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ICU Nurse Salary in Waves, NC

How much does an ICU Nurse make in Waves, NC?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an ICU Nurse in Waves, NC is $81,500 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

However, an ICU Nurse's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $99,458
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $74,500 to $90,900
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $68,127
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View as table View as graph 25% $74,500 10% $68,127 90% $99,458 75% $90,900 $81,500 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

ICU Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $90,900 $7,575 $1,748 $44
Average $81,500 $6,792 $1,567 $39
25th Percentile $74,500 $6,208 $1,433 $36
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Earn Haus - Waves, NC

ICU Nurse

BJC HealthCare - MANCHESTER, MO

ICU Nurse

Trusted Health - PLANO, TX

Registered Nurse ICU

LifeBridge Health, Inc. - EAST CASE, MD

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Key Factors That Influence ICU Nurse Salaries

An ICU Nurse's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects ICU Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an ICU Nurse's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $79,188
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $79,397
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $82,190
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $86,128
  • Expert (over 8 years): $86,409
Levels Salary
Entry Level ICU Nurse$79,188
Intermediate Level ICU Nurse$79,397
Senior Level ICU Nurse$82,190
Specialist Level ICU Nurse$86,128
Expert Level ICU Nurse$86,409
$79,188 0 yr
$79,397 < 2 yrs
$82,190 2-4 yrs
$86,128 5-8 yrs
$86,409 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for ICU Nurses

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $114,500
  • San Francisco: $113,300
  • Oakland: $110,900

What Skills Can Increase an ICU Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 5.49% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Nursing Practice (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): Nursing practice may be work experience that is direct and/or indirect patient care in clinical practice, nursing administration, education, research, or consultation in the specialty represented by the credential.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 5.95%
Acute Care 5.49%
Nursing Practice 2.93%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an ICU Nurse's salary.
  • Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Telecommunications
$89,650
10%
Staff Development
$87,205
7%
Written Communication
$86,390
6%
Risk Management
$86,390
6%
Verbal Communication
$85,575
5%
Oral Communication
$85,575
5%
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ICU Nurse Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

ICU Nurse salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $86,449. While startup companies pay approximate $73,667.

ICU Nurse Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup1~50$73,667
Growth Stage51~500$77,765
Established501~5000$83,622
Enterprise5000+$86,449

ICU Nurse Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For ICU Nurse roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, ICU Nurse positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view ICU Nurse as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an ICU Nurse

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$97,800$47.020%

ICU Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an ICU Nurse's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

ICU Nurse Salary Growth & Career Path

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As an ICU Nurse, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

ICU Nurse Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role Estimate Salary Projected Raise
Director Mother and Baby Unit $145,400 78%
Director Intensive Care Unit Operations $138,400 70%
Entry Registered Nurse - Staff $66,100 -19%
Organ Transplant Coordinator RN $98,900 21%

Find Your Next ICU Nurse Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current ICU Nurse job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Ascension

    DERBY, KS

    Ascension | DERBY, KS

    Ascension is seeking a dedicated Registered Nurse ICU to provide expert, compassionate care for high-acuity patients in our intensive care unit. In this ro... more

    10 Days Ago

  • Ascension

    SCHULTE, KS

    Ascension | SCHULTE, KS

    Ascension is seeking a dedicated Registered Nurse ICU to provide expert, compassionate care for high-acuity patients in our intensive care unit. In this ro... more

    10 Days Ago

  • Northern Nevada Medical Center

    TRACY-CLARK, NV

    Northern Nevada Medical Center | TRACY-CLARK, NV

    Northern Nevada Medical Center in Sparks seeks a Registered Nurse for our ICU, Part Time Nights. The RN will deliver high-acuity, evidence-based care to cr... more

    12 Days Ago

  • Sierra Medical Center

    GALENA, NV

    Sierra Medical Center | GALENA, NV

    Sierra Medical Center in El Paso, TX is seeking a full-time Night Shift ICU Registered Nurse to provide high-acuity, patient-centered care in our advanced ... more

    12 Days Ago

  • Sierra Medical Center

    GALENA, NV

    Sierra Medical Center | GALENA, NV

    Sierra Medical Center seeks a dedicated ICU Registered Nurse to provide expert, patient-centered care to critically ill adults on our full-time day shift. ... more

    12 Days Ago

  • Ascension

    PORT OF CATOO, OK

    Ascension | PORT OF CATOO, OK

    Ascension is seeking a dedicated Registered Nurse ICU to provide expert, compassionate care for high-acuity patients in our intensive care unit. In this ro... more

    12 Days Ago

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Cost of Living In Waves, NC

Cost of Living in Waves, NC is
8.2% Higher
than the National Average

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