 43 | 210 |
| 21 | Wound care nurse | $47.35/hr | $42.31–$54.45 | 186 | 577 |
| 22 | Psychiatric nurse | $46.94/hr | $41.90–$54.01 | 480 | 1,386 |
| 23 | Hospice nurse | $45.48/hr | $41–$52.11 | 304 | 1,258 |
| 24 | Dialysis nurse | $44.75/hr | $40.14–$49.40 | 197 | 508 |
| 25 | Clinic nurse | $43.44/hr | $37–$47.75 | 929 | 2,350 |
| 26 | Home health nurse | $43.08/hr | $36.50–$50 | 866 | 2,011 |
| 27 | Pediatric nurse | $42.69/hr | $36.71–$48.74 | 440 | 986 |
| 28 | School nurse | $40/hr | $35–$44.38 | 78 | 137 |
Nursing specialty pay: common questions
What is the highest-paying nursing specialty?
By the hourly rates open jobs post today: NICU nurse (a median of $53.89 an hour across 324 posted rates), Operating room nurse (a median of $52.51 an hour across 1,138 posted rates), Labor and delivery nurse (a median of $52.51 an hour across 676 posted rates), ICU nurse (a median of $52.33 an hour across 1,666 posted rates), Nurse supervisor (a median of $51.97 an hour across 1,159 posted rates). A specialty with few posted rates is weighed toward the others, so one high posting never tops the list. Posted pay is the base rate, before shift differentials and bonuses.
Do specialty nurses earn more than other registered nurses?
Open registered nurse jobs post a median of $47.75 an hour across every specialty; 18 of the 28 specialties measured here post a higher median. Experience, the shift and the state move pay as much as the specialty does, and each job states its own range.
Which nursing specialties have the most open jobs?
Emergency room nurse (5,784), ICU nurse (5,402), Telemetry nurse (5,290), Med-surg nurse (4,764), Operating room nurse (3,999), read from each employer's own job board tonight.
Sources and method
Each specialty's median is the middle of the distinct hourly rates its open jobs post (one per employer, title and pay text), as its own page states it. The order weighs each median by how many rates it rests on: the specialties' medians are taken to vary around a common mean, and a median from few rates is leaned toward that mean in proportion to its uncertainty (random effects, DerSimonian and Laird), so the ranking follows the evidence rather than one posting.
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Highest-Paying Nursing Specialties, by Posted Pay. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/highest-paying-nursing-specialties